Identifying patterns of victimization continuity and discontinuity over time can inform school-ba... more Identifying patterns of victimization continuity and discontinuity over time can inform school-based efforts to prevent and intervene with peer victimization. We conducted a four-wave longitudinal study of students through their transition from middle to high school. Participants were 135 diverse students from Grade 8 to Grade 11 who completed self-report surveys each year on peer victimization, life satisfaction, mental health, and substance use. Latent profile analysis identified four patterns of victimization: continuously high victimization (19%), inconsistent victimization (14%), revictimization (14%), and continuously low victimization (53%). In grade 11, the continuously high victimization group (19%) was more likely to report alcohol use, elevated psychological distress, diminished life satisfaction, and seriously contemplate suicide than any other group. Follow-up analysis reveals sexual harassment appears to be common as youth transition into their high school years. Results have implications for school screening and intervention efforts.
Managing the COVID-19 pandemic involved implementing public health policies that disrupted studen... more Managing the COVID-19 pandemic involved implementing public health policies that disrupted students' lives, creating conditions that substantially influenced their mental health and well-being. Subsequently, research focused on the mental health sequelae of increased depression and anxiety, but the possible impacts on adolescents' social well-being have been largely unexamined. Social well-being is essential to youth's overall mental health and can be diminished even without symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study explored heterogeneities in changes in adolescents' social well-being from pre-COVID-19 to post-restrictions using longitudinal data from adolescents attending middle and high schools in California (N = 1,299; 49.9% female). Data collection involved four observations. Participants completed a school-based mental health wellness check-in survey annually from 2019 to 2022. A latent profile analysis identified five profiles demonstrating distinctive social well-being trajectories. Two ordered profiles included Stable-High (28%) and Stable-Low (26%) patterns. The other three groups represented nonordered profiles labeled as Succumbing (20%), Languishing (14%), and Recovering (12%). Pervasive decreases in social well-being among adolescents were observed, and a significant portion did not recover to their pre-COVID-19 level in 2022. Adolescents in the Stable-High and Recovering profiles showed better psychological well-being, optimism, and school connectedness, and less distress than their counterparts in other profiles. Mental health professionals should be aware of the effects that the pandemic has had on adolescents' social well-being. Lower levels of social well-being may be a risk factor for adolescents developing generally jaded attitudes about their social networks and diminishing their potential engagement with sources of social support.
International journal of school and educational psychology, Nov 15, 2019
This study examined associations among a concurrent set of social-emotional strengths and school ... more This study examined associations among a concurrent set of social-emotional strengths and school membership across United States (N = 1,009) and Chinese (N = 747) students aged 9 to 11 years old. Results identified significant positive relations of school membership with four social-emotional strengths (i.e., gratitude, optimism, zest, and persistence) and a higher-order latent variable (covitality) in both countries, with optimism having the strongest association in both countries. Cross-culturally, U.S. students showed a stronger gratitude association with school membership whereas Chinese students had stronger zest and persistence associations with school membership. Implications for promoting school membership across cultural contexts are discussed.
Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article e... more Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article examines associations between high school students' mental wellness, including covitality (as measured with the Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary), and school safety perceptions and experiences. Student self-reports reveal a strong positive association between psychosocial wellness and feeling safe and secure at school. Proactive efforts by educators to foster students' thriving well-being could also have the benefit of improving school climate and safety.
Culturally responsive assessment practices include validated measures appropriate for use with di... more Culturally responsive assessment practices include validated measures appropriate for use with diverse populations. Considering the increasing population of Latinx students in US schools, measures need co-validated English and Spanish (Social and Emotional Health Survey (SEHS)) language forms. This study examined the SEHS-Secondary with Latinx students who completed a form in either Spanish or English. With a matched sample of 1404 Latinx students across 113 California schools, the analyses examined the factor structure, measurement invariance, and latent trait factor means of students who completed the SEHS in either Spanish or English. The factor structure was invariant across groups with some latent mean differences observed. Educational practice implications are considered.
European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, 2021
Endeavors supporting college students’ positive psychosocial development are gaining attention an... more Endeavors supporting college students’ positive psychosocial development are gaining attention and investment in various countries and social contexts. Higher education experiences provide new academic, social, and vocational advancement opportunities at a critical developmental stage. However, higher education can also cause distress due to the challenges and stressors present during this new stage of increased independence. The Social Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education (SEHS-HE) assesses the core psychosocial strengths of youths transitioning from secondary schools into higher education institutions (IHE) to aid campus student support services. The present study sought to extend the SEHS-HE research by examining its application with samples from Mexico (n = 4,207), United States (n = 1,638), and Spain (n = 1,734), college students. Confirmatory factor analyses investigated the hypothesized SEHS-HE higher-order factor model. The Mexico sample returned an acceptable model fit,...
The investigation of school belonging is crucial due to its established significant associations ... more The investigation of school belonging is crucial due to its established significant associations with mental health, academic achievement, and risky behaviors coupled with the limited research documenting the configurations of children's school belonging experiences. The current study explores school belonging in upper elementary school California students (N = 619). Latent profile analysis revealed the best fit for a three-profile solution: Low School Belonging, Moderate School Belonging, and High School Belonging. The majority of students were classified in the Low and Moderate School Belonging profiles. Demographic covariates indicated that female and Latinx students were more likely to experience high belonging than males and non-Latinx students. Concerning proximal outcomes, students in the High School Belonging profile reported higher psychological strengths and lower psychological distress. Practical implications include assessing and promoting school belonging more effectively in students, given the small percentage of students who perceive high levels of school belonging.
A dual approach to mental health in schools has been widely defended, where the assessment of psy... more A dual approach to mental health in schools has been widely defended, where the assessment of psychological distress and the examination of strengths/well-being are two separate continua. In line with a well-being approach, school belonging has been referenced as an important indicator of mental health in children. This study explored the predictive role of school sense of belonging alongside other demographic variables (gender, main language spoken at home, and socio-economic status of postcode) on the socio-emotional health profiles of primary school children in England. Children (N = 522) were recruited from three primary schools in Greater London. A survey including measures of school belonging and socio-emotional health was administered to all children. Results showed that it is possible to identify groups of students at primary school level based on socio-emotional health ratings on gratitude, zest, optimism, and perseverance. School sense of membership, as measured by the psy...
AimsThe purpose of this 1‐year case study was to identify how School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Int... more AimsThe purpose of this 1‐year case study was to identify how School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW‐PBIS) can be adapted to meet the needs of students in alternative schools and to evaluate the early impact of SW‐PBIS on discipline outcomes.MethodsSuggestions for adaptations are provided at each stage of the intervention process with a focus on buy‐in, training, data collection, and resource allocation.ResultsData from this case study included information about key components of the implementation process as well as initial outcomes. Process data revealed the importance of stakeholder buy‐in, training opportunities, and potential adaptations to the framework. Outcome data from the first year of implementation indicated that the number of incident reports did not significantly differ from the baseline; however, there was a reduction in defiance‐related behaviors and an increase in on‐task behaviors.ConclusionThis study contributes to the determination of the ...
Contemporary mental health assessment conceptualizations focus on both well-being and distress. T... more Contemporary mental health assessment conceptualizations focus on both well-being and distress. This study presents initial validation information for the Social Emotional Distress Survey–Secondary (SEDS-S), which was designed for school-based complete mental health screening that employs brief self-report measures of well-being and distress. The SEDS-S structure was investigated using two independent samples of U.S. high school students ( N = 3,780). Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a one-factor model of distress with good model fit. Path analyses revealed significant positive relations of the SEDS-S distress factor with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a significant negative relation with life satisfaction and strengths scores. Future research directions and use in school-based screening applications are discussed.
This article presents the rationale for and the manuscripts included in a special issue of Contem... more This article presents the rationale for and the manuscripts included in a special issue of Contemporary School Psychology, entitled: BSchool-Based Approaches to Promote Complete Mental Health: School psychologists working to foster students' thriving well-being.K eywords Well-being. Complete mental health. School psychologists. Positive psychology
Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, 2014
Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement ... more Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Italian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30), which is a measure of quality of life (QoL) for lung cancer patients after surgery. Methods: A total of 167 lung cancer patients completed the Italian version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at 30 days after they received a lobectomy. The factor structure of this scale was assessed by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated by considering differential item functioning (DIF) due to age, gender, and type of surgery (i.e., robot-or not robot-assisted). Results: The CFA demonstrated the validity of the factor structure of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in assessing overall health and eight distinct subscales of adverse events and functioning. Moreover, the results highlighted a minimal DIF with only trivial consequences on measurement invariance. Specifically, the DIF did not affect the mean differences of latent scores of QoL between patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery or traditional surgery. Conclusion: These findings supported the validity and suitability of the EORTC QLQ-C30 for the assessment of QoL in lung cancer patients of diverse ages and genders undergoing lobectomy with or without robot-assisted surgery.
Supplemental material for Preliminary investigation of the psychological sense of school membersh... more Supplemental material for Preliminary investigation of the psychological sense of school membership scale with primary school students in a cross-cultural context by Rhea Wagle, Erin Dowdy, Chunyan Yang, Olympia Palikara, Susana Castro, Karen Nylund-Gibson and Michael J. Furlong in School Psychology International
Identifying patterns of victimization continuity and discontinuity over time can inform school-ba... more Identifying patterns of victimization continuity and discontinuity over time can inform school-based efforts to prevent and intervene with peer victimization. We conducted a four-wave longitudinal study of students through their transition from middle to high school. Participants were 135 diverse students from Grade 8 to Grade 11 who completed self-report surveys each year on peer victimization, life satisfaction, mental health, and substance use. Latent profile analysis identified four patterns of victimization: continuously high victimization (19%), inconsistent victimization (14%), revictimization (14%), and continuously low victimization (53%). In grade 11, the continuously high victimization group (19%) was more likely to report alcohol use, elevated psychological distress, diminished life satisfaction, and seriously contemplate suicide than any other group. Follow-up analysis reveals sexual harassment appears to be common as youth transition into their high school years. Results have implications for school screening and intervention efforts.
Managing the COVID-19 pandemic involved implementing public health policies that disrupted studen... more Managing the COVID-19 pandemic involved implementing public health policies that disrupted students' lives, creating conditions that substantially influenced their mental health and well-being. Subsequently, research focused on the mental health sequelae of increased depression and anxiety, but the possible impacts on adolescents' social well-being have been largely unexamined. Social well-being is essential to youth's overall mental health and can be diminished even without symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study explored heterogeneities in changes in adolescents' social well-being from pre-COVID-19 to post-restrictions using longitudinal data from adolescents attending middle and high schools in California (N = 1,299; 49.9% female). Data collection involved four observations. Participants completed a school-based mental health wellness check-in survey annually from 2019 to 2022. A latent profile analysis identified five profiles demonstrating distinctive social well-being trajectories. Two ordered profiles included Stable-High (28%) and Stable-Low (26%) patterns. The other three groups represented nonordered profiles labeled as Succumbing (20%), Languishing (14%), and Recovering (12%). Pervasive decreases in social well-being among adolescents were observed, and a significant portion did not recover to their pre-COVID-19 level in 2022. Adolescents in the Stable-High and Recovering profiles showed better psychological well-being, optimism, and school connectedness, and less distress than their counterparts in other profiles. Mental health professionals should be aware of the effects that the pandemic has had on adolescents' social well-being. Lower levels of social well-being may be a risk factor for adolescents developing generally jaded attitudes about their social networks and diminishing their potential engagement with sources of social support.
International journal of school and educational psychology, Nov 15, 2019
This study examined associations among a concurrent set of social-emotional strengths and school ... more This study examined associations among a concurrent set of social-emotional strengths and school membership across United States (N = 1,009) and Chinese (N = 747) students aged 9 to 11 years old. Results identified significant positive relations of school membership with four social-emotional strengths (i.e., gratitude, optimism, zest, and persistence) and a higher-order latent variable (covitality) in both countries, with optimism having the strongest association in both countries. Cross-culturally, U.S. students showed a stronger gratitude association with school membership whereas Chinese students had stronger zest and persistence associations with school membership. Implications for promoting school membership across cultural contexts are discussed.
Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article e... more Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article examines associations between high school students' mental wellness, including covitality (as measured with the Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary), and school safety perceptions and experiences. Student self-reports reveal a strong positive association between psychosocial wellness and feeling safe and secure at school. Proactive efforts by educators to foster students' thriving well-being could also have the benefit of improving school climate and safety.
Culturally responsive assessment practices include validated measures appropriate for use with di... more Culturally responsive assessment practices include validated measures appropriate for use with diverse populations. Considering the increasing population of Latinx students in US schools, measures need co-validated English and Spanish (Social and Emotional Health Survey (SEHS)) language forms. This study examined the SEHS-Secondary with Latinx students who completed a form in either Spanish or English. With a matched sample of 1404 Latinx students across 113 California schools, the analyses examined the factor structure, measurement invariance, and latent trait factor means of students who completed the SEHS in either Spanish or English. The factor structure was invariant across groups with some latent mean differences observed. Educational practice implications are considered.
European Journal of Psychology and Educational Research, 2021
Endeavors supporting college students’ positive psychosocial development are gaining attention an... more Endeavors supporting college students’ positive psychosocial development are gaining attention and investment in various countries and social contexts. Higher education experiences provide new academic, social, and vocational advancement opportunities at a critical developmental stage. However, higher education can also cause distress due to the challenges and stressors present during this new stage of increased independence. The Social Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education (SEHS-HE) assesses the core psychosocial strengths of youths transitioning from secondary schools into higher education institutions (IHE) to aid campus student support services. The present study sought to extend the SEHS-HE research by examining its application with samples from Mexico (n = 4,207), United States (n = 1,638), and Spain (n = 1,734), college students. Confirmatory factor analyses investigated the hypothesized SEHS-HE higher-order factor model. The Mexico sample returned an acceptable model fit,...
The investigation of school belonging is crucial due to its established significant associations ... more The investigation of school belonging is crucial due to its established significant associations with mental health, academic achievement, and risky behaviors coupled with the limited research documenting the configurations of children's school belonging experiences. The current study explores school belonging in upper elementary school California students (N = 619). Latent profile analysis revealed the best fit for a three-profile solution: Low School Belonging, Moderate School Belonging, and High School Belonging. The majority of students were classified in the Low and Moderate School Belonging profiles. Demographic covariates indicated that female and Latinx students were more likely to experience high belonging than males and non-Latinx students. Concerning proximal outcomes, students in the High School Belonging profile reported higher psychological strengths and lower psychological distress. Practical implications include assessing and promoting school belonging more effectively in students, given the small percentage of students who perceive high levels of school belonging.
A dual approach to mental health in schools has been widely defended, where the assessment of psy... more A dual approach to mental health in schools has been widely defended, where the assessment of psychological distress and the examination of strengths/well-being are two separate continua. In line with a well-being approach, school belonging has been referenced as an important indicator of mental health in children. This study explored the predictive role of school sense of belonging alongside other demographic variables (gender, main language spoken at home, and socio-economic status of postcode) on the socio-emotional health profiles of primary school children in England. Children (N = 522) were recruited from three primary schools in Greater London. A survey including measures of school belonging and socio-emotional health was administered to all children. Results showed that it is possible to identify groups of students at primary school level based on socio-emotional health ratings on gratitude, zest, optimism, and perseverance. School sense of membership, as measured by the psy...
AimsThe purpose of this 1‐year case study was to identify how School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Int... more AimsThe purpose of this 1‐year case study was to identify how School‐Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW‐PBIS) can be adapted to meet the needs of students in alternative schools and to evaluate the early impact of SW‐PBIS on discipline outcomes.MethodsSuggestions for adaptations are provided at each stage of the intervention process with a focus on buy‐in, training, data collection, and resource allocation.ResultsData from this case study included information about key components of the implementation process as well as initial outcomes. Process data revealed the importance of stakeholder buy‐in, training opportunities, and potential adaptations to the framework. Outcome data from the first year of implementation indicated that the number of incident reports did not significantly differ from the baseline; however, there was a reduction in defiance‐related behaviors and an increase in on‐task behaviors.ConclusionThis study contributes to the determination of the ...
Contemporary mental health assessment conceptualizations focus on both well-being and distress. T... more Contemporary mental health assessment conceptualizations focus on both well-being and distress. This study presents initial validation information for the Social Emotional Distress Survey–Secondary (SEDS-S), which was designed for school-based complete mental health screening that employs brief self-report measures of well-being and distress. The SEDS-S structure was investigated using two independent samples of U.S. high school students ( N = 3,780). Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a one-factor model of distress with good model fit. Path analyses revealed significant positive relations of the SEDS-S distress factor with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a significant negative relation with life satisfaction and strengths scores. Future research directions and use in school-based screening applications are discussed.
This article presents the rationale for and the manuscripts included in a special issue of Contem... more This article presents the rationale for and the manuscripts included in a special issue of Contemporary School Psychology, entitled: BSchool-Based Approaches to Promote Complete Mental Health: School psychologists working to foster students' thriving well-being.K eywords Well-being. Complete mental health. School psychologists. Positive psychology
Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, 2014
Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement ... more Background: This study aims to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Italian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30), which is a measure of quality of life (QoL) for lung cancer patients after surgery. Methods: A total of 167 lung cancer patients completed the Italian version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire at 30 days after they received a lobectomy. The factor structure of this scale was assessed by performing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was evaluated by considering differential item functioning (DIF) due to age, gender, and type of surgery (i.e., robot-or not robot-assisted). Results: The CFA demonstrated the validity of the factor structure of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in assessing overall health and eight distinct subscales of adverse events and functioning. Moreover, the results highlighted a minimal DIF with only trivial consequences on measurement invariance. Specifically, the DIF did not affect the mean differences of latent scores of QoL between patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery or traditional surgery. Conclusion: These findings supported the validity and suitability of the EORTC QLQ-C30 for the assessment of QoL in lung cancer patients of diverse ages and genders undergoing lobectomy with or without robot-assisted surgery.
Supplemental material for Preliminary investigation of the psychological sense of school membersh... more Supplemental material for Preliminary investigation of the psychological sense of school membership scale with primary school students in a cross-cultural context by Rhea Wagle, Erin Dowdy, Chunyan Yang, Olympia Palikara, Susana Castro, Karen Nylund-Gibson and Michael J. Furlong in School Psychology International
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