Demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics of college students hospitalized for psychiatric crises.

College students with psychiatric disabilities, particularly those with severe distress, have an increased risk of attrition from higher education. Highly distressed students may be hospitalized for psychiatric crises if there is a potential risk to their safety. Although college students' psychopathology has increased in severity over the last decade, hospitalized students remain an underresearched group at risk for attrition, trauma, suicide, and disconnection from their universities. The present study explored demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics of 880 undergraduate and graduate students hospitalized between Spring 2016 and Spring 2021 at a large public university in the southwestern United States. Study aims were addressed by testing proportional differences in (a) demographics of the hospitalized sample versus the student body and (b) cross-tabulations of demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics by hospital admission status (voluntary or involuntary). Results indicate that African American/Black and multiracial students; female, transgender, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or other nonheterosexual orientations students; undergraduates; and liberal arts, fine arts, and undeclared majors may be at increased risk for psychiatric hospitalization. Gender identity, sexual orientation, semester hospitalized, initiating entity, university counseling center utilization, and the presence of high-priority symptoms and suicidality were significantly associated with hospital admission status. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Perfectionism typologies among undergraduate and graduate students: Prevalence and associations with psychosocial adjustment and academic performance.

Objective: In this study, we examine the prevalence and demographic, academic, and psychosocial correlates of perfectionism typologies among postsecondary students. We focus on a lesser-known typology characterized by low personal standards and moderate self-critical cognitions, which we label "discordant perfectionism." Participants: Our sample of 8,689 students from 15 U.S. institutions was drawn from a larger longitudinal investigation of well-being and academic success. Methods: Students completed self-reported measures of perfectionism, demographics, and psychosocial adjustment in spring 2016. GPA was obtained from registrars in fall 2016. Results: A substantial proportion of students were classified as discordant perfectionists (26.1% of undergraduates, 18.8% of graduate students) with Asian students, men, first-generation undergraduates, and international students overrepresented. Discordant perfectionism was associated with markedly worse outcomes than the other typologies, with the lowest average GPA, subjective well-being, coping self-efficacy, and social connectedness. Conclusions: Discordant perfectionism merits further consideration as a risk factor for postsecondary students.

Search inside yourself: investigating the effects of a widely adopted mindfulness-at-work development program.

Purpose ­: Workplace mindfulness training has many benefits, but designing programs to reach a wide audience effectively and efficiently remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of a widely adopted workplace mindfulness program on the mindfulness, active listening skill, emotional intelligence, and burnout of employees in a large, multinational internet company. Design/methodology/approach ­: The study sample included 123 employees across three company offices who completed the two-day Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program. Data were collected using self-report measures pre-, post-, and four-weeks post-intervention and were analyzed using paired samples t-tests. Findings ­: Significant increases were detected in mindfulness and the "awareness of emotion" components of emotional intelligence four weeks post-course. No significant changes were found in participants' self-reported levels of burnout, active listening skill or the "management of emotion" components of emotional intelligence. Practical implications ­: Teaching workplace mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills through a highly applied, condensed course format may be effective for increasing mindfulness and the "awareness" components of emotional intelligence. Longer courses with more applied practice may be necessary to help participants build emotional management and listening skills and to reduce burnout. Originality/value ­: The present study is, to the authors' knowledge, the first academic, peer-reviewed assessment of SIY, a workplace mindfulness training program that has been taught to over 50,000 people worldwide.

Relations between mothers' daily work, home, and relationship stress with characteristics of mother-child conflict interactions.

This study examined whether daily variations in levels of mothers' work, home, and relationship stress were related to collaborative and oppositional qualities of mother-child conflict interactions across 1 week. Mothers reported on 1 specific conflict interaction with their 5- to 8-year-old child and their work, home, and relationship stress through online surveys each day for 7 consecutive days. Diary data from 142 mothers were analyzed in 6 multilevel models, each including within- and between-family levels of a stressor predicting collaborative or oppositional conflict qualities. Results suggested that families in the sample differed from each other, and also varied during the week, in collaborative and oppositional conflict qualities as well as stress in all 3 domains. Mothers reported a greater degree of oppositional conflict qualities on days characterized by higher perceptions of home chaos. Additionally, mothers who reported higher average levels of negativity in romantic relationships endorsed oppositional conflict qualities to a greater extent than mothers with lower relationship negativity. Two multilevel models including all 3 stressors in relation to collaborative and oppositional conflict revealed that for mothers managing multiple roles, average romantic relationship stress was the most important unique contributor to mother-child conflict qualities and daily relationship stress was particularly influential among mothers with sons compared to those with daughters. Results support the spillover hypothesis of stress within the family system and are discussed in terms of mothers' coping mechanisms and emotional engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record

Childhood body mass index trajectories predicting cardiovascular risk in adolescence.

PURPOSE: The present study compared growth parameters of girls' and boys' body mass index (BMI) trajectories from infancy to middle childhood and evaluated these parameters as predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adolescence. METHODS: Using 657 children from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, quadratic growth curve analyses were conducted to establish growth parameters (intercept, slope, and quadratic term) for girls and boys from age 15 months to 10.5 years. Parameters were compared across gender and evaluated as predictors of a CVD risk index at the age of 15 years, controlling for characteristics of the adiposity rebound (AR) including age at which it occurred and children's BMI at the rebound. RESULTS: Boys had more extreme trajectories of growth than girls with higher initial BMI at age 15 months (intercept), more rapid declines in BMI before the AR (slope), and sharper rebound growth in BMI after the rebound (quadratic term). For boys and girls, higher intercept, slope, and quadratic term values predicted higher CVD risk at the age of 15 years, controlling for characteristics of the AR. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that individuals at risk for developing CVD later in life may be identified before the AR by elevated BMI at 15 months and slow BMI declines. Because of the importance of early intervention in altering lifelong health trajectories, consistent BMI monitoring is essential in identifying high-risk children.

Longitudinal associations of childhood parenting and adolescent health: the mediating influence of social competence.

The current study examined a process through which parenting during the primary school transition contributes to cardiovascular health in adolescence, a foundational period for adult health trajectories. Using path analyses, social competence was tested as a mediator between parental sensitivity and adolescent health among 884 families. Results indicated that mothers' and fathers' sensitivity was associated with increasing social competence from first grade (age 7) to sixth grade (age 12), which was associated with higher awakening cortisol in ninth grade (age 15) and decreasing blood pressure from sixth to ninth grade. Results suggest that social competence mediates associations between childhood parenting and adolescent cardiovascular risk, and may be protective to children's health over time.

Characteristics of mother-child conflict and child sex predicting resolution.

Data from 190 mothers and their 5- to 7-year-old children were used to evaluate how characteristics of mother-child conflict discussions contribute to the likelihood of reaching a compromise, a win-loss resolution, or a standoff. Dyads discussed 2 topics they reported having disagreements about that were emotionally arousing. Coders rated global measurements of mothers' emotional responsiveness, intrusiveness, and negativity; children's negativity; and the frequency of mothers' and children's constructive and oppositional comments. Child sex was examined as a moderator of the relation between discussion characteristics and resolution reached. Results indicated that more constructive comments by mothers and children increased the likelihood of reaching a resolution versus a standoff, but only children's constructive comments differentiated between a compromise and a win-loss resolution favoring mothers. Dyads with more emotionally responsive mothers who made fewer oppositional comments were also more likely to reach a compromise versus a win-loss resolution. A significant interaction with child sex revealed that, for boys, the use of more child oppositional comments was associated with a higher likelihood of reaching a standoff versus a compromise. Girls' oppositional comments did not predict resolution type. These results are discussed in terms of the children's developmental level and parents' socialization goals.