Stressful life experiences and adolescents' psychopathology: mediation of the perception of self, family and future
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The association between life stressors and psychopathology in young adolescents is less explored in the literature. The aim of this research is to examine the associations among stress about life experiences (losing job of a parent, moving, changing school, desease or death of a family member or a friend, etc.) and externalizing, internalizing behavioral problems (ASEBA) and 5Cs PYD qualities at the non-clinical sample of adolescents (n=215, 34,9% male students, aged 14–19 years) in the first three months of school opening after begining COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally¸ it’s tested if the adolescents’ way they perceive themselves, their family and being optimistic about their future mediate the influence of stressful life events on the development of psychopathological behavior and PYD qulities. Age, gender, negative life experiences, adolescents’ perception of family and of themselves and optimism about their future, explained 23% of variance in internalizing behavioral problems, 25% of variance in explaining externalizing behavioral problems and 34% of variance in explaining 5Cs PYD qualities. Direct positive link between negative life experences is estabished with internalizing (z=3.671, p< .001) and with externalizing (z=3.213, p< .01) behavioral problems. Adolescents’ satisfaction with their families mediate the link between negative life experiences and PYD quaities (z=-3.571, p< .001) and the link between negative life experiences and externalizing (z=3.507, p< .001) and internalizing (z=2.125, p< .05) behavioral problems. Current data imply the protective (externalizing and internalizing problems) and promotive (PYD qualities) effect of adolescents’ satisfaction with family life.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7061804719