Andrew M. H. Siu

The Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale A Validation Study

Objective: This article describes the development and initial validation of the 90-item Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS), which contains items related to 15 aspects of positive youth development. Method: Adolescents with well adjustment ( N = 162) and poor adjustment (N = 160) responded to the CPYDS. Results: The findings showed that the CPYDS measures possess acceptable internal consistency and were able to discriminate the two groups. Although the CPYDS measures were positively related to thriving, life satisfaction, and perceived academic achievement, they were negatively related to substance abuse, delinquency, and behavioral intention to engage in problem behavior. Conclusions: The CPYDS can be used as a global measure of positive youth development in Chinese adolescents, but its dimensionality and subscales should be further examined.

Validation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in a Chinese Context

Objectives: Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (C-IRI) for the assessment of empathy in Chinese people were examined. Method: The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was translated to Chinese, and an expert panel reviewed its content validity and cultural relevance. The translated instrument (C-IRI) was administered to 189 junior high school students and 391 university students. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a stable hierarchical three-factor structure that was consistent with structure of the English IRI, but the cognitive and emotional aspects of empathy were combined to form a new factor. The subscales of the C-IRI demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Some evidence for the construct validity of the measure was also found. Conclusions: The C-IRI possessed acceptable psychometric properties in Chinese adolescent samples. The present findings suggest that the cognitive and emotional aspects of empathy are not differentiated in Chinese adolescents.

A comparison of patterns of sensory processing in children with and without developmental disabilities

This study compared the patterns of sensory processing among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and children without disabilities. Parents reported on the frequency of sensory processing issues by completing the Chinese Sensory Profile (CSP). Children with disabilities (ASD or ADHD) exhibited significantly more sensory processing issues than children without disabilities. The results of GLM and discriminant analyses showed that the CSP effectively differentiated between children with and without developmental disabilities. But it failed to identify major differences in sensory processing issues between children with either ASD or ADHD. Sensory processing issues could be one of many criteria that characterize and differentiate the features of children with different developmental disabilities. Although no significant gender differences in sensory processing issues appeared, age was a significant cofounding factor in evaluating sensory processing. Children without disabilities showed some small decreases in sensory processing issues as they aged from 6 to 12 years old. Children with ASD showed some decrease in sensory processing issues over the span of their childhood, while children with ADHD showed a significant increase in auditory processing issues as well as small increases in many aspects of sensory processing.

Evaluation of the chronic disease self-management program in a Chinese population

Abstract Objective This study evaluated the 6-week Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in Hong Kong. Methods A total of 148 subjects with chronic illness were recruited. Subjects were matched on duration of illness and gender, and then randomly allocated to experimental and comparison groups. The experimental group participated in the CDSMP, while the comparison group joined a Tai-Chi interest class in a mass-activity format. Subjects completed evaluation questionnaires before beginning their program and 1 week following the program. Results Analysis of covariance showed that the CDSMP participants demonstrated significantly higher self-efficacy in managing their illness, used more cognitive methods to manage pain and symptoms, and felt more energetic than the subjects in the comparison group. The CDSMP participants also demonstrated changes in their profile of coping strategies, having a tendency to adopt the cognitive methods of diverting attention, reinterpreting pain, ignoring sensations, and making positive self-statements. Conclusion The short-term evaluation results showed that the CDSMP primarily increased the self-efficacy, exercise behavior, and application of cognitive coping strategies of the participants. Practice Implication The effect of the CDSMP in a Chinese population is similar to that found in studies in Western cultures, and the CDSMP could be applied effectively in a Chinese population.

Effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. : objective outcome evaluation based on a randomized group trial

There are two tiers of programs in the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs). In the Tier 1 Program, teaching units based on different positive youth development constructs are covered. A total of 24 experimental schools (N = 4,121 students) and 24 control schools (N = 3,854 students) were randomly selected to participate in a randomized group trial. Analyses of covariance and linear mixed models controlling for differences between the two groups in terms of pretest scores, personal variables, and random effects of schools showed that participants in the experimental schools had significantly higher positive youth development levels than did participants in the control schools at post-test based on different indicators derived from the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale. In conjunction with other evaluation findings reported previously, the present study suggests that the Tier 1 Program of P.A.T.H.S. promotes the positive development of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

Functional disabilities profile of chinese elderly people with Alzheimer's disease - a validation study on the chinese version of the disability assessment for dementia.

This study aimed to determine the validity and applicability of the Chinese version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (CDAD) in the Chinese elderly population. The original English version was translated and modified to a 47-item scale to suit the societal and cultural background of the Chinese population. The CDAD was administered to 169 community-residing Chinese elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.91), excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation, ICC = 0.99) and excellent interrater reliability (ICC = 0.98). The functional disabilities profile of the same sample was examined. The CDAD had a high negative correlation with the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS; Spearman’s ρ = –0.89, p< 0.001). ANOVA and post hoc comparisons showed there were significant differences in the mean CDAD scores across different GDS stages. To study the construct validity, the CDAD was administered concurrently with several instruments. The Instrumental Activities of Daily Living subscore of the CDAD had a high correlation with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (r = 0.94,p< 0.001), and the Activities of Daily Living subscore of the CDAD had a high correlation with the Modified Barthel Index (r = 0.82, p < 0.001). A moderate correlation (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) with the Cantonese version of the Mini Mental State Examination was also found. Analysis of the relationship with sociodemographic factors indicated that the CDAD was not correlated with gender and education, and that the correlation with age was low. The CDAD was shown to be a reliable and valid instrument in assessing the functional disabilities of community-residing elderly subjects with AD in the Chinese population.

Subjective Outcome Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Findings Based on the Perspective of the Program Implementers

A total of 52 schools (n = 8679 students) participated in the experimental implementation phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). After completion of the Tier 1 Program, 344 instructors completed the Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form B) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the consolidated reports submitted by the schools to the funding body, the research team aggregated the consolidated data to form a “reconstructed” overall profile on the perceptions of the program implementers. Results showed that high proportions of the workers had positive perceptions of the program and their own performance, and roughly 90% of the workers regarded the program as helpful to the program participants. The present study provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project in Hong Kong.

EVALUATION OF A HORTICULTURAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMME FOR PERSONS WITH PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS

Objective To investigate the effect of applying horticulture activity on stress, work performance and quality of life in persons with psychiatric illness. Methods This study was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Using convenience sampling, 24 participants with psychiatric illness were recruited to participate in a horticultural programme and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Two participants dropped out from experimental groups after assignment. Ten participants in the experimental group attended 10 horticultural sessions within 2 weeks, while 12 participants in the control group continued to receive conventional sheltered workshop training. Participants were assessed before and after programme using Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21) and the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI-C), and the Work Behavior Assessment. Results There was a significant difference in change scores of the DASS21 (p = .01) between experimental and control group. There were no significant differences in change scores of the PWI-C between the two groups. Conclusion Horticultural therapy is effective in decreasing the levels of anxiety, depression and stress among participants in this pilot study, but the impact of the programme on work behavior and quality of life will need further exploration.

Qualitative Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Based on the Perceptions of the Program Participants

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project. Five focus groups based on 43 students recruited from four schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Finally, the program participants perceived many beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

Relations Between Social Problem Solving and Indicators of Interpersonal and Family Well-Being Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

This study evaluated the dimensionality of the construct of social problem solving and examined the relationships between social problem solving and empathy, emotional well-being and family well-being in a sample of secondary school students in Hong Kong (N = 1462). The participants completed measures of social problem solving (the 25-item short form of the Chinese version of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory: C-SPSI-R), empathy (the Chinese Interpersonal Reactivity Scale), emotional well-being (the Chinese Vengeance Scale) and family well-being (the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument and the Conflict Behaviour Questionnaire). Regarding the dimensionality of the C-SPSI, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale has a stable five-factor structure (RMSEA = 0.05) and that the related subscales were reliable (with α ranging from 0.65 to 0.81). Participants with higher levels of social problem solving had higher levels of empathy and lower personal distress in applying empathy, which suggested that these personal competencies were inter-related. Higher levels of social problem solving were also related to better emotional well-being (less tendency to take revenge) and better family quality of life (better family functioning and fewer parent-adolescent conflicts).