Serapinas, Danielius

Despite the critical role of culture in understanding adolescent self and identity, there is a lack of cross‐culturally validated measures of adolescent self‐construal. The present study evaluated cross‐national measurement invariance of the Aspects of Identity Questionnaire‐IV (AIQ‐IV), assessing four dimensions of self‐construal: personal, relational, public, and collective. The sample included 16,795 adolescents aged 14–19 years from 30 countries across four continents. The four‐factor structure of the AIQ‐IV obtained using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was supported in the vast majority of countries. Exact invariance testing using multi‐group ESEM supported configural invariance, indicating that the overall structure of the AIQ‐IV was similar across countries. Full scalar invariance was supported only on a subset of countries (i.e., when tests were conducted using European countries grouped by UN geographical regions). An alignment approach provided evidence for the approximate invariance of the ESEM model, with 15.6% of parameters showing noninvariance and allowing for comparison of latent means. The largest number of noninvariant parameters was evident in Asian countries, with items assessing collective‐interdependent aspects of identity showing the most variation across countries. A comparison of mean levels of identity orientations across countries revealed that culture‐level dimensions of collectivism–individualism do not translate simply into individual‐level dimensions of self‐construal.

Background Recurrent pregnancy loss linked to the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genetic mutation is common in infertility journeys. Identifying these mutations and offering targeted treatments can save pregnancies and assist in the transition to motherhood. However, the psychological effects of past miscarriages often persist, highlighting the need for a clear care pathway. This study explores the existential-phenomenological aspects of transitioning to motherhood after genetically determined infertility, emphasising the importance of understanding human existence to gain insights into these lived experiences. Methodology J. A. Smith's Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach, in combination with the framework of Daseinsanalysis developed by A. Holzhey-Kunz was employed to guide the research process. Hence, this paper presents an in-depth exploration of the lived experience of 10 women's transition of motherhood after a genetically induced experience. Findings The research reveals that having genetically defined infertility and its treatment as a background gives transition to motherhood a different start, which may affect the way it is experienced. Women in our study tend to disconnect from their prior infertility experience, leaving it not integrated into a constructive and meaningful life story. Moreover, the intense fear of loss, coupled with the perceived need to ‘fix’ their bodies to ensure the baby's survival, overshadows these women's pregnancies. Finally, the transition to motherhood is existentially attuned with death, uncertainty, along with the non-transparency and fragility of the body.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognized risk factors for later substance use. Yet, data remain scarce—particularly regarding the differentiated effects of specific types of ACEs and their distinct associations with various psychoactive substances. The current study is one of the first in Lithuania to explore the associations between specific ACEs and psychoactive substance use in young adulthood (ages 18–29). This cross-sectional study included a total of 709 participants who completed an online survey. ACEs were measured using a combination of adapted ACEs items and the MACE questionnaire. Substance use was assessed using self-reported instruments: CUDIT-R (cannabis), AUDIT (alcohol), ASSIST (heavy psychoactive substances), and nicotine use. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was chosen to examine predictive relationships. Results revealed that experiences of sexual abuse and physical maltreatment in childhood predicted higher levels of alcohol use in young adulthood. Sexual abuse was positively associated with nicotine, cannabis, and heavy psychoactive substance use, while witnessing interpersonal violence was only associated with higher nicotine use. However, verbal abuse showed significant negative associations across several substance categories. No significant associations were found between family addiction history and substance use. The absence of an important relationship between family history of addiction and substance use indicates that genetic factors may be less decisive than environmental or psychosocial conditions. The main findings of this study are that ACEs are not qualitatively equivalent to one another, so it is worth examining them separately, rather than summing them. Furthermore, based on the negative associations with verbal abuse and the generally statistically negative associations, we can assume that ACEs may not be the most important factors increasing substance use. Further studies should look for other factors that influence substance use.

Despite a growing interest in adolescent subjective well-being, cross-cultural research on positive and negative affect in adolescents has been surprisingly scarce. Moreover, a cross-cultural evaluation of affective well-being measures in adolescents has lagged behind research in adults. The present study evaluated the cross-national and gender invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), using adolescent samples from 32 countries (N = 17,489; age range = 14–19) spanning five continents. The original two-factor structure of the SPANE was supported in 29 of the 32 countries. We could establish partial metric invariance of the SPANE across countries and full or partial scalar invariance across gender in 18 and 11 countries, respectively. The alignment method showed evidence for approximate invariance across countries, allowing for cross-national means comparisons of positive and negative affect. In most countries, girls reported higher levels of negative affect, and no substantial gender differences in positive affect were observed. Cross-national differences in mean levels of positive and negative affect yielded complex findings. Our results suggest that the SPANE is a solid candidate for measuring emotional experiences among adolescents in large-scale cross-national studies.

Introduction. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognized risk factors for later substance use, yet data remain scarce – particularly regarding the differentiated effects of specific types of ACEs and their distinct associations with various psychoactive substances. Current study is one of the first in Lithuania to explore the associations between specific ACEs and substance use expression in young adulthood (ages 18–29), a developmental period defined by Arnett’s theory of emerging adulthood and full neurological maturation. Methods. This cross-sectional study included a total of 709 participants (26.5% male, 73.5% female) completed an online survey between September and November 2024. Substance use was assessed using validated instruments: AUDIT (alcohol), CUDIT-R (cannabis), ASSIST (other substances), and self-reported smoking behavior. ACEs were measured using a combination of adapted ACE questionnaire items) and the MACE scale, covering ten categories of childhood adversity. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine predictive relationships. Results. Sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and physical abuse consistently predicted higher levels of alcohol, cannabis, and other substance use. Verbal abuse, conversely, showed significant negative associations across several substance categories. Smoking was positively associated with sexual abuse and negatively with witnessing interpersonal violence. Notably, a family history of addiction was not significantly related to substance use, suggesting that genetic predisposition may play a less central role than environmental or psychosocial factors. Conclusions. The findings underscore the differentiated impact of specific adverse childhood experiences on the use of various psychoactive substances. This highlights the necessity for further research that not only examines adverse experiences individually, but also explores the distinct associations between different types of psychoactive substances and these early life stressors. Such an approach is essential for uncovering substance-specific pathways and developing more targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

Introduction: Although teacher victimization has been associated with reduced well-being, little is known about how teachers’ perceptions of their relationships within the school environment is linked to this association. This study examined whether perceived relationship quality moderates the link between different forms of victimization and teachers’ life satisfaction. Methods: A structural equation model was tested using data from a Lithuanian teacher sample (n = 1,146), incorporating three latent constructs: victimization (indicated by physical, social, verbal, cyber, and sexual victimization, as well as victimization involving property damage and violence perpetrated by school staff and parents), relationship perception (measured by perceived relationships with students, colleagues, school administration, and local educational authorities), and life satisfaction (assessed via the satisfaction with life scale). Results: The model demonstrated good fit [χ2(39) = 310.00, CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.916, SRMR = 0.047, RMSEA = 0.078 (0.070, 0.086)]. Victimization was negatively related to both relationship perception (β = −0.35) and life satisfaction (β = −0.25), while relationship perception positively related to life satisfaction (β = 0.44, all p < 0.001). Moderation analyses revealed significant interaction effects: cyber, property, and physical victimization were more strongly associated with reduced life satisfaction among teachers who reported high perceived relationship quality with students or educational authorities. Contrary to buffering expectations, perceived relationships appeared to intensify the negative effects of victimization on life satisfaction. Discussion: These findings suggest that victimization may be especially damaging for teachers who typically view their school relationships as supportive, pointing to a potential breach in relational expectations. This highlights the importance of contextual factors in teacher well-being.

The present study investigated the cross-national measurement invariance of a 10-item Youth Externalizing Problems Screener (YEPS) on a sample of 17,489 adolescents from 32 countries. The original one-factor and two-factor models of YEPS were found to provide a poor fit to the data in most countries. Following the removal of two semantically overlapping items and the inclusion of correlated error terms, adequate model fit was obtained in 31 of 32 countries. Measurement invariance testing of an abbreviated 8-item YEPS (YEPS-SF) supported configural invariance. Partial scalar invariance was achieved only after freely estimating numerous parameters. The alignment analysis revealed that 22% of parameters were non-invariant across countries. South Africa, Hungary, and India showed the largest number of non-invariant parameters, whereas the lowest number was detected in several European countries. These findings highlight the potential of the YEPS-SF for use within individual countries and the challenge of developing cross-culturally comparable measures, suggesting that cultural adaptations may be necessary.

Backround Prevalence rates of infertility show that one in every six couples worldwide have experienced fertility problems. Research has shown that women with infertility have the same anxiety and depression levels as women with cancer, heart disease and HIV. Nevertheless, most existing research has focused on the infertility experience leading up to potential parenthood, rather than the actual parenting experience itself. Methods Qualitative study presents an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences and personal meaning of becoming parents of individuals affected by infertility. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and transcripts were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results Four themes emerged: perception of fragility of life, father’s embodied emotional connection with child, becoming a parent—identity shift, and imprint of infertility on relationships with a partner. Conclusion The findings emphasize clinicians’ and researchers’ awareness of the need to process stress experience and highlight the importance of addressing couple’s grief issues, experienced during the infertility period to facilitate couples transitioning to parenthood.