Janice Y. Chang

The Impact of Cyberbullying on Substance Use and Mental Health in a Multiethnic Sample

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between cyberbullying and mental health problems among a multiethnic sample of high school students in Hawai`i. A University-Community partnership was established to direct the research. Using a mixed-methods approach, we explored violence among Asian and Pacific Islander youth. In the first phase, focus groups were conducted to identify areas of youth concern and develop survey questions. Responses from 677 high school students on interpersonal youth violence and risk and protective factors were utilized in this study. More than 1 in 2 youth (56.1%) had been victims of cyberbullying in the last year. Filipino and Samoan youth were more likely to report feeling badly about themselves as a result of cyberbullying. While cyberbullying and mental health problems varied by sex and ethnicity, we found that cyberbullying is widespread with serious potential consequences among Asian and Pacific Islander youth. A multifaceted approach is needed to reduce and prevent cyberbullying. School, family and community programs that strengthen positive relationships and promote safe use of technology provide promise for reducing cyberbullying.

The Relationship Among Exposure to Stressful Life Events, Drug Use, and Violence Perpetration in a Sample of Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Filipino Adolescents

This study examined the relationship between stressful life events, drug use, and self-reported violence perpetration among 293 Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Filipino adolescents. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with students in three high schools in Hawai‘i. Stressful life events were delineated into three categories: transitions, discrete events, and victimization. Samoans reported more stressful life events than Native Hawaiians and/or Filipinos, depending on the subscale, but there were no sex differences in the stressful life events total scale or subscales. There were sex differences on several stressful life events items, including boys reporting more physical victimization and more life threatening illnesses and injuries than girls. Stressful life events were related to higher rates of violence perpetration for all groups, though specific types of events were significant for some groups but not others. Drug use moderated the influence of transitions on violent behaviors for boys and Samoan adolescents and also of discrete events on violence perpetration for Samoan adolescents. Additional research is needed to examine other risk factors, as well as types of protective factors that may moderate the relationship between life stressors and engaging in violent behaviors.

Ethnic differences in risk factors for suicide among American high school students, 2009: the vulnerability of multiracial and Pacific Islander adolescents

This study compared self-reported risk factors for suicide among American high school students in the last decade. Data from the 1999–2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys was analyzed by 8 self-reported ethnicity groups across 6 suicide-related items: depression, suicide ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempts, and suicide attempts requiring medical attention). Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adolescents had the higher prevalence of risk factors for suicide. Multiracial adolescents were also at high risk for suicide-related behaviors, with a risk comparable to American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents. Overall, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, multiracial, and American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents reported a significantly higher risk for suicide-related behaviors compared to their Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White peers. The ethnic disparities in risk factors for suicide dictate a need to understand the vulnerability of the Pacific Islander, American Indian, and growing multiracial adolescent populations, in an effort to develop and implement suicide prevention strategies.

Demographic and Social Variables Associated with Psychiatric and School-Related Indicators for Asian/Pacific-Islander Adolescents

Background: Factors associated with Asian/Pacific-Islander adolescent adjustment is a greatly neglected research area. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between demographic, social and adjustment measures based on a large-scale investigation of Asian/Pacific-Islander youths. Method: A total of 2577 adolescents were surveyed across 4 public schools in Hawai‘i during the 1992-1993 school year. Results: Three social variables (number of relatives frequently seen, family support and friends’ support) exhibited statistically significant but low correlations. Family support had the highest negative association with the four psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, aggression, substance use). Friends’ support was inconsistently associated with the adjustment measures, and the number of relatives frequently seen resulted in negligible effects. In contrast, demographic variables, especially ethnicity, played a much greater role in the association with the four school-related measures (grade-point average, absences, suspensions, conduct infractions). Discussion: For Asian/Pacific-Islander youths, the quality of the social supports, including family relations, may be particularly important in the adolescents’ adjustment. When examining school-related outcomes, demographic variables, with particular emphases on ethnicity and culture, must be considered. When developing and implementing prevention and intervention services and programs, consideration of family and ethnic-cultural influences should be taken into account, with further research needed in several related domains: other SES influences, life stressors, migration-generational effects, ethnic identity, self-concept indicators and socio-political aspects.

A confirmatory model for depression among Japanese American and part-Japanese American adolescents.

A confirmatory model integrating Japanese ethnicity, cultural identity, and depression was developed (N = 140). The model incorporated the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), Major Life Events Scale, and Japanese Cultural Scale. Japanese American adolescents scored higher on the Japanese Cultural Scale and reported fewer depressive symptoms on the CES-D total and on 2 of the 3 CES-D factors than part-Japanese American adolescents. Predictors for depression were being Japanese American vs. part-Japanese American, female gender, and culturally intensified events. A significant interaction of behavior by self-identification was noted. The model had good overall fit and suggested that the formation of cultural identity may contribute to depressive symptoms experienced by adolescents, particularly adolescents of mixed heritage.

Influence of Family Adversity on School-Related Behavioural Problems among Multi-Ethnic High School Students

This study examines the influence of family adversity indicators on school-related behavioural problems among Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian adolescents. Questionnaire data from 2787 students were linked to school information, including grade point average (GPA), absences, suspensions and conduct infractions. Logistic regression analyses were performed. The cumulative effect revealed higher increases in the odds ratios for school-related behavioural problems among non-Hawaiians. Surprisingly, there was no cumulative effect of family adversity among Hawaiian adolescents. Given their high rates of adversity and behavioural problems, any family adversity may significantly impact this group. The family environment must be considered in the prevention and intervention of school-related behavioural problems.

Low Cultural Identification, Low Parental Involvement and Adverse Peer Influences as Risk Factors for Delinquent Behaviour Among Filipino Youth in Hawai‘I

Background: Among Filipino youth in Hawai‘i, low Filipino cultural identification and low family support may be important risk factors for delinquency. Aims: To examine, in a sample of Filipino youth in Hawai‘i, correlations between delinquent behaviour and the aforementioned — as well as other, potentially mediating — variables. Methods: A youth risk survey and Filipino Culture Scale were administered to Filipino students (N = 150) in Hawai‘i. A parent risk survey was administered to available and consenting parents. Results: Delinquent behaviour correlated positively with acculturative stress, low cultural identification and adverse peer influences; and negatively with total Filipino Culture Scale score. Structural equation modelling suggested that absent/ ineffective adults and adverse peer influences might be more important variables compared to low self-esteem and less religiosity, linking low cultural identification to delinquent behaviour. Conclusions: Although further studies are warranted, to be effective, efforts to prevent delinquency by enhancing Filipino youths’ cultural connectedness may also need to enhance family connectedness and address adverse peer influences.

Developing a Comprehensive School Connectedness Scale for Program Evaluation.

BACKGROUND Evidence show that school connectedness is important to youth wellness. However, considerable inconsistency in the concepts and measures of school connectedness exists across studies. In addition, many measures do not capture the multifaceted dimensions of the school connectedness construct. This study examined the psychometric properties of a school connectedness scale that aimed to measure comprehensively the key constructs of school connectedness. METHODS The scale was developed with teachers and tested with an ethnically diverse sample of 717 high school students enrolled in a school connectedness course using confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the association of the 15 items with the 5 factors identified in the literature-school involvement, academic motivation, school attachment, teacher support, and peer relations (χ(2) = 439.99, df = 83, p < .0001, Comparative Fit Index = 0.991, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.988, root mean square error of approximation = 0.077). Cronbach coefficient alphas for the factors ranged from 0.73 to 0.93. CONCLUSIONS Although further tests need to be conducted to assess its validity and reliability, this newly developed scale may provide researchers a tool to measure comprehensively school connectedness for program evaluation.

Understanding the Role of School Connectedness and Its Association With Violent Attitudes and Behaviors Among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Youth

Interpersonal youth violence is a growing public health concern in the United States. Having a high sense of school connectedness has been found to be a protective factor for youth violence. A high school course that aims to enhance school connectedness was developed and evaluated to investigate the students’ sense of school connectedness and its association with violent attitudes and behaviors. Survey data from 598 students from a predominately Asian and Pacific Islander student body were analyzed to assess their level of school connectedness and violent attitudes and behaviors. Analysis of Variance was used to identify differences in the school connectedness and violence scores related to students’ demographic characteristics. The role of school connectedness in the relationship between student demographic characteristics and violent attitudes and behaviors was examined with structural equation modeling. Overall, students reported a moderately high sense of school connectedness. School connectedness was found to be negatively associated with violent attitudes but not self-reported violent behaviors. Multiple-group analyses were conducted across the ethnic groups, which found differential associations between the school connectedness and violence variables. These results highlight the value of disaggregating the Asian and Pacific Islander category and the need for future research to further contextualize and clarify the relationship between school connectedness and interpersonal youth violence. This will help inform the development of evidence-based strategies and prevention programming that focus on school connectedness to address disparities in interpersonal youth violence outcomes.

Longitudinal Dynamic Analyses of Depression and Academic Achievement in the Hawaiian High Schools Health Survey Using Contemporary Latent Variable Change Models

The scientific literature consistently supports a negative relationship between adolescent depression and educational achievement, but we are certainly less sure on the causal determinants for this robust association. In this article we present multivariate data from a longitudinal cohort-sequential study of high school students in Hawai‘i (following McArdle, 2008; McArdle, Johnson, Hishinuma, Miyamoto, & Andrade, 2001). We first describe the full set of data on academic achievements and self-reported depression. We then carry out and present a progression of analyses in an effort to determine the accuracy, size, and direction of the dynamic relationships among depression and academic achievement, including gender and ethnic group differences. We apply 3 recently available forms of longitudinal data analysis: (a) Dealing with incomplete data—We apply these methods to cohort-sequential data with relatively large blocks of data that are incomplete for a variety of reasons (Little & Rubin, 1987; McArdle & Hamagami, 1992). (b) Ordinal measurement models (Muthén & Muthén, 2006)—We use a variety of statistical and psychometric measurement models, including ordinal measurement models, to help clarify the strongest patterns of influence. (c) Dynamic structural equation models (DSEMs; McArdle, 2008). We found the DSEM approach taken here was viable for a large amount of data, the assumption of an invariant metric over time was reasonable for ordinal estimates, and there were very few group differences in dynamic systems. We conclude that our dynamic evidence suggests that depression affects academic achievement, and not the other way around. We further discuss the methodological implications of the study.