Chung Ping Cheng

Multi‐dimensional discriminative factors for Internet addiction among adolescents regarding gender and age

Aims:  The aim of the present study was to examine the discriminative effects of sociodemographic, individual, family, peers, and school life factors on Internet addiction in Taiwanese adolescents.

Gender differences in relationships of actual and virtual social support to Internet addiction mediated through depressive symptoms among college students in Taiwan.

This study examined gender differences in the relationships of actual and virtual social support to Internet addiction mediated through depressive symptoms among college students in Taiwan. Results revealed that in females, both actual and virtual social support directly predicted Internet addiction or were mediated through depressive symptoms. However, in males, while Internet addiction was predicted by virtual social support directly or indirectly mediated through depressive symptoms, the link of actual social support to Internet addiction was only mediated through depressive symptoms. Furthermore, in both genders, lower actual social support and higher virtual social support were associated with higher depressive symptoms.

Parallel Analysis with Unidimensional Binary Data

The present simulation investigated the performance of parallel analysis for unidimensional binary data. Single-factor models with 8 and 20 indicators were examined, and sample size (50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000), factor loading (.45, .70, and .90), response ratio on two categories (50/50, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10), and types of correlation coefficients (phi and tetrachoric correlations) were manipulated. The results indicated that parallel analysis performed well in identifying the number of factors. The performance improved as factor loading and sample size increased and as the percentages of responses on two categories became close. Using the 95th and 99th percentiles of the random data eigenvalues as the criteria for comparison in parallel analysis yielded higher correct rate than using mean eigenvalues.

Suicide risk and its correlate in adolescents who experienced typhoon-induced mudslides: a structural equation model.

Background: The aims of this study were to examine the direct and indirect effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), disaster‐exposure experience, gender, and perceived family support on suicide risk (including suicide ideation and attempt) in adolescents 3 months after they had experienced Typhoon Morakot‐associated mudslides in Taiwan using a structural equation model (SEM). Methods: Two hundred and seventy‐one adolescents in the worst affected mountainous regions of southern Taiwan were recruited. Suicide risk and diagnoses of PTSD and MDD were assessed using the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents. The direct and indirect effects of PTSD, MDD, disaster‐exposure experience, gender, and perceived family support on suicide risk were examined using SEM. Results: The results of SEM indicated that increased disaster‐exposure experience and female gender had direct influences on an increased suicide risk and indirect influences on increased suicide risk that were mediated by PTSD and MDD. Perceived high family support directly decreased suicide risk. Both PTSD and MDD had direct influences on an increased suicide risk, and PTSD had an indirect influence on an increased suicide risk that was mediated by MDD. Conclusions: Gender, disaster‐exposure experience, perceived high family support, PTSD, and MDD all had effects on suicide risk in adolescents who had experienced the threat of mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot. The results provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive understanding to develop intervention programs to prevent and intervene in suicide risk. Depression and Anxiety, 2010.  © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Maladaptive sleep hygiene practices in good sleepers and patients with insomnia.

Previous studies examining the associations between sleep hygiene practices and insomnia have produced inconsistent results. This study further investigates this issue by examining different domains of sleep hygiene separately. One hundred and six insomnia patients and 89 good sleepers participated in the study. Their sleep hygiene, sleep quality and insomnia severity were assessed with subjective rating scales. Among good sleepers, almost all domains of sleep hygiene correlated significantly with their sleep ratings. However, in insomnia patients, only the arousal-related behavior correlated with sleep ratings. The findings suggest that strategies in prevention and treatment of sleep disturbance may be different accordingly.

EFFECTS OF RESPONSE ORDER ON LIKERT-TYPE SCALES

The study investigated whether the change of response order in a Likert-type scale altered participant responses and scale characteristics. Response order is the order in which options of a Likert-type scale are offered. The sample included 490 college students and 368 junior high school students. Scale means with different response orders were compared. Structural equation modeling was used to test the invariance of interitem correlations, covariances, and factor structure across scale formats and educational levels. The results indicated that response order had no substantial influence on participant responses and scale characteristics. Motivating participants and avoiding ambiguous items may minimize possible effects of scale format on participant responses and scale properties.

Factor structure of the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale in Taiwanese adolescents

BACKGROUND The original study of Radloff (Appl Psychol Meas. 1977. 1:385-401) on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) indicated a 4-factor model in the adult population. However, the factor structure of the CES-D in Asian adolescents has not been extensively validated. The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Chinese version of the CES-D in a large representative Taiwanese adolescent population. METHOD A total of 10 116 adolescents completed the Chinese version of the CES-D. We used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the adequacy of 5 models of the factor structure in adolescents who were divided into 4 groups by sex and age. We also enrolled the variables of suicide tendency, insomnia, and peer relationships into the confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of the CES-D and examined the correlations between the CES-D factors and these variables. RESULTS The results of this study indicated that the four-factor model (depressed affect, somatic symptoms, interpersonal problems, and positive affect) had the highest validity in Taiwanese adolescents. We also found that although the 4 factors of the CES-D were correlated with each other, their correlations with suicide tendency, insomnia, and peer relationships were different. CONCLUSIONS This study supported the usefulness of the Chinese version of the CES-D as a tool to understand the concept of depression in Taiwanese adolescents.

Factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Chinese version of the School Bullying Experience Questionnaire

The aims of this study were to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, 1‐month test–retest reliability, and congruent validity of the Chinese version of the School Bullying Experience Questionnaire (C‐SBEQ). Study 1, in which 5751 Taiwanese adolescents in Southern Taiwan participated, examined the adequacy of the original four‐factor structure of the C‐SBEQ using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and internal‐consistency reliability using Cronbach α. Study 2, in which 108 adolescents in Southern Taiwan participated, examined the 1‐month test–retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). We examined the congruent validity of the C‐SBEQ by examining the consistency between self‐reported and teacher‐ and classmate‐nominated experiences of bullying involvement in Study 2. The results of CFA supported the four‐factor structure of the C‐SBEQ in Taiwanese adolescents. The test–retest and internal reliability values of all subscales of the C‐SBEQ were at acceptable to satisfactory levels. Nominated adolescents had significantly higher self‐reported scores on three C‐SBEQ subscales than non‐nominated ones, and the levels of agreement between self‐reported and nominated victims were moderate. The results of this study indicate that the C‐SBEQ is appropriate for assessing bullying experiences in Taiwanese adolescents.

Relationship between psychosocial adjustment and executive function in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in remission: The mediating and moderating effects of insight

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to examine the relationships between executive function and psychosocial adjustment, and the mediating and moderating effects of insight on the association between executive function and psychosocial adjustment in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in clinical remission. METHODS The level of psychosocial adjustment was assessed in 96 subjects with bipolar disorder and 96 subjects with schizophrenia who were in remitted state. The association between executive function and psychosocial adjustment and the mediating and moderating effects of insight were examined by multiple regression analysis models and the Goodman test. RESULTS The results indicated that executive function had direct effect on psychosocial adjustment in both subjects with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. However, the mediating effect of insight on the association between executive function and psychosocial adjustment was only found in subjects with schizophrenia, but not in subjects with bipolar disorder. No moderating effect of insight on the association between executive function and psychosocial adjustment was found in subjects with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicated that executive function has an important role in psychosocial adjustment in both patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Meanwhile, insight has a different role in the association between executive function and psychosocial adjustment between patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Suicidality and its association with insight and neurocognition in Taiwanese patients with bipolar I disorder in remission

The aims of this study were to examine the relationships between suicidality, insight, and neurocognition in patients with bipolar I disorder who were in a remitted state. Using the Violence and Suicide Assessment Scale, we evaluated 96 patients with bipolar I disorder in remission to determine their suicidal ideations and attempts over the previous year. We also evaluated their level of insight by using the Schedule of Assessment of Insight (SAI) and its expanded version (SAI-E), as well as their neurocognitive function by a series of neurocognitive function tests. Insight and neurocognitive functions of bipolar subjects who had and who had no suicidal ideations or attempts over the previous year were compared. The results indicated that the remitted bipolar subjects who had suicidal ideations or attempts over the previous year had higher insight scores on all 3 SAI dimensions and on the SAI-E compared with those who had no suicidal ideations or attempts. However, no difference in any neurocognitive function was found between the 2 groups of remitted bipolar subjects. The results of this study suggest clinicians need to be particularly alert to the potential for suicide in bipolar patients with a high level of insight.