ABSTRACT
Relatively few researchers have examined empathy among antisocial youth, although adolescents may differ greatly in the nature and frequency of their offending behavior. In this investigation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used (1) to derive a brief empathy scale from the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Version; (2) to assess the construct validity, internal consistency, and potential clinical utility of the derived empathy subscale; and (3) to identify key sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of empathy in delinquent youth. The 707 adolescent residents of 27 Missouri Division of Youth Services rehabilitation facilities had a mean age of 15.5 yr. (SD = 1.2) and most (87%) were boys. Analysis suggested that the new measure possesses adequate psychometric properties and may be a useful addition to clinical assessments of antisocial youth.
Subject(s)
Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Empathy/physiology , Juvenile Delinquency/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics/instrumentationABSTRACT
Although helium-related fatalities and concerns about potentially harmful effects of helium use have increased in recent years, virtually nothing is known about the epidemiology of helium inhalation in adolescents. This exploratory investigation examined the prevalence and correlates of helium inhalation in a large sample of at-risk youth. Study participants were 723 Missouri adolescents (M age = 15.5, SD = 1.2) in residential treatment for delinquent behavior. More than one-in-nine (N = 81, 11.5%) adolescents had inhaled helium with the intention of getting high, and one-third (N = 27, 34.2%) of helium users reported they actually did get high when they inhaled helium. Helium users were significantly more likely to be Caucasian, to live in rural/small town areas, and to have histories of mental illness, auditory hallucinations, and alcohol and marijuana use than nonusers. Helium users also reported significantly more current psychiatric distress, suicidality, traumatic life experiences, and antisocial attitudes, traits, and behaviors than nonusers. Helium inhalation was prevalent in this sample and many such users reported getting high while using helium. Helium users had psychosocial profiles similar to those of volatile solvent users, suggesting that they may be at substantial risk for a variety of adverse health outcomes.
Subject(s)
Helium , Inhalant Abuse/epidemiology , Inhalant Abuse/psychology , Adolescent , Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Ethnicity , Female , Humans , Juvenile Delinquency , Logistic Models , Male , Personality Tests , Prevalence , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Socioeconomic Factors , Solvents , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/complications , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Suicide/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
Mindfulness-based interventions may decrease addictive behaviors while promoting non-reactivity to stressors. This study employed qualitative methods to enhance understanding of mindfulness-related treatment effects. Study participants were eighteen alcohol dependent adults residing in a therapeutic community who had participated in a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) intervention. Interviews were conducted to elicit participant narratives. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using a grounded theory approach and the method of constant comparison. Narrative accounts suggested that MORE enhanced self-awareness while helping clients to cope more effectively with emotional distress and addictive impulses. MORE appears to be acceptable to participants and feasible to implement within a residential treatment setting. Mindfulness training may assist marginalized persons recover from addiction.
