Effects of Peripubertal Experiences on Competitive Behavior in Male Rats at Different Stages of Adulthood.

Past studies in animal models have extensively investigated the impact of early life experiences on behavioral development, yet relatively few have specifically examined the implications of peripubertal experiences on the evolution of competitive behavior across distinct stages of adulthood. In the current research, we probed potential differences in competitive behavior during emerging adulthood (3 months old) and middle adulthood (12 months old) in 81 Sprague-Dawley male rats exposed to three different peripubertal (postnatal Days 37-60) environments: an enriched environment (EE), a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) condition, and a control condition. Anxiety-like behavior served as a positive control in our study. Results revealed significant variations in competitive behavior among the groups during emerging adulthood. The EE group displayed the least anxiety and outperformed their peers in food-reward-oriented competition, whereas the CUMS group excelled in status-driven, agonistic competition. However, these behavioral differentiations gradually attenuated by middle adulthood, at which point the control group began to show an advantage. Our findings suggest that although peripubertal experiences significantly shape competitive behavior in the emerging adulthood stage, this effect diminishes over time and is nearly non-detectable during mid-adulthood, underscoring the fluidity of behavioral development and demonstrating that the effects of peripubertal experiences can be modulated by subsequent life experiences.

The Role of Acculturative Stress on the Mental Health of Immigrant Youth: A Scoping Literature Review.

Acculturation after settlement has been identified as a risk factor affecting the mental health of immigrant youth. Increasing rates of immigration and expanding populations of immigrant youth mean that addressing their mental is a priority. Acculturative stress is the stress-response resulting from the effects of multiple stressors that result from the need to acculturate. Among youth within the developmental stages of late adolescence and emerging adulthood, increased sensitivity to stress, and developmental demands, impact their mental health. The effects of acculturative stress place an additional burden on the mental health of immigrant youth. This scoping review examined existing literature that investigated a variety of relationships between acculturative stress and youth mental health. A comprehensive search strategy that focused on studies involving youth, mainly aged between 15-24, with a proximal history of international migration, published between 2012-2022, resulted in a collection of fifty-three studies. This review examined significant relationships between acculturative stress and major depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance misuse, behavioural problems and poor psychological wellbeing. This scoping review was truly explorative as it included youth from immigrant minorities, had no geographical limits, and included various study designs. Acculturative stress continues to be an important contributor to the mental health of youth who have a proximal history of international migration. This review provided an exploration of the state of research, identified the importance of the settlement context, and provided recommendations for the direction of future studies, supportive policies, and practice considerations, related to the mental health of immigrant youth.

Complex nexus: Economic development, rural-to-urban migration, and transition to adulthood in China.

Transition to adulthood in low- and middle-come countries (LMIC) has increasingly been diversified and individualized. Economic development and migration are often cited as reasons for diversification but have been analytically examined interactively. To examine the complex linkages between development, migration, and transition to adulthood, we use China data to cover a decade when it has experienced rapid economic development, a large flow of rural-to-urban migration, and changes in the transition to adulthood. Applying the latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression on the Chinese General Social Survey 2008 and 2017, we obtain three main findings. First, economic development increases the diversification of the transition to adulthood. Second, rural-to-urban migration has a greater impact on the postponement than on other pathways. Third, the joint impact of economic development and migration is not evident: the change do not differ between men and women as well as young adults of different migration experience. These findings collectively imply signs of the diversification of transition to adulthood in China, but also entail the individualization behind it.

Debt Collection Pressure and Mental Health: Evidence from a Cohort of U.S. Young Adults.

The debt collection industry in the United States has grown in tandem with rising indebtedness. Prior research on debt and mental health mainly treats debt as a resource and liability rather than a power relationship between creditors and debtors. We study the mental health consequences of debt collection pressure using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 Cohort (N = 7,236). Drawing on stress theory and health power resources theory, we posit collection pressure as a relational stressor that undermines well-being through negative interactions with debt collectors, financial strain, role strain, and stigma. We find that one of every four young adults in this cohort faced debt collection pressure by around age 40, with higher rates among low-income and Black young adults. Individual fixed-effects and lagged dependent variable regression models indicate that debt collection pressure is associated with increased psychological distress, with more severe consequences among low-income young adults.

Young Adults' Daily Participation Scale: A measure of objective and subjective participation.

INTRODUCTION: Participation in occupations is considered essential for individuals' health and wellbeing. Participation is a multidimensional construct that encompasses objective and subjective dimensions that transform over the course of life. Nonetheless, there is a lack of comprehensive measures that examine young adults' participation in age-appropriate activities. Therefore, we developed the Young Adults' Daily Participation Scale (YADAPS) and aimed to explore its psychometric properties. METHODS: In Study 1, the content validity of the YADAPS was established based on nine experts. Its internal consistency, criterion, convergent, and construct validity were explored among 115 typical young adults (21-35 years). Using a different sample, Study 2 examined YADAPS discriminant validity among 33 young adults with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 52 typical peers. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: No consumer and community involvement was included in these studies. RESULTS: The relevance of YADAPS items was sufficient. Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent in most scales (.74 ≤ α ≤ .89). Criterion validity was supported by correlations between the subjective participation scales and a wellbeing measure. Convergent validity was found for all scales. No gender effect was observed (p ≥ .05). However, significant differences (p ≤ .05) were found between individuals with and without DCD. CONCLUSIONS: The YADAPS appears to be a promising measure of objective and subjective dimensions of participation in young adults. The results support the importance of examining various participation dimensions, including occupational experience. Thus, it may be used for clinical purposes among young adults as well as for occupational science research, to broaden our understanding on the interplay between participation dimensions in various life situations in young adulthood. However, further research is needed on psychometric properties, the most suited scoring method, and to consolidate their robustness among diverse populations of young adults. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Participation, or how one engages in daily life activities, greatly affects wellbeing. The activities in one's routine change over the lifespan, in accordance with one's developmental phase. Existing assessments of participation have limitations, like not considering young adults' concerns or only focussing on certain aspects of participation. By focussing on both the objective-observable and subjective-experiential aspects of participation, the Young Adults' Daily Participation Scale (YADAPS) strives to be a comprehensive assessment tool designed specifically for reflecting activities relevant in young adulthood. This manuscript provides preliminary validity and reliability for the YADAPS, a new questionnaire that assesses objective and subjective aspects of participation in activities relevant for individuals in young adulthood. Furthermore, the questionnaire is able to distinguish between young adults with and without participation difficulties; therefore, it is suitable for research and clinical use.

Perceptions of the Future and Health Behavior in Adulthood.

Engagement in healthier lifestyle behaviors often is motivated by a focus on the future. However, there is limited research on the associations between health behavior and future time perspective, defined as people's tendency to perceive their future as expansive or as limited. Data came from a survey of U.S. adults (N = 805, 49.3% female; M = 50 years, range: 19 to 85 years). Participants completed measures of perceptions of future opportunities and time and health behavior. Opportunities and time factors were uniquely associated with health behavior. While the perceived opportunities factor was strongly associated with better health behavior, the time factor was associated with poorer health behavior. However, this latter association was dependent on individual demographic and health status differences. These findings suggest that perceptions of future opportunities can play an important role in health behavior engagement and thus represent an important target for health promotion.

Roles of Loneliness, Stress, and Religiosity in Suicide Ideation Among Nigerian Older Adults.

Suicidal behavior in older adults is a fundamental public health problem globally and the highest suicide rates occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited research on suicidality among older adults, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to find out whether loneliness, stress and religiosity would be associated with suicide ideation in a sample of sub-Saharan African older adults (N = 500; aged 51-70 years, Mage = 58.97, SD = 6.16; 45.6% women). They completed the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3, Perceived Stress Scale, and Religiosity Scale. Regression results showed that whereas suicidal ideation could be increased by loneliness and stress, religious older adults were less likely to report suicidal ideation. Interventions aimed at managing and protecting the mental health of older adults during their transition to late adulthood should guard them against loneliness and buffer their resilience and coping strategies with the connectedness that religiosity offers.

Daily Variation in Religious Activities, Spiritual Experiences, Alcohol Use, and Life Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults in the USA.

Research suggests that religious activity and spiritual experiences are associated with well-being among emerging adults. This research is primarily evaluated on the between-person level, leaving within-person effects largely unexplored. We examined relations between religious activity and spiritual experiences and their relation to life satisfaction and alcohol use among 383 college students at a moderately large university in the southwest USA. Participants completed daily reports of study measures. Multilevel regression indicated that daily religious activities and spiritual experiences were directly, and indirectly through moral emotions, associated with satisfaction with life. Results suggest that students who engage in regular religious activity and spiritual experience see a concomitant increase in life satisfaction.

Linking Multi-Dimensional Religiosity in Childhood and Later Adulthood: Implications for Later Life Health.

This study examines religiosity patterns across childhood and later adulthood and their associations with later-life health using an experimental module from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 1649; Mean Age = 64.0). Latent class analysis is used to categorize individuals by commonalities in religious attendance, religious identity, and spiritual identity. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations are then explored using probable depression, disability, and mortality as health indicators. Results reveal complex patterns, often characterized by declining attendance and fluctuating identity. Relationships with health appear stronger in cross-sectional analyses, suggesting that some associations may be non-causal. Individuals with consistently strong religiosity show significantly better psychological health compared to their relatively non-religious counterparts. Moreover, the absence of religiosity in later adulthood is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Overall, the findings support the promotion of religiosity whilst acknowledging individual variations and highlighting the need for more individualistic approaches to the study of religion and health.

Course and Prediction of Dissociation in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Personality-Disordered Comparison Subjects: A 24-Year Follow-Up Study.

The first purpose of this study was to determine the course of dissociation among patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and personality-disordered comparison subjects (OPD) over 24 years of prospective follow-up. The second purpose was to determine clinically meaningful predictors of dissociation among patients with BPD. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) was administered to 290 patients with BPD and 72 personality-disordered comparison subjects at baseline, and then once every two years over 24 years of prospective follow-up. Baseline predictors were assessed with the Revised Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ-R), the SCID-I, and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale. Time-varying predictors were assessed at baseline and every subsequent two years by means of the Abuse History Interview (AHI). Patients with BPD had higher baseline dissociation scores than personality-disordered comparison subjects. Whilst dissociation decreased significantly over time for both patient groups, the BPD group showed a steeper decline. Severity of childhood sexual abuse, adult history of rape, adult history of partner violence, and IQ were multivariate predictors of dissociation among patients with BPD. Taken together, the present findings suggest that a combination of interpersonal trauma exposure and cognitive abilities may contribute to the severity of dissociation in adult patients with BPD.

Social Media Use, Emotional Investment, Self-Control Failure, and Addiction in Relation to Mental and Sleep Health in Hispanic University Emerging Adults.

The number of social media users has increased dramatically in recent years. Common correlates of social media use may be poor mental and sleep health which are pressing issues among emerging adults and Hispanic groups. This study investigated the relationships between five different forms of social media use and mental and sleep health in Hispanic university emerging adults. Hispanic university emerging adults (n = 358) completed a survey assessing sociodemographics, overall social media use frequency, nighttime in-bed social media use, social media addiction, social media self-control failure, emotional investment in social media, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality. Findings demonstrated that social media addiction and social media self-control failure were positively associated with stress and poor sleep quality. Emotional investment in social media was positively associated with depression. Findings may suggest that Hispanic university emerging adults may use social media emotionally and problematically to cope with negative affect and poor sleep quality, or that negative affect and poor sleep quality stem from using social media emotionally and problematically. The clinical implications of these results are discussed. Prospective studies are warranted to assess temporality.

Nonparticipation in Work and Education in Emerging Adulthood and Depressive Symptoms through Early Midlife.

More than one-in-eight young adults in the US between the ages of 16 to 24 were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in 2020 - a level not seen since the Great Recession. This study examines the long-term association between NEET status in emerging adulthood and later depressive symptoms using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1995-2018). Growth curve models chart the association between NEET status and depressive symptoms over time in the US. The analytic sample includes 9,349 individuals and 28,047 person-wave observations for respondents between ages 18 to 43. In a fully specified model, respondents who reported NEET status in emerging adulthood (ages 18-26), exhibited greater depressive symptoms across emerging adulthood through early midlife (ages 33-43) (b=0.44, 95% CI 0.33, 0.54) compared to those participating in employment, education, or training. Associations persisted even after accounting for early life disadvantage and using propensity score matching to further diminish possible sources of bias. Results indicate that disconnection from school and work during emerging adulthood may constitute a risk factor for depressive symptoms through early midlife.

Autism and Employment Challenges: The Double Empathy Problem and Perceptions of an Autistic Employee in the Workplace.

Background: High unemployment rates are found among autistic adults. Difficulties with social functioning in non-autistic workplaces can be significant barriers to employment success. Autistic social functioning challenges in non-autistic spaces have traditionally been attributed to assumed impairments in Theory of Mind (ToM). Alternatively, the Double Empathy Problem (DEP) posits that autistic social challenges arise not from assumed impairments within the autistic person but instead from mutual misunderstandings in the autistic/non-autistic social interaction. The purpose of this study was to compare the ToM impairments explanation of autistic social functioning with the DEP, within the context of autistic employee social functioning in a non-autistic workplace. Methods: This study compared autistic and non-autistic participants' ability to accurately interpret the behaviors of an autistic employee at work. A sample of 254 participants (173 non-autistic and 81 autistic) read a vignette about a hypothetical autistic employee having difficulty coping in the workplace. Participants answered open-ended questions regarding their interpretation of the employee's behavior and emotional state. Results: A significantly greater proportion of autistic participants (50.7%) accurately interpreted the behavior of the employee compared with non-autistic participants (31.2%) (χ 2 = 8.65, p = 0.003). Autistic participants with the highest behavior interpretation scores had significantly higher mean self-reported autism traits scores (M = 26.8) compared with autistic participants who scored lowest on behavior interpretation (M = 19.3, p < 0.001). The opposite relationship was found for non-autistic participants. Conclusions: Results from this study contribute to evidence supporting the DEP, shifting the paradigm of autistic social functioning away from a deficit model and toward addressing mutual misunderstandings in the autistic/non-autistic social interaction. The pattern of findings between neurotype groups by behavior interpretation abilities on an autism traits measure points to mutual misunderstandings as a clash of neurologically different social cultures. Addressing the DEP in the workplace would contribute to removing barriers to successful employment for autistic adults.

Why is this an important issue? Autistic adults have difficulty finding work and staying employed. One reason for this is problems they report having with social interactions in non-autistic workplaces. Traditionally, autistic people are assumed to have trouble with social skills because they lack the ability to read what is going on in the minds of other people, something non-autistic people are assumed to be able to do. However, there is another theory that says the problem is not that there is something wrong with autistic people, but rather that autistic and non-autistic people do not understand each other due to being socially and neurologically different. Therefore, the problem lies not within the autistic person but in the autistic/non-autistic social interaction. What was the purpose of this study? This study examined the two competing ways of explaining autistic social difficulties in workplaces that are primarily non-autistic: (1) autistic people having trouble with reading the minds of other people versus (2) autistic and non-autistic people being socially different and mutually misunderstanding each other. What did the researchers do? With help from autistic people, we wrote a story about an autistic employee having a difficult day in a non-autistic workplace, which results in negative social interactions and an emotional reaction. We had 81 autistic and 173 non-autistic people read the story and tell us what they think is going on with the person in the story and the reason for the person's behavior. What were the results of the study? Autistic people who read the story were more likely to accurately understand the autistic employee in the story (50.7% accurate), compared with non-autistic people (31.2% accurate). Autistic study participants who were the best at understanding the autistic person in the story on average also reported having more characteristics of autism. What do these findings add to what was already known? This study adds to a growing group of studies that demonstrate that autistic people have strong social rapport and communicate well with each other and also demonstrate that non-autistic people have trouble in understanding autistic people. This study applied these previous findings to autistic social challenges in non-autistic workplaces. It contributes evidence that autistic people are not impaired socially, but rather that their social difficulties in non-autistic workplaces are due to problems within the autistic/non-autistic social interaction. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Because it was an online survey, people in the study could not ask questions about the story. The researchers also could not confirm participant autism diagnosis. The sample did not have enough people of different races and possibly not enough participants who routinely use the internet or social media and therefore may have been excluded from the study. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? This work is important because it contributes to changing the way we think about why autistic people struggle to function socially in a world where the majority of people are non-autistic, including in the workplace. Rather than placing sole responsibility on autistic employees for mutual misunderstandings between autistic and non-autistic persons in the workplace, findings of this study point to shifting workplace environment and culture that understands and values autistic social differences.

Family therapy for emerging adults with anorexia nervosa: Expert opinion on evidence, practice considerations, and future directions.

Various forms of eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) have been developed and evaluated for adolescents. FT-ED for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) focuses on empowering parents/carers with the knowledge and skills required to facilitate recovery for their child. The recent trend and increased awareness of the period between adolescence and adulthood during ages 18-25, known as 'emerging adulthood', has brought into question whether the traditional treatment approach for adults with AN, that is, individual therapies, is the most appropriate approach for this age group. This paper briefly outlines the current forms FT-ED for emerging adults with AN and examines the evidence for each. We then present considerations for tailoring FT-ED for emerging adults with AN across three broad domains: structure and set-up, process, and content. Finally, we present suggestions on how to troubleshoot common pitfalls that may be encountered, such as reluctance to include parents in treatment. Future research should examine which forms of FT-ED are best for which emerging adults and families and under what contexts. There is also a need to explore the incorporation of technology into sessions with families who live apart.

Association between adolescent alcohol use and cognitive function in young adulthood: A co-twin comparison study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies on adolescent alcohol use and cognition are often unable to separate the potential causal effects of alcohol use on cognition from shared etiological influences, including genetic influences or other substance use comorbidities also known to be associated with cognition, such as nicotine use. The present study aimed to fill this gap and clarify the relationship between adolescent alcohol use and young adult cognition by accounting for both measured and unmeasured confounders. DESIGN: A random effects model accounting for nesting in families was used to control for measured confounders. Next, co-twin comparisons were conducted within the full sample and in monozygotic twin pairs (MZ) to control for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounders shared by co-twins. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Participants were 812 individuals (58.6% female, 361 complete pairs, 146 MZ pairs) from the longitudinal FinnTwin12 study in Finland. MEASUREMENTS: Adolescent alcohol use was indexed with measures of frequency of use and intoxication averaged across ages 14 and 17. Cognitive outcomes were measured at average age 22 and included Trail Making Test, California Stroop test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence subtests (Vocabulary, Block Design, Digit Symbol), Digit Span subtest of Wechsler Memory Scale, Mental Rotation Test and Object Location Memory test. Covariates included sex, parental education, general cognitive ability, current alcohol use and nicotine use. FINDINGS: Greater frequency of alcohol use and frequency of intoxication across adolescence was associated with decreased vocabulary scores in the co-twin control [freq: stnd beta = -0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.234, -0.013] and MZ only co-twin control models (freq: stnd beta = -0.305, 95% CI = -0.523, -0.087; intox: stnd beta = -0.301, 95% CI = -0.528, -0.074). CONCLUSIONS: In Finland, there appears to be little evidence that adolescent alcohol use causes cognitive deficits in young adulthood, except modest evidence for association of higher adolescent alcohol use with lower young adult vocabulary scores.

Same Transition, Different Perspectives: Comparing Dyadic Interviews with Autistic Young Adults and Parents.

Introduction: The transition to young adulthood can be a turbulent life stage, and this is often magnified for autistic youth. Young adults frequently profess different goals and values than their parents. While there is some indication in autism research about how parents, and to a lesser extent, autistic young adults, feel about this transition, little research leverages dyadic interviews with both populations or has used this method with Black and/or low-income families. Method: We conducted four sets of dyadic interviews with autistic young adults and their parents who live together. Results: We identified three key themes that both groups found important to the transition: independence, structured transition, and interpersonal relationships. However, we found that how the groups conceptualized these themes were divergent and revealed differences in goals and values. Parents were more oriented toward long-term normative views of fulfillment, whereas young adults spoke about what was meaningful to them currently. Conclusion: This work has implications for changes to how autism research will conceptualize the transition to young adulthood and how we can create better social opportunities for this population. Community brief: Why is this an important issue?: Autistic adults are at risk for difficulties getting work and education, which can lead to them feeling alienated or unfulfilled. Most research on autistic people becoming adults is based on White people with more cultural and financial resources and does not ask autistic people themselves or their families with them. Research is needed to improve transition outcomes for these underresearched and underserved groups.What was the purpose of this study?: This study explored how autistic youth and their parents thought about and experienced the transition to adulthood out of an urban, low-resourced school district.What did the researchers do?: Researchers interviewed four parents and four autistic youth. Three families were Black, and one family was White and from a low-income household. All autistic youth had received special education services, needed support to transition to adulthood, and had finished high school 1 to 6 years before the study. The young adults lived with their mothers and received support from them for daily tasks. We interviewed the parents and then the youth. In some cases, youths joined parents' interviews or parents joined youths' interviews to provide help with remembering information or giving answers.What were the results of the study?: Researchers identified three themes. First, parents and youth thought about independence differently. Parents focused more on work and financial independence. Youth focused more on social aspects of work and having independence in daily activities such as shopping. The second theme was that youth and parents approached ongoing structured supports differently. Youth reported positive experiences with a range of services but did not discuss the need for ongoing supports like their parents did. Third, youth emphasized the importance of social relationships and opportunities to connect with peers through shared interests.What do these findings add to what was already known?: We learned that standard questions about transition may not reflect how autistic youth and their parents think about becoming an adult. Interviewing families coming out of a predominantly Black and low-income urban school district helped us to understand how these groups experience and think about the transition to adulthood, even though they did not use these identities as a logic for how they thought about young adulthood. This suggests that parent and youth perspectives differ in groups that are not usually well represented in research studies related to transition for autistic youth.What are potential weaknesses in the study?: This study only included a small number of youth and parents. These results do not represent all Black autistic youth or low-income autistic youth coming from urban school districts. Families who are less connected to services may have been less likely to hear about or take part in the study.How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: These findings could inform the development of better interviewing approaches and research to address the needs of diverse autistic youth entering adulthood. This work could improve transition support. Parents, youth, support providers, and researchers may think about adulthood differently. Improved support could help build mutual understanding and coordination around youths' and their families' goals.

Factors predicting the need for liver transplantation in biliary atresia patients after 18 years of age.

PURPOSE: We aimed to identify factors predicting the need for future liver transplantation (LT) at 18 years of age in patients with biliary atresia (BA). METHODS: BA patients with native liver survival at > 18 years of age were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical characteristics, outcomes, hepatobiliary function, and liver fibrosis markers of native liver survivors (NLS group) were compared with patients who subsequently underwent LT (LT group). RESULTS: The study population included 48 patients (NLS, n = 34; LT, n = 14). The male-to-female ratio, age at Kasai procedure, and type of BA in the two groups did not differ to a statistically significant extent. There was no significant difference in the MELD scores between the groups at 18 years of age. The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), albumin-bilirubin (ALBI), and BA liver fibrosis (BALF) scores at 18 years of age were significantly higher in the LT group. The AUCs for APRI, ALBI, and BALF were 0.91, 0.79, and 0.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: Adult BA patients have limited options for LT owing to the lack of donor candidates and the low prevalence of deceased donors. The elucidation of prognostic factors for LT in adulthood is important. APRI was the most useful marker in this study.

A qualitative study of financial concerns of mothers' of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Parents have long been concerned with the transition to adulthood of their children with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) particularly with financial issues. The purpose of this study was to explore the financial concerns of mothers of adults with IDD. Five mothers of adults with IDD participated in a focus group to share their experiences, opinions, concerns, and challenges related to finances. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis: (a) job-related difficulties, (b) living expenses, (c) access to essential services, (d), skills deficits and/or challenging behavior, and (e) long-term care. Mothers in general indicated tremendous financial burdens, loss of income, and expressed concerns about long-term care of their children with IDD. These themes are discussed and implications for practice and research are provided.

Description and predictors of self-determination in males and females with fragile X syndrome on the verge of adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Self-determination refers to setting goals and making decisions regarding one's own life with support from others as needed. Research on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has established the importance of self-determination for quality of life outcomes, such as increased independence and life satisfaction. However, self-determination has not been characterised specifically in fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability. Relative to youth with other forms of intellectual and developmental disabilities, youth with FXS may face exceptional barriers to the development of self-determined behaviour. In addition to intellectual disability, the FXS behavioural profile is characterised by high rates of autism and anxiety that may further limit opportunities for youth with FXS. The heritable nature of the condition can also yield a distinctive family environment, with siblings and parents also living with fragile X or its associated conditions. Considering these unique challenges, the present study examined self-determination in young adult males and females with FXS and explored whether factors such as language skills, adaptive behaviour and autism traits were associated with self-determination capacity and opportunities. METHODS: The present study included 9 females and 36 males with FXS between the ages of 17 and 25 years. Caregivers (mothers or fathers) completed the American Institute for Research Self-Determination Assessment, which is a questionnaire that yields three scores: self-determination capacity, opportunities for self-determination at home and opportunities for self-determination at school. RESULTS: Caregivers endorsed a wide range of self-determination capacity and opportunities, with ratings for opportunities at home and school exceeding ratings of capacity. Better adaptive behaviour skills were associated with more self-determination capacity, and the presence of more autism traits was associated with fewer opportunities at school. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study contribute to our understanding of avenues to best support young adults with FXS as they transition to adulthood. Our findings also have implications for practice, such that interventions targeting adaptive behaviours and self-determination may be an effective approach for promoting autonomy and independence for young adults with FXS. Additionally, caregivers and educators should continue to provide opportunities to practise self-determination, regardless of their perception of capacity.

The Global Impact of Multisystemic Vulnerabilities on Criminal Variety: A Cross-Continental Study in Young Adults.

Previous research has shown a robust association between different childhood and adolescent vulnerabilities and youth offending. However, these investigations have primarily focused on youths from high-income Western countries. Consequently, the generalizability of these findings to better inform global justice policies remains uncertain. This study aimed to address this gap by examining the relationship between individual, familial, and contextual vulnerabilities and criminal versatility during young adulthood, accounting for sociodemographic factors and cross-national differences. Data were derived from a diverse sample of 4,182 young adults (67% female; mean age = 18.96; SD = 0.81) residing in 10 countries across 5 continents who participated in the International Study of Pro/Antisocial Behavior in Young Adults. The Psychosocial and Family Vulnerability Questionnaire and the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire were used to assess social and family adversity, and past-year criminal diversity was measured with the Criminal Variety Index. Results indicate that child maltreatment, substance abuse, and delinquent peers are global risk factors for criminal variety. Moreover, they are independent across males and females and among youths living in countries that are ranked differently on the Human Development Index (HDI). In addition, some childhood vulnerabilities showed different predictive ability across sexes (e.g., school failure), and across countries ranked differently on the HDI (e.g., family dysfunction). These findings suggest that certain childhood factors contribute to criminal behavior through transcultural mechanisms. Moreover, they highlight the importance of developing evidence-based policies that focus on transcultural risk factors to globally prevent criminal behavior.