Indirect exposure to violence and prevalence of vicarious trauma in adolescents

The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of vicarious trauma in adolescents. Adolescents indirectly experience trauma symptoms through traumatic events happening to others. The present paper focuses on outcomes from a larger research project and investigates the prevalence of vicarious trauma in adolescents. The purposive sample drawn from schools consisted of adolescents between the ages of 14-17 years. They were administered a demographic information form and special questions designed to get information about exposure to a traumatic event; and the Impact of Events Scale-Revised with modifications to time frame. It was assumed that adolescents are experiencing moderate levels of the core symptoms of PTSD. The hypothesis was supported. The study found that 54% of adolescents were experiencing moderate symptoms of vicarious trauma. The rate of exposure to traumatic events was high as 42% adolescents were exposed indirectly to terrorist attacks, target killings, gang wars, and the prevailing situation in the country. Natural disasters affect about 6% of the sample. The impact of national tragedies in the lives of the inhabitants emerged in the present research, as 27% adolescents mentioned air crashes. The results of the study support findings that indirect exposure to violence and traumatic events places adolescents at the risk of developing PTSD symptoms and may necessitate clinical and academic referrals. The implications for further research in the area are immense

Need for achievement between children of working and non-working mothers

The present study investigated the effects of mother's working status [working vs. non-working] on their children's need for achievement. 40 students aged 18 to 24 from different educational institutions in Karachi took part. Items selected from Edwards Personal Preference Schedule [EPPS] were used to assess the need for achievement of these students. The questionnaire was administered to students on an individual basis. The results showed that need for achievement was higher among students whose mothers are working than among those whose mothers are not working

Levels of perceived professional stress among university academics

The study intended to find out the prevalence of stress in varying degrees among university academics and aimed at contributing knowledge to create awareness about the problem of stress due to teaching among university academics. It was hypothesized that majority of university academics would have high professional life stress. Study further elaborates the gender differences in the perception of the perceived professional life stress. A total number of 200 university academics, including 100 males and 100 females participated in the study. In order to assess the stress level of university academics, the "Professional Life Stress Scale" was administered. Descriptive Statistics and t-test were computed for the statistical analysis of the data. The results revealed that 50%, 27% and 23% of the university academics experienced severe, moderate and mild levels of professional stress respectively. There was no significant result for gender differences obtained in the perception of professional stress among university academics

Vulnerability to somatic symptoms in adulthood as a result of abused childhood

The research was conducted to investigate the vulnerability to somatic symptoms in adulthood as a result of abused childhood. In the light of literature review, it was hypothesized that adults who had been abused in childhood will be more vulnerable to somatic symptoms as compared to those adults who had not been abused in childhood. In order to measure abused childhood, a checklist questionnaire was prepared after conducting pilot study, where as Symptoms Assessment - 45 scale was selected for measuring somatic symptoms of adults. The sample for the present research comprised of ninety seven [97] adults, 50 males and 47 females. Their ages ranged between 18 to 26years. Checklist questionnaire and SA-45 administered on a large population, than on the basis of cut off scores non abused and abused groups were identified. t-test and other descriptive statistics were applied for analyzing the data. For interpreting the results, 0.05 level of significance was set. The hypotheses have significantly proved [f=4.909, df= 95, p< 0.001] that the adults who had been abused in childhood have somatic symptoms later in life as compared to those adults who had not been abused in childhood

Relationship between parental restrictive attitude and psychopathology among Sindhi speaking adolescents

Present study was designed to examine the relationship between parental restrictive control and psychopathology among Sindhi speaking adolescents. After detailed literature review it was hypothesized that: psychiatric patients would score high on the variable of strict / restrictive parental control as compared to normal adolescents. It is further hypothesized that Psychiatric patient would score low on the variable of perceived parental warmth/acceptance as compared to normal adolescents. In order to test the hypotheses, assessment of parental restrictive attitude was made through adapted version of Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire/control scale [Imam, 1999], initially questionnaire was adapted in Sindhi language. This Sindhi translated versions of PARQ/Control was administered on a group of psychiatric patient [n=100;50 male and 50 female] to assess their perception about parental attitude and then this result was compared with a group of normal respondents [n-100; 50 male and 50 female]. T-test was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. Results show perceived parental restrictive control with less warmth indicates inconsistent parental attitude positively linked with psychopathology of psychiatric group. The hypotheses were significant at p<.001 level. However, for mother referent perception the difference between two groups is not significant

Interpersonal sensitivity in adults who were verbally abused in childhood

The present study is an attempt to investigate the interpersonal sensitivity in those adults who were verbally abused in their childhood. In the light of the literature review, it was hypothesized that adults who have been verbally abused in childhood will be at greater risk for developing interpersonal sensitivity as compared to those adults who have not been abused in childhood. In order to measure verbally abused childhood, a checklist questionnaire was prepared after conducting pilot study, where as Symptoms Assessment - 45 scale [SA-45; Strategic Advantages Inc, 2000] was selected for measuring interpersonal sensitivity of adults. The sample for the present research comprised of one hundred and four [104] adults, 49 males and 55 females. Their ages ranged between 18 to 26 years. Checklist questionnaire and SA-45 were administered on a large population, then on the basis of cut off scores, verbally non abused and abused groups were identified, t-test and other descriptive statistics were performed for analyzing the data. The result was significant indicating that the adults who have been verbally abused tend to have higher level of interpersonal sensitivity later in life as compared to those adults who have not been verbally abused in childhood [t = 5.8708, df= 102, p<000]

Physical abuse in childhood and the development of adult psychological problems

The purpose of the research was to investigate the resultant psychological problems of adults who were physically abused in childhood. It was hypothesized that adults who had been physically abused in childhood would be at greater risk in the development of psychological problems i.e., anxiety, depression, OCD and hostility as compared to those adults who had not been abused in childhood. In order to measure abused childhood, a checklist questionnaire was prepared after conducting pilot study, where as the Symptoms Assessment - 45 scale was selected for measuring psychological problems of adults. The sample for the present research comprised of one hundred and one [101] adults, 50 males and 51 females. Their ages ranged between 18 to 26 years. A Checklist questionnaire and the SA-45 were administered on a large population, then on the basis of cut off scores, non abused and abused groups were identified. The t-test and other descriptive statistics were applied for analyzing the data.For interpreting the results, 0.05 level of significance was set. The hypotheses have significantly been proved that the adults who have been abused tend to develop anxiety, depression, OCD and hostility later in life as compared to those adults who have not been abused in childhood

Perception of parenting styles and vulnerability to depression in adulthood

The present study is an attempt to investigate the effects of perceived parental styles on the psychological health of adults. Researches reveal that rejection and overprotection specially play a significant role in developing their perception for parental styles as adaptive or maladaptive. In the light of the research review, it has been hypothesized that individuals who perceive their parental styles as maladaptive are more vulnerable to psychological problems like depression than individuals who perceive their parental styles as adaptive. Perceived parental styles and the psychological problems were measured by the Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppforstran [EMBU, Swedish acronym for "My Memories of Upbringing] and Symptom Assessment-45 [SA-45] questionnaire's respectively. The sample comprised one hundred and sixty one [161] students, i.e. 81 male and 80 female students participated in this research. Initially they filled the demographic information form and then EMBU and SA-45 questionnaires were administered. The scores of EMBU questionnaire of the students were statistically evaluated by 95% Confidence Interval. Furthermore one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA] and t-test were applied on the data in order to get statistical significance of results. Results reveal that high parental rejection and high parental overprotection groups had significantly higher depression scores as compared to low parental rejection and low overprotection groups

Psychological stress as a risk factor of heroin abuse in Pakistan

Psychological stress as a risk factor was studied in this investigation. Research design of the study was formulated after conducting a pilot study on psychological risk factor of heroin abuse in Pakistan. A sample of one hundred subjects comprising of fifty heroin abusers and fifty matched non-users was taken. The data was collected from the psychiatry ward of Civil Hospital, Karachi. Psychological stress was assessed on the basis information derived through intensive interview, questionnaire and Thematic Apperception Test [TAT] pictures. A chi-square test of independence was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. Results obtained indicated that abusers perceived high psychological stress significantly more as compared to nonusers

Achievement motivation as a risk factor of heroin abuse in Pakistan

Achievement motivation as a psychosocial risk factor was studied in this investigation. Research design of the study was formulated after conducting a pilot study on psychosocial risk factors of heroin abuse in Pakistan. A sample of one hundred subjects comprising of fifty heroin abusers and fifty matched non-users was taken. The data was collected from the psychiatry ward of Civil Hospital, Karachi. Achievement motivation was assessed on the basis of information derived through intensive interview, a specially designed questionnaire and Thematic Apperception Test [TAT] pictures. A chi-square test of independence was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. Results obtained indicated that abusers perceived low achievement motivation significantly [P<.001] more as compared to non-users, while non-users indicated greater tendency to perceive high achievement motivation as compared to abusers

Parental relationship and peer use of substance as psychosocial risk factors of heroin abuse in Pakistan

In the present investigation it was hypothesized that parental relationship and peer use of substance function as psychological risk factors of heroin abuse. Research design was formulated after conducting a pilot study on the above mentioned investigation of psycho-social risk factors of heroin abuse in Pakistan. A sample of one hundred subjects comprising of fifty heroin abusers and fifty matched non-users was taken. The data was collected from the psychiatry ward of the Civil Hospital Karachi. The psychosocial risk factors studied were assessed on the basis of information derived through intensive interviews, specially designed questionnaires, and Thematic Apperception Test [TAT] picture. A chi-square test of independence was applied for the statistical analysis of the data. Results obtained indicated that abusers perceived low positive parental relationship significantly more as compared to non-users. There was also a greater tendency among users to perceive peer use of substances as compared to non-users