Gökmen Arslan

Psychological maltreatment, emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents: the mediating role of resilience and self-esteem

In this study, structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating role of resilience and self-esteem in the relationships between psychological maltreatment-emotional problems and psychological maltreatment-behavioral problems in adolescents. Participants were 937 adolescents from different high schools in Turkey. The sample included 502 female (53.6%) and 435 male (46.4%) students, 14-19 years old (mean age=16.51, SD=1.15). Results indicated that psychological maltreatment was negatively correlated with resilience and self-esteem, and positively correlated with behavioral problems and emotional problems. Resilience and self-esteem also predicted behavioral problems and emotional problems. Finally, psychological maltreatment predicted emotional and behavioral problems mediated by resilience and self-esteem. Resilience and self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between psychological maltreatment-behavioral and psychological maltreatment-emotional problems in adolescents. Thus, resilience and self-esteem appear to play a protective role in emotional problems and behavioral problems in psychologically maltreated individuals. Implications are discussed and suggestions for psychological counselors and other mental health professionals are presented.

Psychometric Properties of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire With Turkish Adolescents A Generalizability Study

The present study reports on the first investigation of the generalizability of the psychometric properties of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) beyond the original development and replication studies. Previous studies tested an English version of the SSWQ with urban, mostly Black/African American, low socioeconomic status, middle school age youth living in the southern region of the United States, while the current study tested a Turkish version of the measure with high school age youth of varying economic statuses living in an urban city in Turkey (N = 548). Results show the Turkish version of the SSWQ has a sound latent measurement model and that it demonstrates convergent validity with several criterion variables that represent distinct yet related school-specific wellbeing constructs. Findings from multigroup measurement invariance analyses, comparing the Turkish sample with the U.S. replication sample, indicate positive configural invariance yet do not support scalar invariance or full metric invariance. The limitations and implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.

Development and validation of the Youth Externalizing Behavior Screener: A brief and effective measure of behavioral problems

ABSTRACT Universal screening is a useful way to identify emotional and behavioral problems and develop prevention or intervention strategies for adolescents at-risk in schools. The purpose of the present study is to report the preliminary development and validation of a brief and effective instrument—the Youth Externalizing Behavior Screener (YEBS)—aimed at measuring youths’ externalizing behavior problems. Findings from exploratory factor analyses (N = 229) showed that responses to the scale yielded a three-factor latent structure, which consisted of 12 items, targeting core symptoms of conduct problems, hyperactivity, and attention problems. Thereafter, confirmatory factor analysis (N = 243) confirmed the three-factor measurement model providing a good data–model fit. Three constructs were characterized by adequate-to-strong latent construct and internal reliability coefficients. The concurrent validity outcomes provided further evidence, indicating the small-to-strong associations between the YEBS and criterion variables. Latent variables path model showed the second-order measurement model had moderate-to-large predictive effect on the school-specific well-being structures, self-report academic achievement, and happiness. Taken together, these results suggested that the YEBS was a structurally reliable and valid instrument for assessing externalizing behavior problems among adolescents.

Psychometrics of the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener with Turkish adolescents

ABSTRACT This study presents initial evidence supporting the language adaptation of a brief measure of youths’ internalizing problems—the Youth Internalizing Problems Screener (YIPS)—for use with Turkish adolescents within the context of school mental health screening. Results showed that responses to the Turkish version of the YIPS were characterized by a psychometrically sound, single-factor measurement model, and that scores derived from this measure were moderately negatively associated with scores from several school-specific and domain-general well-being measures. Overall, results suggest that responses to the Turkish version of the YIPS may be useful in schools to identify youth with elevated levels of internalizing problems and concurrently poor quality-of-life outcomes, providing a warrant for school-based intervention. Yet further research is needed to probe the direct utility of this measure for classification and treatment purposes in schools.

Testing the Psychological Wellbeing and Distress Screener with Turkish adolescents

ABSTRACT This report presents initial psychometrics from testing a cultural adaptation of the Psychological Wellbeing and Distress Screener (PWDS) with a sample of urban adolescents in Turkey (N = 399). Results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that responses to the Turkish version of the measure (PWDS–T) were characterized by a two-factor measurement model, and findings from latent variable path analyses indicated this same measurement model was predictive of youths’ responses to measures of domain-specific social support (i.e., peer, family, and school) and domain-general emotional functioning (i.e., positive and negative affect). Taken together, findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting the PWDS–T is a technically adequate measure of Turkish adolescents’ psychological wellbeing and distress, and therefore may be useful for school mental health screening purposes. Further research is needed to replicate and generalize these findings as well as to establish the classification utility of PWDS scores in school mental health practice.