Depression as a mediator in the relationship between perceived familial criticism and college adaptation

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study examined relationships among emerging adults' perceived familial criticism, their depressive symptoms, and their college adaptation. Participants: The current study examined the responses of 412 emerging adults (300 females and 112 males) who were college students at a large southeastern university. The majority of these emerging adults were Caucasian, but the remainder were from a broad range of racial backgrounds. Methods: Participants completed the Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale as a measure of their familial criticism, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire as a measure of their college adaptation, and the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition as a measure of their depression. Results: Results were examined using correlational and regression analyses in the context of Baron and Kenny's (J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986;51:1173–1182) method for determining mediation. Results suggested that for female emerging adults, the relationship between perceived familial criticism and college adaptation was mediated significantly by depressive symptoms. In contrast, this pattern of results did not hold for male emerging adults. Conclusions: Given these findings, emerging adults' depressive symptoms may serve as a useful proximal target for psychotherapeutic interventions meant to improve adaptation to college (particularly for female emerging adults), even in the context of high levels of perceived familial criticism from emerging adults' family of origin.     

The indirect effect of perceived burdensomeness on the relationship between indices of social support and suicide ideation in college students

Objective: Research has demonstrated that a lack of social support is related to suicide risk. This study examines perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, as mechanisms of the social support–suicide relationship in college students. Method: The study consisted of 207 students from a Midwestern university. Data were collected from 2007 to 2008. Two multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine whether perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness mediated the relationship between indices of social support and suicide ideation. Results: Perceived burdensomeness mediated the relationships between perceived social support and suicide ideation (95% confidence interval [CI] ?.02 to ?.00, effect size = ?.01) and social connectedness and suicide ideation (95% CI ?.03 to ?.00, effect size = ?.03). Thwarted belongingness did not mediate either relationship. Conclusions: Results suggest that a lack of social support could lead to perceptions of being a burden on others, which could lead to suicide ideation.     

The relationship between social media use and sleep quality among undergraduate students

Insufficient sleep is a growing health problem among university students, especially for freshmen during their first quarter/semester of college. Little research has studied how social media technologies impact sleep quality among college students. This study aims to determine the relationship between social media use and sleep quality among freshman undergraduates during their first quarter in college. Specifically, we explored whether variations in Twitter use across the time of day and day of the week would be associated with self-reported sleep quality. We conducted a study of freshman Twitter-using students (N?=?197) over their first quarter of college, between October and December of 2015. We collected students’ tweets, labeled the content of the tweets according to different emotional states, and gave theme weekly surveys on sleep quality. Tweeting more frequently on weekday late nights was associated with lower sleep quality (β?=??0.937, SE?=?0.352); tweeting more frequently on weekday evenings was associated with better quality sleep (β?=?0.189, SE?=?0.097). Tweets during the weekday that were labeled related to the emotion of fear were associated with lower sleep quality (β?=??0.302, SE?=?0.131). Results suggest that social media use is associated with sleep quality among students. Results provided can be used to inform future interventions to improve sleep quality among college students.     

The relationship between perceived youth exposure to anti-smoking advertisements: how perceptions differ by race

Data on self-reported perceived exposure to anti-smoking messages were collected from 1,608 high school students surveyed through the ASPIRE (A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience) Program in Houston, Texas. Data collection took place between October 2002 and March 2003. Logistic regression identified that African Americans perceived significantly less exposure to anti-smoking advertisements via television (OR = .50, p < 0.05) and posters (OR = .61, p < 0.05) than whites. However, they had nearly twice as much perceived exposure to anti-smoking advertisements at movies (OR = 1.79, p < or = 0.05) and sporting events (OR = 2.1, p < or = 0.05) than their white counterparts. Hispanic youth perceived significantly less exposure to anti-smoking posters (OR = .51, p < or = 0.05) and significantly higher exposure to anti-smoking messages at sporting events (OR = 1.92, p < or = 0.05) and school programs (OR = 3.44, p < or = 0.05) compared to white youth. While the relationships tested in this study are exploratory, they provide initial evidence for an important nexus between race and communication channels that may impact perceived exposure to tobacco advertising.     

Timeliness,responsiveness and the human voice: The effects of dialogic strategies and the mediating role of perceived communication ethicality on social media relationship building

This study investigates how social media can be better managed to cultivate positive organization-public relationships. It advances an expanded and integrated conceptual model to test how the communication features of corporate pages on social networking sites may influence publics’ perception of the organization’s communication ethicality, which further predicts organization-public relationships as a compound index of trust, commitment, and satisfaction. The results, based on structural equation modeling, showed that three important communication strategies are success factors that could shape perceptions of communication ethicality: timeliness, responsiveness, and the use of human voice in a dialogic framework. In particular, publics’ perception of the organization’s communication ethicality emerged as a key mediator driving communication effects to foster positive relationships with stakeholders in an online environment.     

The relationship between financial strain,perceived stress,psychological symptoms,and academic and social integration in undergraduate students

ABSTRACT

Objective: Financial strain may directly or indirectly (i.e., through perceived stress) impact students’ psychological symptoms and academic and social integration, yet few studies have tested these relationships. The authors explored the mediating effect of perceived stress on the relationship between financial strain and 2 important outcomes: psychological symptomology and academic and social integration. Participants: Participants were 157 undergraduate students. Data were collected from December 2013 to March 2014. Methods: Cross-sectional data collection conducted using online survey software. Results: It was found that perceived stress mediated the relationship between financial strain and (a) psychological symptomology and (b) academic and social integration. Both models included first-generation status as a covariate. Conclusions: Results suggest that perceived stress is an important intervention target for reducing psychological symptoms and improving academic and social integration for undergraduate students. Implications for university health centers and mental health professionals include incorporating a public health model to minimize stress risk.     

Research on the relationship between the structural properties of bedding layer in spring mattress and sleep quality

Mattress, as a sleep platform, its types and physical properties has an important effect on sleep quality and rest efficiency. In this paper, by subjective evaluations, analysis of sleeping behaviors and tests of depth of sleep, the relationship between characteristics of the bedding materials, the structure of mattress, sleep quality and sleep behaviors were studied. The results showed that: (1) Characteristics of the bedding materials and structure of spring mattress had a remarkable effect on sleep behaviors and sleep quality. An optimum combination of the bedding materials, the structure of mattress and its core could improve the overall comfort of mattress, thereby improving the depth of sleep and sleep quality. (2) Sleep behaviors had a close relationship with sleeping postures and sleep habits. The characteristics of sleep behaviors vary from person to person.     

Examining hearing quality in child abuse and neglect cases: The relationship between breadth of discussion and case outcomes

Child abuse and neglect court hearings are complex, multifaceted, and necessary for judicial oversight to ensure safe, timely permanency for youth and families involved in the system. While best practices have been suggested, little research has been conducted to examine what the critical components of a “high quality” dependency court hearing are, and, more importantly how these factors might be related to improved outcomes for children and families. The current study explores the relationship between breadth of discussion at the first hearing on the case and subsequent case decisions and outcomes. Findings suggest a positive relationship between breadth of discussion at the initial hearing and a higher likelihood of relative or parent placements compared to foster care placements, increased presence of parents throughout the life of the case, and higher likelihood of case closure and reunification. The study is limited by a small sample size and focus on one of many court hearings; however, it does provide empirical support that the quality of the court hearing may be related to better outcomes for families.     

The relationship between lead and crime

This study investigates the association between air-lead levels and crime rates across 2,772 U.S. counties. Data for the analysis come from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Census, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Results suggest that air-lead levels have a direct effect on property and violent crime rates even after adjusting for general levels of air pollution and several structural covariates of crime. We also find that resource deprivation interacts with air-lead levels. The association between air-lead levels and crime rates-property and violent-is strongest in counties that have high levels of resource deprivation and weakest in counties that have low levels of deprivation. This interaction is consistent with arguments and evidence in the health care literature that populations most at risk of lead poisoning are least likely to get the resources required to prevent, screen, and treat the illness.     

The relationship between motherhood and re-incarceration

Using matched administrative records from the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, this paper finds that mothers' rates of re-incarceration are higher than those of women without children. It is also found that incarcerated mothers whose children have been in foster care have a higher re-incarceration rate than do women without children. The re-incarceration rate is particularly higher among mothers whose children were placed in foster care at the time of their first incarceration and mothers who had children in foster care but lost their custody before their first incarceration. These findings are more pronounced among white women with records of drug-related offenses or drug addiction than among their African-American counterparts.     

Nonprofit competition in the grants marketplace

In this study, we test the impact of nonprofit financial health and financial efficiency ratios on the grant amount awarded by foundations using the Georgia grants marketplace as a case. Using hierarchical linear modeling analysis, we can understand the effects of these ratios both within and across foundation grant portfolios. We found statistically significant evidence that grantees with higher debt ratios and higher fundraising ratios receive lower grant amounts. We did not find statistically significant impacts for administrative ratios, revenue diversification, and surplus margin.     

Prioritizing relationships: The investment model and relationship maintenance strategies in organizational crises

Crisis communication and crisis management are dominated by research in image repair and restoration, but much has to be done to address the lack of research that engages relational perspectives in these fields. Adopting the investment model (Rusbult, 1980) as a theoretical framework and using structural equation modeling, the study develops a crisis relational maintenance model to explain how organizations can (re)build relationships with publics. Survey results show that publics’ commitment and publics’ trust are two significant mediators that influence publics’ relational behaviors post-crisis. The investment model provides a suitable framework to explain publics’ commitment to an organization, with explained variance more than 90 percent, and an organization’s relationship maintenance strategies during and post-crisis significantly affect publics’ trust. Whether an organization’s relationships with the publics can be maintained or repaired depends on whether an organization engages in these relationship maintenance strategies that prioritize publics’ need, which can be reciprocated from publics as publics reorient themselves along with the long-term goals and well-being of the relationships. Results of this study call for further attention on relationship maintenance approaches in crisis communication and management research.     

The relationship between newsworthiness and publication of news releases in the media

Using content analysis of news releases received, selected, and rejected, and published by the media this study examines the relationship between the newsworthiness of news releases and the publication of news releases in the media. The results show that newsworthiness is a strong predictor of the selection of news releases for publication and the amount of coverage the selected news releases will receive. However, the newsworthiness of news releases fails to predict the prominence of coverage of the selected news releases.     

Health-related determinants of perceived quality of life: a comparison between first-year university students and their working peers

This study compares aspects of the health-related behaviors and working life of first-year university students with those of their working counterparts and assesses the roles of these aspects as predictors of each groups' perceived quality of life (QoL). Subjects were taken from two cross-sectional data sets (a student survey and a population survey) from the Swedish central-western region of Osterg?tland. Male and female respondents aged 20-35 years were extracted and comparison were made considering in turn socio-demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, exposure to abusive events at work and perceived QoL. University students smoked and used oral snuff in smaller proportions, they were not as frequent drinkers as their working counterparts, but they tended to drink more when they did drink. Threats and violence were less prevalent among students, but sexual harassment, were almost as common. The strongest predictors of perceived QoL for both groups are expected and former perceived QoL, followed by current self-rated health.     

The correlation between thermal comfort in buildings and fashion products

This article is about thermal comfort in the wearable product. The research correlates fashion and architecture, in so far as it elects the brise soleil - an architectural element capable of regulating temperature and ventilation inside buildings - as a study referential, in trying to transpose and adapt its mechanisms to the wearable apparel.     

The relationship between criminality and home background

There are two extensive literatures which deal with this subject. One is that on criminality, defining the distinctions between morality and cultural definitions. The other is on how parents ought to influence their offspring. And there is also a smaller literative on the causal or statistical relationship between the two. This research tradition attempts to isolate particular hypotheses—like lone parents or genetics. What is missing is both a study of why certain influences are significant, and a connection between the actual cases of criminality and criminals' own experiences of their parents. For this purpose lengthy semistructured interviews with young offenders were carried out, exploring their memories and perceptions of home life and their attitudes to their parents and their subsequent experiences. This paper discusses the factors that the interviewees raised consistently, openly and articulately; violence in the home, neglect, laissez-faire: and turning to peer groups for alternative support. At the heart of the evidence lies a lack of dialogue and the perception of a lack of active interest in them by parents. The consequences are discussed, including the inability to develop normal social relationships, leading to frustration and the repetition of violence in the home in different circumstances.     

The relationship between sleep and autonomic health

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between sleep and resting autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning in college students. Participants: Participants were 141 undergraduate students (52 males) recruited from a large southeastern university during September–October 2017. Methods: Participants completed self-report inventories (demographic and sleep characteristics). Resting state skin conductance (SC) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured in a laboratory setting for ANS functioning. Results: SC was positively associated with sleep quality (p?=?0.027), sleep latency (p?=?0.040), and use of sleep medication (p?<?0.001). Analyses yielded a negative association between the standard deviation of the normal-normal interval of heart beats (SDNN) and the self-reported amount of time to fall asleep each night (p?=?0.041). Sleep efficiency was negatively correlated with low frequency HRV (p?=?0.002). Conclusions: Sleep components are associated with resting ANS activity, and targeted interventions focused on improved ANS functioning may benefit sleep quality in college students.