This study aimed to investigate the measurement invariance of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (for both long [APQ-lg] and short [APQ-9] forms) across age, gender, clinical status, and informant (i.e., parent vs. child reports). The sample was composed of adolescents (community sample: N = 1,746; clinical sample: N = 166) and parents ( N = 149). The analyses were conducted in R. Measurement invariance was assessed via multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, equivalence test, and subsampling approach. The original model of APQ-lg (five factors) showed a significantly better fit than other concurrent models (five concurrent models were specified, based on prior literature). For APQ-lg, we found measurement invariance across gender and partial measurement invariance across age, clinical status, and informant. For APQ-9, we confirmed the measurement invariance across gender and clinical status, while across age and informant partial measurement invariance was attested. Overall, our study indicated that APQ-lg and APQ-9 are two valid tools for measuring parenting practices with some caveats.
1 September 2019 in Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies
This study aims to identify possible primary targets for the parenting programs designed to reduce (or prevent) the mental health problems of adolescents. We used network analysis to estimate networks for parenting practices and for the interplay between parenting practices and adolescents' mental health problems. A community sample of early adolescents (10-13 years old, N = 1,125) reported both parenting (Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Child Global Report) and mental health outcomes (Youth Self-Report). The behavior "You stay out later than you are supposed to and your parents don't know it" was the most central in the parenting practices network. Poor monitoring and conduct problems were the main paths through which parenting practices and youths' mental health influenced each other. Regarding the interplay between parenting practices and adolescent mental health, the network for males had a significantly higher connectivity (p = .035) than that for females. Although in the early stages, the network approach promises to provide a better understanding of parenting practices and their interaction with the mental health problems of adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, starting a military conflict that soon turned into a full-scale war. The Romanians have been actively involved in helping their neighbors, causing the accumulation of emotional and mental pressure upon the Romanian population exposed to such a close military conflict. This cross-sectional study assessed, through an online survey (1586 adult Romanian residents), the primary coping mechanisms, quality of life and anxiety levels in response to the psychological trauma associated with the Russo—Ukrainian war. Based on the results, focusing on and venting emotions along with behavioral disengagement were the coping strategies that had the strongest negative impact on anxiety and well-being. On the other hand, positive reinterpretation and growth were associated with less anxiety, a higher degree of overall health and better quality of life. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to be performed among the Romanian population so far. Thus, we equip mental health practitioners with the tools (real-life evidence data) that will allow them to establish a more meaningful doctor—patient relationship, maximizing therapy results.