To begin accounting for cultural and contextual factors related to child rearing in Mexican-descent (MD; Mexican American and Mexican immigrant) families in the United States, the current study examined parenting practices in 2-parent families of Mexican, MD, and Caucasian-non-Hispanic (CNH) parents. Parents in all groups reported using authoritative practices more often than authoritarian strategies. MD parents reported greater use of authoritarian practices than Mexican and CNH parents. Results suggest that previously found cultural variations in parenting between MD parents and CNH parents may be more related to the ecological context of MD families than to an affiliation with Mexican culture. Clinicians should explore the positive qualities of authoritative parenting in MD families along with the potential motivations for using authoritarian strategies.

Aim:  The aim of this study was to estimate the dental students’ perceptions of their educational environment and to identify any differences related both to their gender and semester of studies. Materials and methods:  The translated and validated in Greek Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was distributed to all 2nd‐ to 5th‐year students of the Athens Dental School. The questionnaire consisted of 50 statements organised in five subscales (perceptions of learning, teachers, atmosphere, academic self‐perceptions and social self‐perceptions). Internal validity was checked with Cronbach alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed under the same conditions as the original inventory. Mean statement, subscale and overall scores were calculated and given as percentages. Results:  The response rate was 64%. Overall Cronbach alpha was 0.93 (excellent). CFA produced five meaningful subscales, not matching the original ones. The overall DREEM mean score was 56%. Gender did not influence the findings. The students’ perceptions of the educational environment with the exception of the academic self‐perceptions were more positive in the pre‐clinical years. Statistically significant differences were revealed only for the ‘learning’ subscale between the 3rd‐ and the 4th‐year students. Seventy‐eight percent of the statements were in the positive side. The lowest scores were related to students’ stress, tiredness and lack of appropriate feedback from the teachers, and the highest were related to accommodation, school friends and perceptions that they feel socially comfortable in class. Conclusions:  Students’ perceptions of the educational environment were reasonably positive, with no gender difference. However, some weaknesses were identified, particularly in the clinical years. Further research is needed to clarify appropriate interventions.

This study examined whether Mexican (n = 53), Mexican American (n = 50), and European American (n = 51) children differed in their reporting of anxiety symptoms and whether parental influence and specific cognitive schemas associated with Mexican culture were related to differences in anxiety reporting. As expected, Mexican and Mexican American children reported significantly more physiological and worry symptoms than the European American children. Mexican and Mexican American children endorsed collectivism as a cultural value more strongly than European American children, and the Mexican children evidenced greatest use of social strategies reflecting simpatia. In family discussions of ambiguous, potentially anxiety-arousing situations, Mexican and Mexican American parents verbalized a greater percentage of somatic interpretations than the European American parents. Results indicate potential linkages between cultural values, socialization practices, and anxiety reporting.

This study examined the relationships between trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity and the outcome variables posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and somatic complaints following a major hurricane. Sixth and seventh graders in the New Orleans area (N = 302) were surveyed 5 to 8 months following Hurricane Katrina. As expected, hurricane exposure was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms and somatic symptoms. Also as hypothesized, certain factors of anxiety sensitivity interacted with trait anxiety to predict PTSD symptoms and somatic symptoms. Clinical implications of potential linkages among trait anxiety, dimensions of anxiety sensitivity and PTSD, and somatic symptoms are discussed.

Resumen. En este estudio se analizan en una muestra de adolescentes escolarizados las relaciones entre la percepción del clima familiar y la victimización por los iguales en la escuela junto con la autoestima y la satisfacción con la vida, teniendo en cuenta el género. Las relaciones entre las variables se han analizado en una muestra constituida por 1.884 adolescentes (52% chicos y 48% chicas) escolarizados en centros educativos de secundaria con edades comprendidas entre los 11 y los 17 años (M = 13.7, DT = 1.4). Los resultados del análisis de un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales muestran que la percepción del clima familiar, la autoestima y la satisfacción con la vida se relacionan de forma significativa y negativa con la victimización escolar. Se realizaron análisis multigrupo que no mostraron diferencias significativas entre chicos y chicas, por tanto el modelo general propuesto es equivalente para ambos géneros. Se discuten los resultados obtenidos y sus implicaciones. Palabras clave: adolescencia, autoestima, clima familiar, género, satisfacción con la vida, victimización.