Department of Psychology
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression among Girls with Learning Disabilities(Pakistan Journal of Medical Research., 2015-12-23) Ashraf, FarzanaAdolescence is a stressful period of transition where new behaviors and habits have to be adapted. This transition results in mental health problems of adolescents and hinders in their dealing with new challenges and opportunities. This issue is worsened when adolescents also have learning disabilities. Study design, settings and duration: Systematic random sampling technique was used and students from two government girls’ schools were selected from December 2012 to December 2013. Subjects and Methods: .Two government schools i.e. Government Girls Pilot Secondary High School, and Government Comprehensive Girls High School, Lahore were selected for the study. Every 4th adolescent girl from each class was selected from these schools and each girl was administered Learning Disabilities Checklist questionnaire to screen those having learning disabilities and those without learning disabilities. Anxiety and depression was evaluated using Spence Children Anxiety Scale and Children Depression Inventory respectively. Co-occurrence of anxiety and depression among both groups was calculated using frequencies, percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis. Results: Out of 111 girls, 47 were labeled as non-learn disabled and 64 as learn disabled. Coexistence of depression and anxiety symptoms ranged from 21-40%. There was significantly strong relationship between anxiety and depression between both groups, which was more significant among girls having learning disabilities. Mean symptoms of depression were higher in the learning disabled group. Conclusion: Many girls studying in schools have learning disabilities with significant numbers having depression and anxiety too. Policy message: Mental health evaluation of children in schools should be regularly carried out to screen and assist those who have mental issues.Item Attitude towards outgroup, Religious Intolerance and Psychological Adjustment among Majority (Muslims) and Minority (Christians) groups in Pakistan(University of Management and Technolog, 2017) Butt, AyeshaThe present study aimed to investigate the Attitude towards outgroup, Religious Intolerance and psychological adjustment in majority (Muslims) and minority (Christians) groups. It was hypothesized that attitude towards out-group andreligious intolerancewould significantly predict psychological adjustment among majority and minority after controlling for demographics variables (gender and age). Moreover,negative attitude towards out-group and religious intolerance would positively associate with, but negatively correlate with psychological adjustment.Cross sectional research design was used as well as convenient and purposive sampling techniques was applied. The sample was comprised of 167 Muslims and 148 Christians (Men & Women) (N=315) adolescents with age range of 19-25 years. Religious Intolerance scale (RIS) (Mehdi, Shujja& Butt, 2016) and Personality Assessment Scale (PAQ) (Rohner, 2005) were used to assess religious intolerance and psychological adjustment among Muslims and Christians. Results revealed that demographical variable age was a strong predictor of psychological adjustment. It indicates as the person grows older then the psychological adjustment increases and religious intolerance tends to decrease. Moreover, religious intolerance was a strong predictor of psychological adjustment. The findings of current study added knowledge in the field of social psychology. The results of study can help in promoting awareness about the limits of outgroup attitude among majority and minority. On the basis of this research persuasive program can be developed to train people about understanding the interplay of religious intolerance and psychological adjustment of individual.Item Development of Interpersonal Difficulties Scale for University Students(Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 2014) Sadia Saleem; Zubia Ihsan; Zahid MahmoodThe current research explored the patterns of interpersonal difficulties among university students in Pakistani cultural context. In the first phase, 40 university students were interviewed individually to generate item pool of 69 interpersonal difficulties as experienced by them. After excluding duplication and repetition, the list of 61 items was piloted on 30 university students as a self-report measure of 5-point rating scale (Interpersonal Difficulties Scale). Finally, a stratified sample of 448 university students (49% men and 51% women) were given the final list of 61 items , Student Problem Checklist (Mahmood & Saleem, 2011), and a demographic form. Principal Component factor analysis yielded a six factor solution namely Dominated by Others, Low Self-confidence, Mistrust, Lack of Assertiveness, Lack of Boundaries, and Instability in Relationships. The scale found to have high internal consistency, convergent validity, and test- retest reliability. The results are discussed in terms of the implications of interpersonal difficulties for student counseling services.Item Self reported depressive symptomatology in adolescents: a psychometric study(FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 2014) Sadia Saleem; Tooba Khalid; Zahid MahmoodThis study attempts to explore cultural-specific manifestation and expression of depressive symptomatology in adolescents. 40 school children referred by their teachers to the school counsellors were interviewed to explore the expression of depressive symptomatology. A list of 32 elicited items was given to 10 school counselors for empirical validation. All those items receiving 90% agreement from the experts were retained. A final list of 27 items converted into a self report measure (Depressive Symptomatology Scale, DSS) was piloted on 30 children. In the final phase, a 385 participants selected through stratified sampling were given the DSS, the Self-Concept Scale (Perveen, Saleem, & Mahmood, 2011), and the Child Depression Inventory (1992) for concurrent validity and a demographic performa. Principal Component Factor analysis yielded a four factor solution; Sadness, Indecisiveness, Irritability and Psychosomatic symptoms. The DSS was found to have high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent and discriminant validity. Results are discussed in terms of gender differences, school counseling and cultural differences.Item Adolescent girls are hurt more by the body mass than thin-ideal media images of females(Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 2014) Marium Javaid; Iftikhar AhmadThis study aimed to identify factors that affect body self-image satisfaction and negative mood among adolescent girls. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Self Esteem Scale, Body Image Satisfaction Scale and Figure Rating Scale was administered to 97 female undergraduate students to have a base-line data for the study. Overall, self esteem and body mass predicted body satisfaction significantly. Of these 47 participants volunteered to appear in the second phase of the study as well, after a week, and were shown thin-ideal images of women on power point as an intervention and were asked to complete Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Body Image States Scale for the second time in view of their recent and fresh feelings and views. It was found that the participants of different body weight showed no change in their body image satisfaction than before except in the case of overweight participants. They were significantly affected on negative mood after viewing the thin ideal images. Comparing three groups with different body mass index, one-way ANOVA revealed significant difference on negative mood as well as body image satisfaction. This revealed body mass (index) is a potent and table factor that could strongly affect body satisfaction. Overall, participants’ actual body mass was a negative predictor of body image satisfaction and self esteem appeared as a moderator of mood affectivity. These results were corroborated with another finding of this study: Participants whose perception of their body shape and that of their ideally desired body shape was markedly discrepant had gone to significantly low level of body image satisfaction as well as self esteem than those with low discrepancy. The thin-ideal images seemed to affect influence body satisfaction and mood of the oversized women more than the average ones.