Julie Wargo Aikins

Longitudinal Trajectories and Predictors of Adolescent Suicidal Ideation and Attempts Following Inpatient Hospitalization

Remarkably little is known regarding the temporal course of adolescent suicidal ideation and behavior, the prediction of suicidal attempts from changes in suicidal ideation, or the prediction of suicidal attempts after accounting for suicidal ideation as a predictor. A sample of 143 adolescents 12-15 years old was assessed during psychiatric inpatient hospitalization and again at 3, 6, 9, 15, and 18 months postdischarge through a series of structured interviews and parent- and adolescent-reported instruments. Symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, externalizing psychopathology, hopelessness, and engagement in several forms of self-injurious/suicidal behaviors (i.e., suicide threats/gestures, plans, nonsuicidal self-injury [NSSI]) were assessed. Latent growth curve analyses revealed a period of suicidal ideation remission between baseline and 6 months following discharge, as well as a subtle period of suicidal ideation reemergence between 9 and 18 months postdischarge. Changes in suicidal ideation predicted suicide attempts. After accounting for the effects of suicidal ideation, baseline suicide threats/gestures also predicted future suicide attempts. Higher adolescent-reported depressive symptoms, lower parent-reported externalizing symptoms, and higher frequencies of NSSI predicted weaker suicidal ideation remission slopes. Findings underscore the need for more longitudinal research on the course of adolescent suicidality.

Moderators of the association between relational aggression and perceived popularity.

This study, which involved two waves of measurement over a period of 12 months, examined first whether the positive association between relational aggression and two types of high status was moderated by social self-efficacy, leadership, cooperation, and peer sociability. It was expected that relational aggressors are most likely to gain high peer group status when they are also self-efficacious or prosocial. Second, this study examined the reciprocal association between relational aggression and high peer status. It was anticipated that relational aggression would contribute to higher perceived popularity and vice versa. Third, we also examined and hypothesized reciprocal effects between social self-efficacy, leadership, cooperation, and peer sociability and perceived popularity. Youth were 540 13-15 year olds participating in Grade 7 (Time 1) and again 1 year later in Grade 8 (Time 2). Data were collected from peers, teachers, and the adolescents themselves. Consistent with expectations, relationally aggressive adolescents high in social self-efficacy, leadership, cooperation, and peer sociability were higher in status than relationally aggressive individuals with low levels of these characteristics. In addition, relational aggression and perceived popularity reciprocally influenced each other. Finally, social self-efficacy, leadership, cooperation, and peer sociability reciprocally influenced and were influenced by perceived popularity.

The Role of Organized Activities in Facilitating Social Adaptation Across the Transition to College

This prospective study examined the relations between organized activity involvement, loneliness, and friendship quality across the transition to college. In all, 85 adolescents (54 females and 31 males) completed measures during the summer before their first year of college (Time 1) and 10 months later (Time 2). More intense involvement in activities during the first year of college promoted better Time 2 friendship quality and lower ratings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction for those individuals who had poor Time 1 social adaptation. Emerging adults who got involved in organized activities for social reasons were more likely to report having a different best friend following the transition to college. Findings from this study suggest that organized activity involvement provides certain emerging adults with contexts for exploration and development of friendships.

Attachment stability and the emergence of unresolved representations during adolescence

This 15-year longitudinal study examined the stability of attachment representations from infancy to adolescence and investigated the emergence of unresolved representations during adolescence in a sample of 47 16-year-olds. Attachment was assessed at 12 months using the Strange Situation Procedure, at 4 years using the modified Strange Situation Procedure, and again at 16 years with the Adult Attachment Projective (AAP). The emergence of unresolved classifications in adolescence (AAP) was associated with higher rates of negative life events, low levels of early mother–child relationship security (an aggregate measure of the 12-month and 4-year measures), negative teacher–child relationship experiences in middle childhood, and low early adolescent friendship quality. The results support the growing body of evidence suggesting that changes in attachment are lawful, while adding to the growing understanding of the emergence of unresolved attachment representations.

The Distinct Roles of Sociometric and Perceived Popularity in Friendship: Implications for Adolescent Depressive Affect and Self-Esteem.

The primary goal of this study was to examine the similarities and distinctions between two types of popularity, sociometric and perceived, in their associations with friendship characteristics and how they in turn are related to depressive affect and self-esteem. Among 245 eighth graders, sociometric popularity was associated with a greater number of reciprocated friendships characterized by lower rates of conflict, whereas perceived popularity was related to both more friendship support and conflict. Friendship conflict mediated the association of sociometric popularity with depressive affect for both boys and girls and with self-esteem for boys. Perceived popularity was uniquely related to decreases in depressive affect and increases in self-esteem, adding to the prediction of adolescent friendship characteristics. Results evidence the discriminant validity of sociometric and perceived popularity in their associations with friendship factors and their implications for depressive affect and self-esteem.

Children's peer selection: Experimental examination of the role of self-perceptions

Although previous studies have examined characteristics of children selected as friends, little research has examined the role played by characteristics of the selecting child. In 2 experimental studies that examined the role of self-perceptions in peer selection, participants (91 seventh graders in Study 1 and 83 third graders in Study 2) viewed various evaluations of themselves. Participants either believed evaluations were written by unfamiliar peers (Study 1) or were asked to imagine that the views of puppets were views of unfamiliar peers (Study 2). Participants were asked to select the peers they wished to meet and interact with. When evaluations were related to specific competence domains, 7th graders preferred positive peers to negative peers, whereas 3rd graders selected peers who viewed them as they viewed themselves. When evaluations were related to global self-worth, childrens selections were unrelated to views of their own global worth. Selection of a globally negative peer was associated with attachment-insecurity/maternal-rejection and depressive symptoms.

Cognitive Therapy across the Lifespan: Cognitive-behavioral interventions in childhood anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are among the most common conditions affecting children and adolescents (Costello and Angold, 1995) with most modern epidemiological reports estimating the prevalence of significant anxiety disorders at greater than 10% worldwide (Pine, 1994) and from 12% to 20% in the USA (Kessler et al., 1994; Achenbach et al., 1995; Shaffer et al., 1996). Nevertheless, and in spite of the high prevalence, anxiety in childhood has not been as well studied as many other less common childhood disorders, possibly due to the incorrect perception that this problem is typically transient and innocuous (Benjamin et al., 1990). Over the last decade, however, our understanding of the phenomenology, prevalence, and treatment of childhood anxiety has increased dramatically. Although cognitive factors are presumed to play an important role in the expression and maintenance of childhood anxiety and most treatments contain at least some cognitive techniques specifically addressing these factors, only a handful of studies have been published investigating cognitive aspects of anxiety in children and adolescents. In addition to the epidemiological findings, recent studies suggest that anxiety disorders in childhood are highly comorbid, relatively stable over time, and associated with significant impairment both acutely and over the long term. Clinic and community studies suggest that 50–75% of anxious children demonstrate two or more anxiety diagnoses (Costello and Angold, 1995; Last et al., 1987), and that comorbidity with both mood and externalizing disorders is also common (Bernstein and Borchardt, 1991; Ollendick and King, 1994).