Profiles of adolescent stress: The development of the adolescent stress questionnaire (ASQ)

Abstract

The importance of stress in the understanding of adolescent health and well‐being is widely documented. The measurement of adolescent stress has however been subjected to sufficient methodological and conceptual criticism in recent times to warrant a concerted re‐evaluation of the exercise. This study sought information on the nature of adolescent stressors, building on a previous instrument developed by the first author to ask adolescents themselves to inform the development of a pool of new items reflecting stressor experience and to advise on the wording of these items to comprehensively assess that experience. This pool of items was then administered as a self‐reported questionnaire to a large sample of school‐age adolescents (N>1000) together with a scale to assess the intensity of distress arising from stressor occurrence. Principal components analysis of the questionnaire yielded 10 internally reliable dimensions of adolescent stress, the nature of which were consistent with the available literature on adolescent stressor experience. Scales constructed from this PCA related positively to measures of anxiety and depression, and negatively to a measure of self‐esteem, suggesting that they were valid measures of adolescent stress. Test–retest reliability was good for all scales. The resultant Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ) is therefore suggested to have potential for the measurement of adolescent stress in both research and clinical contexts.

Refusal Self Efficacy, Self Esteem, Smoking Refusal Skills and Water Pipe (Hookah) Smoking among Iranian Male Adolescents

“…In some studies, lack of self-esteem has been implicated in tobacco use among adolescents (Byrne et al, 2007). In other research, however, no association was found between self esteem and smoking initiation (Winefield et al, 1992).…”

Stressors in secondary boarding school students: Association with stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms

“…Significant correlation was also observed between the interpersonal-related stressor and both depression and anxiety in this study. Adolescents who are unable to assert themselves with peers become more depressed (Chango et al, 2009) and anxious (Bryne et al, 2007) over time. Friends play an important role in adolescents' lives, especially in boarding school where parents are not available.…”

Influência de Estresse, Materialismo e Autoestima na Compra Compulsiva de Adolescentes

“…Apesar de ser um período inevitável de transição pelo qual todos os sujeitos passam, alguns jovens não conseguem enfrentar a velocidade e a magnitude dessas mudanças, o que pode gerar alguns problemas, como, por exemplo, o estresse (Byrne, Davenport, & Mazanov, 2007).…”

“…Entre os diferentes aspectos relacionados à compulsividade no consumo e considerando a revisão da literatura, argumenta-se que a compra compulsiva na adolescência pode ter como antecedentes questões relativas à autoestima, materialismo, prazer em comprar e estresse (Byrne et al, 2007;Palan et al, 2011;Ponchio, Aranha, & Todd, 2008;. Na próxima seção, são discutidos alguns conceitos da literatura relacionados a cada uma dessas dimensões e, em seguida, as relações destes com a compulsividade.…”

“…A experiência de estresse adolescente tem sido sistematicamente associada a uma variedade de estilos de vida e comportamentos de saúde comprometedores (Byrne et al, 2007). A compra compulsiva é entendida como a maneira de responder a esses hábitos e sentimentos negativos, pois a compra parece ser uma forma adequada para lidar com eventos estressantes.…”