Poor sleep in adolescents is a global health problem. This study examined Chinese adolescents' sleep quality types by using a person-centered approach and examined the associations of adolescent sleep quality types with psychological characteristics and health risk behaviors. Using data from 1,310 Chinese adolescents (53.7% male; mean age = 13.48…

Despite recent concerns over youthful problem gambling, few gambling studies have looked into Asian adolescent populations. This study of a stratified, random sample of high school students in Hong Kong is designed to estimate the prevalence of gambling pathology among Chinese adolescents and to examine the relationships between social strain,…

This study examined the interaction effects between Hong Kong adolescents' exposure to sexually explicit online materials (SEOM) and individual, family, peer, and cultural factors on their beliefs about gender role equality and body-centered sexuality. Based on a survey design with a sample of 503 high school students in Hong Kong, the results…

Studies on factors affecting susceptibility to peer pressure are not plentiful although this susceptibility has been found to be associated with youth problems such as substance use and risky sexual behavior. The present study examined how adolescents' susceptibility to peer pressure is related to their relationships with mothers and emotional…

Background: Although there are studies that tested Hirschi's social bond elements with Asian samples in the past, however, no study has examined all his social bond elements. Objective: Therefore, this study aims to test all Hirschi's social bond elements with a sample of secondary educated male and female Hong Kong adolescents. Methods: A total…

This study examines the reliability and validity of a Chinese-translated version of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) and explores the effect of gender and age on each of the subscales. The sensitivity of SURPS in differentiating substance users and nonusers using the SURPS is also investigated. Data were collected from a convenience…

This paper examines the relationships among life satisfaction, positive youth development, and problem behaviour. A total of 7,975 Secondary One students (4,169 boys and 3,387 girls; with most aged 12) of Chinese ethnicity recruited from 48 schools responded to validated measures of life satisfaction, positive youth development and problem…

Charcoal burning suicides in Hong Kong between 2002-2004 in the 15 to 59-year-old age group were investigated using the psychological autopsy method. The psychopathological profiles of charcoal burning suicides (N = 53) were compared against "other suicides" (N = 97). The two groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of…

This study examined 1,361 Chinese adolescents who reported self-injurious behaviors. Groups A and B both acknowledged deliberate self-injury, but only Group A had made a suicide attempt. Group C reported accidental self-injury. Deliberate self-injurers (Groups A and B) were more frequently girls, older, and with more suicidal ideation. Group A had…

This study aimed to investigate the family, school, peer and psychological factors that contribute to adolescent suicidal ideation. The participants were 1,358 (680 boys and 678 girls) Hong Kong Chinese adolescents who were divided into younger (12.3 years, n = 694) and older (15.4 years, n = 664) age groups. By using structural equation modeling,…

This qualitative research explores, from the perspectives of runaway adolescents, what kind of family responses facilitate and attract a runaway adolescent to return home and what kind of parental characteristics facilitate the adolescents' adjustment to family reunification. The study carried out in-depth interviews with 16 adolescent boys…

Two theoretical models were constructed to illustrate how stressful events, family and friends support, depression, substance use, and death attitude mutually influence to create cumulative risks for suicide. The models were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Results showed that suicidality was strongly predicted by death attitude,…

Depression is quite common among the elderly members of Hong Kong Chinese society. This study examined the impact of a series of chronic illnesses on change in depressive symptoms among the older people. The respondents were 260 people aged 70 years or older from a longitudinal study of a representative community sample of the elderly population…