The role of interpretation biases and safety behaviours in social anxiety: an intensive longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Interpretation bias and safety behaviours (Safe-B) have been proposed as factors perpetuating social anxiety (SA). However, longitudinal research on how they contribute to SA in everyday life is scarce. AIM: The aim was to examine whether interpretation bias predicts daily Safe-B and SA. A mediated moderation was hypothesized, where the relationship between daily social stressors and Safe-B would be moderated by interpretation bias, and Safe-B, in turn, would mediate the association between stressors and SA levels. In addition, it was hypothesized that prior levels of SA would predict higher Safe-B use, especially in co-occurrence with stressors. METHOD: An intensive longitudinal design was employed, with 138 vocational training students (51% men, mean age 20.15 years). They completed initial measures of SA and interpretation bias and 7-day diaries with measures of social stressors, Safe-B, and SA. They reported SA levels two months later. RESULTS: Both stressors and interpretation bias in ambiguous situations predicted Safe-B, which in turn predicted daily SA levels. However, neither interpretation bias nor Safe-B predicted SA levels at the follow-up, and interpretation bias did not moderate the association between stressors and daily SA. In addition, the relationship between stressors and Safe-B was stronger in people with higher initial SA levels. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Safe-B are a mechanism through which earlier SA levels and interpretation bias contribute to higher SA levels in daily life.

Do testosterone and cortisol levels moderate aggressive responses to peer victimization in adolescents?

Aggressive reactions to peer victimization may be tempered by hormone levels. Grounded on the dualhormone hypothesis (DHH), which proposes that testosterone (T) is associated with aggressive behavior only when cortisol (C) is low, this study assessed whether the combination of T and C moderated adolescents' aggressive responses to peer victimization. The study involved 577 adolescents (50.4% girls, aged 12-17 years), who completed measures of online and offline victimization and perpetration of aggressive behavior in three waves over the course of one year. Moreover, they provided salivary samples to measure T and C levels. Multilevel analyses showed a three-way interaction between T, C, and victimization levels for both online and offline aggressive behaviors. In both cases, the adolescents with high T and high C or low T and low C responded with more aggressive behaviors when victimized or provoked by peers. The T/C ratio was only associated with aggressive behavior in the girls' sample. The results are opposite to those predicted by the DHH, but they are consistent with the findings of other studies that examined aggressive behaviors as reactions to provocations. These results suggest that some combinations of T and C predict higher aggressive reactions to peer victimization.

The Association between exposure to COVID-19, internalizing symptoms, and Dispositional Mindfulness in Adolescents: a longitudinal pre- and during-pandemic study.

This study examined the association between contact with COVID-19 and internalizing symptoms in Spanish adolescents, and the moderation and mediation roles of dispositional mindfulness. Adolescents (N = 383; 58% female; Mage = 15.62, SD = 1.32) completed measures of dispositional mindfulness (MAAS-A) and internalizing symptoms (DASS-21), other stressors different from COVID-19, and contact with COVID-19 twice, in October 2019 and 2020. Three profiles emerged according to their contact with COVID-19: (1) little/no contact, (2) knowing someone close (outside home) who was infected, hospitalized, or died, and (3) being or someone at home being infected and/or hospitalized. Compared to little/no contact, both contact profiles predicted dispositional mindfulness and anxiety; and profile 2 predicted stress. Dispositional mindfulness mediated the association between both contact profiles and depression and stress. This study suggests that contact with COVID-19 predicts increased internalizing symptoms in adolescents, which could be partially explained by the decrease in mindfulness levels.

Longitudinal associations between dispositional mindfulness and addictive behaviors in adolescents. / Asociaciones longitudinales entre el rasgo de mindfulness y conductas adictivas en adolescentes.

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of addictive behaviors, and substance use (SU) and problematic Internet use (PIU) typically start during this developmental stage. Dispositional Mindfulness (DM) has been proposed as a protective factor for adolescents against numerous psychological problems. Previous studies have suggested that the Observing facet of DM may moderate the other facets' roles. The objective of this study was to longitudinally analyze whether the facets of DM could predict lower levels of PIU and SU among adolescents, and to assess whether the Observing facet moderated the associations between the other facets of DM and addictive behaviors. A total of 836 participants aged 11 to 18 completed measures of PIU, SU, and the five facets of DM. The results indicated that Acting with Awareness predicted lower SU, Describing predicted an increase in both PIU and SU, and Non-judging marginally predicted lower PIU. Furthermore, Observing was beneficial against PIU when combined with high levels of Acting with Awareness, but was not when combined with high levels of Describing. The implications and future directions for the empirical study of DM against addictive behaviors are discussed.

La adolescencia es un período vulnerable para el desarrollo de conductas adictivas. El uso de sustancias (US) y el uso problemático de Internet (UPI) generalmente comienzan durante esta etapa de desarrollo. El mindfulness rasgo (MD) se ha propuesto como un factor protector para los y las adolescentes frente a numerosos problemas psicológicos. Estudios previos sugieren que la faceta Observar de MD puede moderar los roles de las otras facetas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar longitudinalmente si las facetas de MD podían predecir niveles más bajos de UPI y US entre los y las adolescentes, y evaluar si la faceta Observar moderaba las asociaciones entre las otras facetas de MD y las conductas adictivas. Un total de 836 participantes de entre 11 y 18 años completaron medidas de UPI, US y las cinco facetas de MD. Los resultados indicaron que Actuar con conciencia predijo niveles más bajos de US, Describir predijo un aumento tanto de UPI como de US y No juzgar predijo marginalmente niveles más bajos de UPI. Además, la faceta Observar fue beneficiosa frente a UPI cuando se combinó con altos niveles de Actuar con conciencia, pero no fue beneficiosa cuando se combinó con altos niveles de Describir. Se discuten las implicaciones y direcciones futuras para el estudio empírico de MD frente a conductas adictivas.

Problematic Internet use and Internet gaming disorder: Overlap and relationship with health-related quality of life in adolescents. / Uso problemático de Internet y trastorno de juego por Internet: Solapamiento y relación con la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en adolescentes.

General Problematic Internet Use (GPIU) is a dysfunctional use of Internet handling and management in general. In contrast, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a specific behaviour linked to online videogames. Both problems are becoming common in adolescents, but they have hardly been studied simultaneously, and the joint relationship of the two constructs with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is unknown. The general objective of this study is to analyse the relationship between GPIU and IGD and their association with HRQoL. The study is analytical and cross-sectional with 2,024 participants (46.4% boys, n = 939) from 16 schools of 7 Spanish regions. The mean age and standard deviation were 14.20±1.42, with a range of 11-18 years. The Spanish versions of the KIDSCREEN-10, the Revised Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale were used. Of the total sample evaluated, 15.5% of the participants had high levels of GPIU, and 3.3% of video game players presented IGD. The dimensions of GPIU are strongly associated with those of IGD. HRQoL correlated significantly and negatively with all the dimensions of GPIU and IGD (p <.001). Participants who reported problems with GPIU or IGD, individually or conjointly, had significantly lower scores in HRQoL than those with no problems.

El Uso problemático general de Internet (GPIU) supone un uso disfuncional del manejo y la gestión de Internet en general. En cambio, el Trastorno de juego por Internet (IGD) es una conducta específica vinculada a los videojuegos en línea. Ambos problemas comienzan a ser frecuentes en adolescentes, pero apenas han sido estudiados simultáneamente ni se conoce el papel conjunto de ambos constructos sobre Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS). El objetivo general de este estudio es analizar la relación entre el GPIU y el IGD y su asociación con la CVRS. El estudio es analítico y transversal con 2024 participantes (46,4% chicos, n = 939) procedentes de 16 colegios en 7 regiones españolas. La media de edad y desviación típica fue de 14,20±1,42 en un rango de 11-18 años. Se usaron las versiones españolas del KIDSCREEN-10, del Revised Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 y del Internet Gaming Disorder Scale. Un 15,5% del total de la muestra evaluada reportó niveles altos de GPIU y un 3,3% de los jugadores de videojuegos presentó IGD. Las dimensiones del GPIU están altamente asociadas a las del IGD. La CVRS correlacionó significativa y negativamente con todas las dimensiones del GPIU y del IGD (p <,001). Los participantes que reportaron problemas en el GPIU o el IGD, individual o conjuntamente, presentan puntuaciones significativamente más bajas en la CVRS.

Working memory and emotional interpretation bias in a sample of Syrian refugee adolescents.

The number of adolescent refugees around the world has been continuously increasing over the past few years trying to escape war and terror, among other things. Such experience not only increases the risk for mental health problems including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also may have implications for socio-cognitive development. This study tested cognitive-affective processing in refugee adolescents who had escaped armed conflict in Syria and now resided in Istanbul, Turkey. Adolescents were split into a high trauma (n = 31, 12 girls, mean age = 11.70 years, SD = 1.15 years) and low trauma (n = 27, 14 girls, mean age = 11.07 years, SD = 1.39 years) symptom group using median split, and performed a working memory task with emotional distraction to assess cognitive control and a surprise faces task to assess emotional interpretation bias. The results indicated that high (vs. low) trauma symptom youth were ~ 20% worse correctly remembering the spatial location of a cue, although both groups performed at very low levels. However, this finding was not modulated by emotion. In addition, although all youths also had a ~ 20% bias toward interpreting ambiguous (surprise) faces as more negative, the high (vs. low) symptom youth were faster when allocating such a face to the positive (vs. negative) emotion category. The findings suggest the impact of war-related trauma on cognitive-affective processes essential to healthy development.

Cognitive Flexibility and Selective Attention's Associations with Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescents: Are they Reciprocal?

Although both executive functions and internalizing symptoms go through important changes during adolescence, the role of executive functions in internalizing symptoms is unclear. Based on developmental cascade models of psychopathology, this study aimed to fill this gap by studying the bidirectional predictive relationship between executive functions (cognitive flexibility and selective attention) and symptoms of depression and social anxiety. A sample of 698 adolescents (40.8% girls) between 12 and 17 years of age (M = 14.59, SD = 1.36) participated in three waves over 1 year. They completed measures of executive functions and internalizing symptoms. Depressive symptoms predicted deficits in executive functions. Conversely, social anxiety symptoms predicted an improvement in cognitive flexibility. These results suggest that executive function deficits are not a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms but a consequence of them, and there are specific patterns of associations for depressive and social anxiety symptoms.

Clinical assessment of non-suicidal self-injury: A systematic review of instruments.

There has been an increase in the number of assessment instruments for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, previous reviews are inconsistent and do not provide a comprehensive psychometric assessment of the instruments. This study aimed to systematically assess and compare the psychometric properties of clinically relevant instruments to measure NSSI in any population. Through a systematic review guided by COSMIN and PRISMA, two searches were conducted in English and Spanish in February 2020 in 13 databases including grey literature. Of the 7,813 initial records, 152 validations were extracted. From these, 83 instruments (22 versions or adaptations) were excluded for not measuring NSSI, having no potential clinical utility or not including psychometric properties. Finally, 26 (22 versions, 35 adaptations and 19 creations) instruments measuring NSSI were included. Predominantly, the studies were North American self-reports in English for community adolescents, adaptations or versions emanating from a small number of instruments. Twenty-six indicators were categorized to assess NSSI. The most frequent instruments are structured interviews, and their indicators were related to NSSI function and topography. Evidence of validity and reliability was positive but limited. Despite the high number of instruments and diversity of evaluations, we found no instrument with sufficient evidence for clinical assessment. Findings broadly overview NSSI assessment instruments' current use and future improvement in clinical and research settings.

Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q): Factorial structure and cut-off points for the Spanish version. / Cuestionario de Nomofobia (NMP-Q): Estructura factorial y puntos de corte de la versión española.

Nomophobia is a situational phobia leading to a deep, irrational, and disproportionate fear of not being able to use the smartphone. An instrumental study on the Spanish version of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) was carried out. The objectives were: 1) To analyse its factor structure and reliability; 2) to test for the invariance of sex and age groups, and 3) to obtain specific cut-off points by sex and age non-existent to date. Sampling was incidental and non-probabilistic with 5012 participants (57.9%, females) aged 12-24 years (M = 18.04, SD = 3.3). The confirmatory factor analysis revealed a hierarchical model with four correlated factors explained by a general second-order factor. The internal validity and reliability values of the NMP-Q dimensions are satisfactory, ranging between .78, .85, .86, and .92 (Omega w). A multigroup analysis confirmed the invariance across sex and age groups. Building on the NMP-Q scores, we calculated 3 cut-off points using percentiles 15th, 80th and 95th (unnomophobic, at risk of nomophobia, and nomophobic). Females aged 12-15 years had the highest nomophobic scores. We can conclude that the proposed sex and age cut-off points will allow us to better identify nomophobic problems from a clinical point of view.

La nomofobia es una fobia situacional en la que se experimenta un miedo intenso, irracional y desproporcionado a no poder usar el smartphone. Se realizó un estudio instrumental de la versión española del cuestionario de Nomofobia (NMP-Q) con los objetivos de: 1) analizar su estructura factorial y fiabilidad; 2) analizar su invarianza con relación al sexo y la edad, y 3) obtener puntos de cortes específicos para distintas edades y sexo. El muestreo fue incidental y no probabilístico. Hubo 5012 participantes (57.9%, mujeres) de 12-24 años (M = 18,04, SD = 3,3). El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró un modelo jerárquico de 4 factores correlacionados y explicados por uno general de segundo orden. Los índices de fiabilidad de las dimensiones del NMP-Q fueron satisfactorios oscilando entre ,78, ,85, ,86 y ,92 (Omega w). Un análisis multigrupo confirmó la invarianza por sexo y edad. A partir de las puntuaciones del NMP-Q se calcularon 3 puntos de corte siguiendo los percentiles 15, 80 y 95 (sin nomofobia, riesgo de nomofobia, y nomofóbico). Las mujeres de 12-15 años tuvieron las puntuaciones más altas en nomofobia. Podemos concluir que el NMP-Q nos permite identificar problemas de nomofobia por sexo y edad desde un punto de vista clínico.

Anxiety and the dynamic self as defined by the prospection and mental simulation of looming future threats.

A more dynamic perspective of threats to the self may contribute to an enhanced understanding of the processes that develop and maintain anxiety and thus, potentially inform psychological interventions. This article presents the looming vulnerability model of anxiety, which stresses the threat or risk prospection and dynamic mental simulation of the course of threat. Individuals do not become anxious simply because they picture distant or static possible threats that represent threats to the self. Rather, their anxiety results from interpreting potential threats as dynamic, growing, and approaching. Following a review of a wide range of literature from clinical, personality, and social psychology, we present the looming vulnerability model and its underpinnings in evolution and examine its applications to cognitive vulnerability to anxiety and its therapeutic alleviation [Correction added on 6 August 2019, after first online publication: Abstract text has been corrected to 'looming vulnerability model' in two places.]. We also address the associations of the model to other self-related concepts that are involved in anxiety.

Quality of life, psychological well-being, and resilience in caregivers of people with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Aim: The study aims to examine whether characteristics of patients with Acquired Brain Injury-ABI (time elapsed since injury, level of dependence and behavioral problems) and resilience factors of the caregiver predicted caregiver well-being (quality of life, anxiety,depression and positive aspects of caregiving).Methods: 78 voluntary family caregivers (75.6% female) of patients with ABI completed the Barthel Index, Head Behavior Injury Scale, Questionnaire of Resilience in Caregivers of Acquired Brain Injury, WHOQOL-BREF, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,and Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale. Correlation analysis and stepwise regression were carried out.Results: Time elapsed since injury showed a negative relationship with positive aspects of caregiving. On the other hand, care-recipients' behavioral problems showed significant associations with all caregiver variables: negatively with quality of life and positive aspects of caregiving, and positively with anxiety and depression. Regarding resilience, we found a positive relationship with quality of life and positive aspects of caregiving, and a negative association with anxiety and depression, showing better predictive power with depression.Conclusions: We confirm the relevance of developing multidisciplinary caregiver intervention programmes focused on positive ways to handle care-recipients' behavioral problems and developing positive coping skills, such as positive reinterpretation, acceptance and seeking social support, that may optimize caregiver resilience.

Development of a Short Form of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Adolescents for Children and Adolescents.

The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) assesses several dimensions of mindfulness. The objective of this study was to develop a short version of the FFMQ for children and adolescents. The main sample consisted of 829 participants (51% boys; 10-18 years old). From this initial sample, 789 participants (49% boys) completed the FFMQ at a 6-month follow-up. A second independent sample (N = 418, 50% boys; 12-16 years old) was used to confirm the factor structure. Confirmatory factor analyses with the full version supported a structure composed of 5 correlated factors (1 per facet) plus 2 correlated method factors representing the method effect (positive and negative) of the items. From this model, the FFMQ-A-SF was derived, consisting of 25 items (5 per facet). The measure displayed adequate internal consistency, and invariance was confirmed over time and across different age groups. The analysis of the relationship between mindfulness facets and temperament and psychological problems provided additional evidence for the construct validity of the questionnaire. It is concluded that the FFMQ-A-SF presents acceptable validity and reliability in children and adolescents. However, the positive versus negative wording of the items could affect the responses of younger participants.

Dispositional Mindfulness Profiles in Adolescents and their Associations with Psychological Functioning and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Hormones.

Adolescence is often accompanied by an increase in stress and depression. Although there is considerable consensus about the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce these problems, the results for the role of dispositional mindfulness facets have been mixed. Recent studies have contributed to clarifying this role by identifying subtypes of individuals according to their profiles in mindfulness facets and examining the functioning of these profiles in relation to several self-reported indicators of wellbeing and health. The current study extends previous research by exploring mindfulness profiles in adolescents and by providing several sources of indicators (self-reports, parent-reports, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones) to examine the adaptive role of these profiles. A sample of 571 adolescents (50.61% girls; 12-17 years old) completed measures of mindfulness, depression, maladaptive schemas, and temperament (neuroticism, extraversion, and effortful control), and provided salivary samples for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. In addition, 331 adolescents' parents completed measures of their children' temperaments. The results of latent profile analyses supported a three-profile solution: (1) moderate mindfulness (65.5%), (2) judgmental observing (24.2%), and (3) nonjudgmentally aware (10.3%). The judgmental observing profile was associated with a worse adjustment, indicated by higher depressive symptoms, maladaptive schemas, perceived stress, stress-associated hormones, and neuroticism, as well as lower scores on extroversion and effortful control. This profile was more frequent among the oldest adolescents. In contrast, the nonjudgmentally aware group presented a better adjustment and was more frequent among the youngest adolescents. These findings have implications for preventive interventions. Analyzing the specific profile of each adolescent can help improve individual intervention, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of each adolescent.

The moderating role of age in the relationship between different stressors and the quality of life of the relatives of people with intellectual disabilities.

PURPOSE: The level of support needed for adaptive functioning and behavioral problems of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) can be a source of stress for caregivers. The aim of this study was to explore the moderating role of caregivers' age on the associations between these stressors and quality of life (QoL) of the family caregivers. As these sources of stress in people with ID can coexist, the triple interaction between stressors and age was also examined. METHODS: 208 relatives (mean age = 50.98 years, SD = 12.86) of people with ID participated in the research. Participants answered a questionnaire with sociodemographic variables, measures of stressors (level of support for adaptive functioning of the people with ID and behavioral problems) and measures of QoL (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: The association between the level of support needed for adaptive functioning and lower QoL was only significant among older relatives, whereas the association between behavioral problems and lower QoL was only significant among younger relatives. A three-way interaction between behavioral problems, level of support needed, and age indicated that the association between the level of support for adaptive functioning and QoL in older relatives was greater when there were higher levels of behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: The role of caregivers' age in their QoL differs depending on the nature of the stressor, and an accumulation of stressors can have a particularly negative impact on older caregivers. Interventions should be adapted for caregivers of different ages and take into account the particular sources of stress they have to cope with.

The Role of Acceptance of Violence Beliefs and Social Information Processing on Dating Violence Perpetration.

This study's main objective was to explore whether beliefs legitimizing dating violence predict dysfunctional social information processing (SIP) when adolescents deal with ambiguous dating situations, and whether this more proximal cognitive processing acts as a mediator between acceptance of violence beliefs and dating violence perpetration. Participants were 855 high school students who completed self-report measures at three time points, with a 1-year interval between them. SIP did not act as a mediator, but the emergence of anger emotions in dating conflict situations, along with aggression-justifying beliefs, were revealed as essential in explaining dating violence. Previous aggression also explained a subsequent higher anticipation of positive consequences for aggressive acts. We discuss the implications for prevention and treatment strategies with adolescents.

Psychometric properties of the cyberbullying triangulation questionnaire: A prevalence analysis through seven roles.

This study explores the psychometric properties of the Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ), which measures and triangulates the roles of cybervictimization, cyberaggression, and cyberbystanding. The study sample was composed of 5,036 Spanish students with a mean age of 14.19 years (SD = ±1.7; range = 10-23 years). Confirmatory factor analysis of the three correlated-factor model yielded a high goodness of fit. Reliability as measured by Omega coefficients was adequate (>0.94). The measurement model was invariant for the two age groups (10-14 years and 15-23 years). Cybervictimization and cyberaggression correlated with offline victimization and aggression (r = 0.49; p < 0.001; r = 0.57; p < 0.001, respectively). The results show that the most prevalent cyberbystanding subrole was that of the Defender of the Victim (54.6%), and that cyberaggression and cyberbystanding were more prevalent among male adolescents (p < 0.001). The lack of parental control over children's use of the mobile phone was associated with cyberaggression (p < 0.001).

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Work and Social Adjustment Scale in a Sample of Individuals With Bipolar Disorder.

The aim of the current study was to validate the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), a measure of psychosocial functional impairment, in Spanish-speaking individuals with bipolar disorder. A sample of 120 patients with bipolar disorder and 97 healthy individuals completed the WSAS to analyze its factor structure and reliability. Patients also completed measures of personal recovery and quality of life (QOL). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a one-factor model explained data adequately, with all factor loadings proving to be significant. Cronbach's alphas indicated excellent internal consistency in the sample of individuals with bipolar disorder and the sample of healthy individuals. Significant negative correlations between the WSAS and personal recovery and QOL demonstrated good concurrent validity. Impairment on the WSAS was higher for the patient sample, confirming known-group validity of the scale. Thus, Spanish validation of the WSAS demonstrated it to be a sound self-reported measure of psychosocial functioning impairment in individuals with bipolar disorder. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 57(5), 44-51.].

Persuasion strategies and sexual solicitations and interactions in online sexual grooming of adolescents: Modeling direct and indirect pathways.

Online sexual grooming and exploitation of adolescents is receiving increasing social attention. Drawing on a social influence framework, the aim of this study was to test a model of the direct and mediated relationships between an adult's use of persuasion strategies and online sexual grooming of early adolescents. The initial sample of the study consisted of 2731 early Spanish adolescents between 12 and 15 years old (50.6% female). Of these, 196 adolescents (7.17% of the total; 53% girls) were involved in online grooming (mean age = 14.93, SD = 0.90). Persuasion strategies by the adult through internet increased the probability of using deceit, bribery, and the minor's nonsexual involvement. In addition, deceit and bribery were associated with higher rates of sexual solicitation, which in turn increased abusive sexual interactions. Understanding strategies used by adults to groom minors contributes to the prevention of and intervention in this crucial societal problem.

Continued Bullying Victimization in Adolescents: Maladaptive Schemas as a Mediational Mechanism.

Bullying victimization in adolescence is a significant social problem that can become persistent over time for some victims. However, there is an overall paucity of research examining the factors that contribute to continued bullying victimization. Schema therapy proposes a model that can help us understand why bullying victimization can be persistent for some victims. This study examines the role of maladaptive schemas, the key concept in schema therapy, as a mechanism of continued bullying victimization. The hypothesis was that maladaptive schemas of rejection mediate the predictive association between victimization in both the family and at school and future bullying victimization. Social anxiety was also considered, as previous research suggests that it can increase the risk of victimization. The participants were 1328 adolescents (45% female) with a mean age of 15.05 years (SD = 1.37), who completed questionnaires at three time points with a 6-month interval between them. Time 2 maladaptive schemas of rejection significantly mediated the predictive association from Time 1 bullying victimization, family abuse and social anxiety to Time 3 bullying victimization. The findings pertaining to potentially malleable factors, such as maladaptive schemas that maintain continued interpersonal victimization, have important implications for prevention and treatment strategies with adolescents.

Exposure to Family Violence and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among Spanish Adolescents.

Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment may have devastating consequences on children's development. The aim of this research was to examine the predictive associations between exposure to violence at home (witnessing violence against the mother and/or direct victimization by the parents) and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. A total of 613 Spanish adolescents (13-18 years) took part in this study. Results indicate that psychological victimization by the parents predicted an increase in anxious/depressive symptoms, aggressive and rule-breaking behavior, and substance abuse at Time 2. In addition, rule-breaking behavior predicted an increase in adolescents' substance abuse at Time 2. Concerning gender, psychological victimization predicted an increase in anxiety/depression, aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior, and substance abuse in boys; whereas in girls, psychological victimization only predicted an increase in anxiety/depression.