Sigrun Sveinbjornsdottir - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sigrun Sveinbjornsdottir
How young people react to and solve general hassles is believed to affect their health and well-b... more How young people react to and solve general hassles is believed to affect their health and well-being. Thus, in adolescence, adaptive coping may function as a protective factor and maladaptive coping as a risk factor on daily basis. Consequently, in constructing coping-related evidence based prevention approaches or programs, it is important to understand the nature of adolescent coping. Comparative cross-cultural studies on adolescent coping, including more than 10.000 Year 7 and Year 10 students of Iceland (homogenious population) and Australia (multicultural population) revealed through exploratory factor analysis and verified through confirmatory factor analysis an adolescent coping scale, Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS), a five factor model of coping (seeking social support, stoicism, self-care, rumination and acting out), comprised by two dimensions (adaptive versus maladaptive). For further cultural studies on adolescent coping, and in less economically advance...
Research topic/aim/ theoretical framework In this study, Icelandic Year 10 students as identified... more Research topic/aim/ theoretical framework In this study, Icelandic Year 10 students as identified by gender (boys, girls) and sexual orientation (LGBT, non-LGBT, unknown) assessed their satisfaction with residency and school. Methodology/research design Data was derived from the Icelandic part of a collaborative, cross- sectional, cross-national study on health and behaviour of school-aged children (HBSC), initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.HBSC.org/ www.HBSC.is ). HBSC surveys are administered every fourth year and data comprises information from Year 6, Year 8 and Year 10 students. The Icelandic data is population based and in the 2009/2010 data collection the participation rate was 87% of Year 6, Year 8 and Year 10 students. For Year 10 participants were 3774, of these 137 (3.6%) identified as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) and 159 (4.2%) as unsure of their sexual orientation or questioning (Q, they had neither had romantic feelings nor sexual relat...
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2015
Aim: Suicidality is an important public health problem, particularly among lesbian, gay, bisexual... more Aim: Suicidality is an important public health problem, particularly among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adolescents and young adults. The purpose of the present study is to compare the rate of suicide ideations and attempts among LGBT adolescent to that of non-LGBT adolescents in a population-based sample, and to identify important protective factors as well as risk factors
Method: We used the Icelandic data set from the 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The sample consisted of 3,813 grade 10 Icelandic adolescents; 1,876 females and 1,937 males. The participants were asked about sexual attraction and/or activity, as well as about suicidal ideation and/or attempts. The questionnaire also included various other items regarding health and life-style.
Results: LGBT-adolescents were five to six times more likely to have had frequent suicidal ideations. Factors that were associated with less suicide ideations and fewer attempts were easy communication and liking school. The LGBT girls were six times more likely to have had frequent suicide attempts, whilst the LGBT boys were 17 times more likely to have attempted suicide that often. No specific protective or risk factors were identified for suicidality in LGBT-adolescents other than bullying.
Conclusions: Adolescents that had engaged in heterosexual activity and those that had LGBT attraction had similarly heightened risk for suicidality, but sexually active LGBT-adolescents were far more likely to have suicidal ideations or to have attempted suicide.
![Research paper thumbnail of Upplifun unglinga á almennri líkamlegri og andlegri heilsu með hliðsjón af kynhneigð [Adolescents' physical and mental health in relation to sexual orientation]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/31662003/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Objectives: To examine the effects of adolescents' sexual orientation on physical and mental heal... more Objectives: To examine the effects of adolescents' sexual orientation on physical and mental health. Method: Participants were 3,776 class 10 students (51% boys) from 161 schools in Iceland. The participants were classified as gay, non-gay, and sexual orientation unknown at this time (other). Measures included mental health (e.g., sadness, irritability, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping) and physical health (e.g., headaches, stomach ache, back ache, and dizziness). Results: Participants that were gay had a higher frequency of sadness, irritability, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping than either non-gay or other participants. Gay participants also had a higher frequency of headaches, stomach aches, back aches, and dizziness than either non-gay or other participants. Conclusion: Consistent with overseas findings gay adolescents in Iceland had worse physical and mental health outcome than either non-gay or other adolescents.
Scandinavian journal of …, 2008
Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Alth... more Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Although several coping scales have been developed, key terms of coping such as nature and a number of primary and secondary factors (dimensions) are obscure. Coping scales, such as those that have been developed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), have been criticized for poor psychometric properties, yet the critique so far does not evaluate development of the scales against best test-theoretical practice. The present study reviews six adolescent coping scales against ten detailed psychometric criteria in relation to statistical choices throughout the process of scale development. All six scales measured poorly on several criteria. Best practice had not been followed throughout their development and they suffered serious psychometric limitations. These findings indicate that there still is empirical research to be pursued in search of latent constructs and possible dimensions of coping through the implementation of EFA.
This study examined the relationship between potential risk and protective factors for depression... more This study examined the relationship between potential risk and protective factors for depression among
167 girls and 343 boys in urban and rural areas of NSW, Australia. The risk and protective factors in-
cluded social support, coping style, and perceived stress. The results indicated no significant differences in depression and risk and protective factors for rural and urban adolescents. Maladaptive coping (rumination and acting out) and social support (satisfaction and number of supporters) were partial mediators of the relationship between perceived stress and depression with the overall model explaining 66% of the variance in depression. Thus changes to coping and to social support network need to be addressed in any intervention aimed at reducing the impact of perceived stress on depression in adolescents.
This study examined the potential mediating and moderating effects of different ways of coping on... more This study examined the potential mediating and moderating effects of different ways of coping on the impact of negative life events (NLE) on psychological health among adolescents, 63 boys and 66 girls, in Botswana. Distraction as a way of coping and seeking social support were found to reduce the impact of NLE on psychological health concerns. Rumination was associated with increased distress and less satisfaction with life. Future studies could focus on the use of distraction and seeking social support as coping strategies to reduce the effects of NLEs on psychological distress.
This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Austral... more This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Australia and Iceland, aimed to develop a psychometrically sound adolescent coping scale, the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS). Study 1, relying on 3034 Australian and 6908 Icelandic adolescents, revealed five conceptually distinct first-order factors. Two second-order factors (dimensions) were derived: (a) adaptive coping encompassing stoicism/distraction, seeking social support, and self-care, and (b) maladaptive coping encompassing acting out and rumination. This factor structure was supported by multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis (MSCFA) across age, gender and national samples. Study 1 established evidence of discriminant validity. In Study 2, including 534 Australian adolescents, the factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Studies 1 and 2 provided evidence of construct validity. Study 3, employing 118 Icelandic adolescents, established 16-week test-retest reliability and evidence of convergent validity. Therefore, the MACS is a short, reliable and valid scale to measure adolescent coping, thus enabling clinicians, researchers and educators to improve their practice when conducting research and guiding adolescents in developing effective coping methods.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 2008
Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Alth... more Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Although several coping scales have been developed, key terms of coping such as nature and a number of primary and secondary factors (dimensions) are obscure. Coping scales, such as those that have been developed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), have been criticized for poor psychometric properties, yet the critique so far does not evaluate development of the scales against best test-theoretical practice. The present study reviews six adolescent coping scales against ten detailed psychometric criteria in relation to statistical choices throughout the process of scale development. All six scales measured poorly on several criteria. Best practice had not been followed throughout their development and they suffered serious psychometric limitations. These findings indicate that there still is empirical research to be pursued in search of latent constructs and possible dimensions of coping through the implementation of EFA.
This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Austral... more This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Australia and Iceland, aimed to develop a psychometrically sound adolescent coping scale, the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS). Study 1, relying on 3034 Australian and 6908 Icelandic adolescents, revealed five conceptually distinct first-order factors. Two second-order factors (dimensions) were derived: (a) adaptive coping encompassing stoicism/distraction, seeking social support, and self-care, and (b) maladaptive coping encompassing acting out and rumination. This factor structure was supported by multisample confirmatory factor analysis (MSCFA) across age, gender and national samples. Study 1 established evidence of discriminant validity. In Study 2, including 534 Australian adolescents, the factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Studies 1 and 2 provided evidence of construct validity. Study 3, employing 118 Icelandic adolescents, established 16-week test-retest reliability and evidence of convergent validity. Therefore, the MACS is a short, reliable and valid scale to measure adolescent coping, thus enabling clinicians, researchers and educators to improve their practice when conducting research and guiding adolescents in developing effective coping methods.
How young people react to and solve general hassles is believed to affect their health and well-b... more How young people react to and solve general hassles is believed to affect their health and well-being. Thus, in adolescence, adaptive coping may function as a protective factor and maladaptive coping as a risk factor on daily basis. Consequently, in constructing coping-related evidence based prevention approaches or programs, it is important to understand the nature of adolescent coping. Comparative cross-cultural studies on adolescent coping, including more than 10.000 Year 7 and Year 10 students of Iceland (homogenious population) and Australia (multicultural population) revealed through exploratory factor analysis and verified through confirmatory factor analysis an adolescent coping scale, Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS), a five factor model of coping (seeking social support, stoicism, self-care, rumination and acting out), comprised by two dimensions (adaptive versus maladaptive). For further cultural studies on adolescent coping, and in less economically advance...
Research topic/aim/ theoretical framework In this study, Icelandic Year 10 students as identified... more Research topic/aim/ theoretical framework In this study, Icelandic Year 10 students as identified by gender (boys, girls) and sexual orientation (LGBT, non-LGBT, unknown) assessed their satisfaction with residency and school. Methodology/research design Data was derived from the Icelandic part of a collaborative, cross- sectional, cross-national study on health and behaviour of school-aged children (HBSC), initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.HBSC.org/ www.HBSC.is ). HBSC surveys are administered every fourth year and data comprises information from Year 6, Year 8 and Year 10 students. The Icelandic data is population based and in the 2009/2010 data collection the participation rate was 87% of Year 6, Year 8 and Year 10 students. For Year 10 participants were 3774, of these 137 (3.6%) identified as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) and 159 (4.2%) as unsure of their sexual orientation or questioning (Q, they had neither had romantic feelings nor sexual relat...
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2015
Aim: Suicidality is an important public health problem, particularly among lesbian, gay, bisexual... more Aim: Suicidality is an important public health problem, particularly among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adolescents and young adults. The purpose of the present study is to compare the rate of suicide ideations and attempts among LGBT adolescent to that of non-LGBT adolescents in a population-based sample, and to identify important protective factors as well as risk factors
Method: We used the Icelandic data set from the 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The sample consisted of 3,813 grade 10 Icelandic adolescents; 1,876 females and 1,937 males. The participants were asked about sexual attraction and/or activity, as well as about suicidal ideation and/or attempts. The questionnaire also included various other items regarding health and life-style.
Results: LGBT-adolescents were five to six times more likely to have had frequent suicidal ideations. Factors that were associated with less suicide ideations and fewer attempts were easy communication and liking school. The LGBT girls were six times more likely to have had frequent suicide attempts, whilst the LGBT boys were 17 times more likely to have attempted suicide that often. No specific protective or risk factors were identified for suicidality in LGBT-adolescents other than bullying.
Conclusions: Adolescents that had engaged in heterosexual activity and those that had LGBT attraction had similarly heightened risk for suicidality, but sexually active LGBT-adolescents were far more likely to have suicidal ideations or to have attempted suicide.
Objectives: To examine the effects of adolescents' sexual orientation on physical and mental heal... more Objectives: To examine the effects of adolescents' sexual orientation on physical and mental health. Method: Participants were 3,776 class 10 students (51% boys) from 161 schools in Iceland. The participants were classified as gay, non-gay, and sexual orientation unknown at this time (other). Measures included mental health (e.g., sadness, irritability, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping) and physical health (e.g., headaches, stomach ache, back ache, and dizziness). Results: Participants that were gay had a higher frequency of sadness, irritability, nervousness, and difficulty sleeping than either non-gay or other participants. Gay participants also had a higher frequency of headaches, stomach aches, back aches, and dizziness than either non-gay or other participants. Conclusion: Consistent with overseas findings gay adolescents in Iceland had worse physical and mental health outcome than either non-gay or other adolescents.
Scandinavian journal of …, 2008
Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Alth... more Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Although several coping scales have been developed, key terms of coping such as nature and a number of primary and secondary factors (dimensions) are obscure. Coping scales, such as those that have been developed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), have been criticized for poor psychometric properties, yet the critique so far does not evaluate development of the scales against best test-theoretical practice. The present study reviews six adolescent coping scales against ten detailed psychometric criteria in relation to statistical choices throughout the process of scale development. All six scales measured poorly on several criteria. Best practice had not been followed throughout their development and they suffered serious psychometric limitations. These findings indicate that there still is empirical research to be pursued in search of latent constructs and possible dimensions of coping through the implementation of EFA.
This study examined the relationship between potential risk and protective factors for depression... more This study examined the relationship between potential risk and protective factors for depression among
167 girls and 343 boys in urban and rural areas of NSW, Australia. The risk and protective factors in-
cluded social support, coping style, and perceived stress. The results indicated no significant differences in depression and risk and protective factors for rural and urban adolescents. Maladaptive coping (rumination and acting out) and social support (satisfaction and number of supporters) were partial mediators of the relationship between perceived stress and depression with the overall model explaining 66% of the variance in depression. Thus changes to coping and to social support network need to be addressed in any intervention aimed at reducing the impact of perceived stress on depression in adolescents.
This study examined the potential mediating and moderating effects of different ways of coping on... more This study examined the potential mediating and moderating effects of different ways of coping on the impact of negative life events (NLE) on psychological health among adolescents, 63 boys and 66 girls, in Botswana. Distraction as a way of coping and seeking social support were found to reduce the impact of NLE on psychological health concerns. Rumination was associated with increased distress and less satisfaction with life. Future studies could focus on the use of distraction and seeking social support as coping strategies to reduce the effects of NLEs on psychological distress.
This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Austral... more This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Australia and Iceland, aimed to develop a psychometrically sound adolescent coping scale, the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS). Study 1, relying on 3034 Australian and 6908 Icelandic adolescents, revealed five conceptually distinct first-order factors. Two second-order factors (dimensions) were derived: (a) adaptive coping encompassing stoicism/distraction, seeking social support, and self-care, and (b) maladaptive coping encompassing acting out and rumination. This factor structure was supported by multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis (MSCFA) across age, gender and national samples. Study 1 established evidence of discriminant validity. In Study 2, including 534 Australian adolescents, the factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Studies 1 and 2 provided evidence of construct validity. Study 3, employing 118 Icelandic adolescents, established 16-week test-retest reliability and evidence of convergent validity. Therefore, the MACS is a short, reliable and valid scale to measure adolescent coping, thus enabling clinicians, researchers and educators to improve their practice when conducting research and guiding adolescents in developing effective coping methods.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 2008
Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Alth... more Individual coping is identified as an important factor in relation to health and well-being. Although several coping scales have been developed, key terms of coping such as nature and a number of primary and secondary factors (dimensions) are obscure. Coping scales, such as those that have been developed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), have been criticized for poor psychometric properties, yet the critique so far does not evaluate development of the scales against best test-theoretical practice. The present study reviews six adolescent coping scales against ten detailed psychometric criteria in relation to statistical choices throughout the process of scale development. All six scales measured poorly on several criteria. Best practice had not been followed throughout their development and they suffered serious psychometric limitations. These findings indicate that there still is empirical research to be pursued in search of latent constructs and possible dimensions of coping through the implementation of EFA.
This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Austral... more This paper presents the collective results of three independent studies in two countries, Australia and Iceland, aimed to develop a psychometrically sound adolescent coping scale, the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS). Study 1, relying on 3034 Australian and 6908 Icelandic adolescents, revealed five conceptually distinct first-order factors. Two second-order factors (dimensions) were derived: (a) adaptive coping encompassing stoicism/distraction, seeking social support, and self-care, and (b) maladaptive coping encompassing acting out and rumination. This factor structure was supported by multisample confirmatory factor analysis (MSCFA) across age, gender and national samples. Study 1 established evidence of discriminant validity. In Study 2, including 534 Australian adolescents, the factor structure was verified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Studies 1 and 2 provided evidence of construct validity. Study 3, employing 118 Icelandic adolescents, established 16-week test-retest reliability and evidence of convergent validity. Therefore, the MACS is a short, reliable and valid scale to measure adolescent coping, thus enabling clinicians, researchers and educators to improve their practice when conducting research and guiding adolescents in developing effective coping methods.