Title Links between negative life experiences, posttraumatic stress, and psychosocial functioning in adolescence /
Translation of Title Neigiamų gyvenimo patirčių ir potrauminio streso bei psichosocialinio funkcionavimo paauglystėje sąsajos.
Authors Daniūnaitė, Ieva
DOI 10.15388/vu.thesis.410
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Pages 142
Keywords [eng] negative life experiences ; posttraumatic stress ; psychosocial functioning ; adolescence
Abstract [eng] The research shows that negative childhood experiences are highly prevalent. Moreover, these experiences are associated with an increased risk for psychosocial development and long-term mental health. This thesis aimed to gain knowledge of the prevalence of negative experiences and associated posttraumatic stress reactions and problems of psychosocial functioning in Lithuanian adolescents. The majority of study participants reported exposure to negative life experiences in their lifetime: at least one potentially traumatic event was reported by 72%, and child abuse was reported by 71% of adolescents. Different patterns of abuse were identified in the study. The pattern of severe abuse experiences was associated with the highest risk for psychosocial functioning problems in adolescents. Exposure to potentially traumatic events was associated with a high risk of posttraumatic stress and complex posttraumatic stress disorders in adolescence. The study revealed the importance of social factors in predicting posttraumatic stress responses by showing the associations between family, school environment problems, lack of social support, and the risk of complex posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents. The study provided substantial empirical evidence for the validity of ICD-11 complex posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescence. Longitudinal study findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with the deterioration of the mental health of the majority of adolescents who participated in our research. During the first year of the pandemic, 71% of study participants experienced a significant increase in psychosocial functioning problems. The doctoral dissertation is based on four papers published in international scientific peer-reviewed journals.
Dissertation Institution Vilniaus universitetas.
Type Doctoral thesis
Language English
Publication date 2022