Sylvie Mrug
Biographic Data
| ID | 389092 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sylvie Mrug |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sylvie |
| FAMILY NAME | Mrug |
| SIGNATURE | MRUG S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5426-8713 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 49 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 78 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 49 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Household Food Insecurity, School Connectedness, and Psychosocial Adjustment in Early Adolescence
BACKGROUND: While food insecurity is often examined in the context of hunger and physical health, it also significantly affects psychological wellbeing. Given the link between stress and food insecurity, youth in food-insecure households are at a higher risk of experiencing internalizing and externalizing problems. However, less is known about protective factors that may protect youth from the detrimental effects of food insecurity on behavior. M…
Teacher Personality Predicts Emotional Well-Being and Academic Achievement in Students with Specific Learning Disorders
Background/Objectives: Students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) are at increased risk for emotional and academic difficulties. While teacher characteristics can influence student outcomes, few studies have examined the role of teacher personality in supporting students with SLDs. This study investigated whether teacher personality traits predicted student emotional well-being and academic achievement in a school-based intervention context…
Violence exposure moderates stress-elicited neurobehavioral function in young people
Violence exposure has deleterious effects on emotional well-being, including higher rates of future mental illness. Adolescence is an important period of neural development within brain regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex) that support emotional processes. The relationship between brain activity and emotion may vary with violence exposure. Thus, this study investigated the relationship between violence exposure, stress-elicited brain activity, and e…
Examining Health Behaviors as Mechanisms Linking Earlier Pubertal Timing with Accelerated Epigenetic Aging in Late Adolescence
Pubertal timing as a predictor of epigenetic aging and mortality risk in young adulthood
Early pubertal timing is associated with adverse health in adulthood. These effects may be mediated by DNA methylation changes associated with accelerated cellular aging and mortality risk, but few studies tested associations between pubertal timing and epigenetic markers in adulthood. Additionally, pubertal timing effects often vary by sex and are understudied in diverse youth. Thus, this longitudinal study examined links between pubertal timing…
Adolescent empathy and epigenetic aging in adulthood
Prosocial behavior during adolescence has been associated with better physical health, including slower epigenetic aging. However, little is known about the specific role of empathy in epigenetic aging and the mechanisms explaining this relationship. One such mechanism may be substance use, which is predicted by low empathy and contributes to accelerated epigenetic aging. Thus, the present study examined whether empathy during early adolescence p…
Interpersonal school violence and mother–child communication about violence in relation to empathy in early adolescence
INTRODUCTION: Exposure to interpersonal violence at school has been linked with lower empathy, but less is known about factors that may moderate this relationship. Positive parent-child communication has been associated with higher empathy during adolescence and children of parents that communicate their disapproval of violent behavior respond more peacefully in situations involving violence. Mother-child communication about violence may therefor…
Associations Between Iron Intake and Behavior Problems in Early Adolescence
Due to a decline in diet quality during adolescence, youth are less likely to consume adequate nutrient dense foods to meet recommended requirements. Iron intake in particular is crucial for healthy physical and brain development in adolescence, but few studies have examined the role of iron intake in adolescents’ behavior problems. The current study examined the associations between iron intake and two types of behavior problems in early adolesc…
The roles of racial discrimination and sleep in the cognitive functioning of racial and ethnic minority youth
Short sleep duration may increase the deleterious influence of discrimination on youth's cognitive functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Inter‐parental conflict and empathy in early adolescence as predictors of dating violence perpetration in adolescence and adulthood
Witnessing inter-parental conflict is associated with dating violence perpetration in late adolescence and adulthood. This relationship may be moderated by adolescents' empathy, with more empathic youth viewing their parents' conflict behavior as less acceptable, and thus refraining from dating violence perpetration. This study sought to determine if empathy buffers the effects of inter-parental conflict in early adolescence on expected dating vi…
Neighborhood Disadvantage and Parenting in Early Adolescence Predict Epigenetic Aging and Mortality Risk in Adulthood
Associations between sleepiness, sleep duration, and academic outcomes in early adolescence
Insufficient sleep and sleepiness are common in adolescence and can negatively impact school performance. The current study examined sleep duration and sleepiness in academic performance and cognitive processes in early adolescence. Middle school students ( N = 288; M age = 12.01; 54% female; 48% Black, 37% White, 10% Hispanic) wore activity watches for seven nights, reported on daytime sleepiness, and completed computerized tests of attention an…
Teacher–student relationships, stress, and psychosocial functioning during early adolescence
Early adolescence is a time of increased stress and risk for poorer psychosocial functioning, but few studies have explored the relationship between stress and psychosocial functioning in the context of teacher–student relationships during early adolescence. This study used a two‐wave longitudinal design to investigate the unique and interactive effects of stress and teacher–student relationships on anxiety/depression, aggression, and rule‐breaki…
Associations of Household Food Insecurity With Academic Outcomes in Early Adolescents
BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is characterized by limited access to adequate food due to a lack of money or resources (eg, lack of transportation to obtain food). School aged children who are experiencing food insecurity are at greater risk for poor academic outcomes, but previous studies have not examined the effects of food insecurity on specific academic outcomes over time. METHOD: = 12.14, SD = 0.41; 50% female; 68% black/African American, 14% …
Early Life Stress, Coping, and Cardiovascular Reactivity to Acute Social Stress
OBJECTIVE: Early life stress (ELS) occurring during childhood and adolescence is an established risk factor for later cardiovascular disease and dysregulated reactivity to acute social stress. This study examined whether ELS associations with baseline cardiovascular functioning, cardiovascular stress reactivity and recovery, and emotional stress reactivity vary across levels of emotion-oriented, task-oriented, and avoidant coping styles. METHODS:…
The Effects of Parental Nurturance, Harsh Discipline, and Inter-Parental Conflict on Empathy Development in Early Adolescence
Parents play an important role in adolescents’ development of empathy. However, less understood is what dimensions of parental behavior predict changes in empathy during early adolescence and whether effects of parental behavior are moderated by pubertal timing or differ by sex. This study used data from an ethnically diverse sample of 704 youth who reported on their parents’ nurturance, harsh discipline, and inter-parental conflict at age 11; on…
The Effects of Pubertal Timing on Academic Performance in Adolescence and Career Success in Adulthood
Reciprocal Relationships between Disrespect Sensitivity, Racial Discrimination, and Aggression in African American Youth
African American youth are more likely to experience racial discrimination, which contributes to greater sensitivity to disrespect and aggressive behavior. However, little is known about possible reciprocal relationships among discrimination, disrespect sensitivity, and aggression. This study investigated these reciprocal relationships and whether they vary by sex in predominantly African American youth. A total of 75 urban adolescents (52% femal…
Coping Style Moderates the Relationship Between Community Violence and Depressive Symptoms in Urban Adolescents
Community violence exposure is associated with increased depressive symptoms in adolescents. This study examined whether coping style moderates this relationship over time. Eighty-four low-income, urban adolescents ( M age = 13.36, 50% female, 95% African American) participated in two waves of a longitudinal study. Youth reported on their community violence exposure and coping style at Wave 1, and their depressive symptoms at Waves 1 and 2 (17 mo…
The Distinct Roles of Biological and Perceived Pubertal Timing in Delinquency and Depressive Symptoms from Adolescence to Adulthood
Examining Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Co-use of Alcohol, Cannabis, and Cigarettes in a Community Sample of Adolescents
Introduction: Although adolescents often co-use alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis, little is known about sex and racial/ethnic differences in the co-use of these substances. Therefore, this investigation examined sex and racial/ethnic differences in alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis co-use in a large and ethnically diverse group. Methods: Participants were drawn from a large, multi-site study of adolescents from three regions in the United States …
Predicting Substance Use from Religiosity/Spirituality in Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis
Moderating Effects of Coping Style on Externalizing Behaviors and Substance Use in Urban Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence
Community violence exposure is associated with externalizing problems in adolescents, yet little research has examined the moderating role of coping in these relationships. Eighty-four low-income, urban adolescents (Mage = 13.36, 50%male, 95%African American) participated in two waves of a longitudinal study a year and a half apart. Youth reported their community violence exposure and coping styles at Wave 1, and their delinquent behavior, physic…
Empathy as a Mediator of the Relationship between Authoritative Parenting and Delinquent Behavior in Adolescence
Sexual Risk Behaviors, Perceived Future Life Chances, and Leisure Activities Among Black Youth in One Urban City
Trajectories of Adolescent Alcohol Use by Gender and Early Initiation Status
Within the adolescent risk behavior literature, questions remain about relationships among behaviors in early adolescence, gender, context, and negative social and health outcomes. Additionally, little attention has focused on trajectories of adolescent risk behavior among impoverished African American youth. Using data from the Mobile Youth Survey, a multiple cohort longitudinal study of adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods, we have …
Moderators of Negative Peer Influence on Early Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors
This study examined the extent to which antisocial behavior, parenting, and school connectedness moderated the association between peer deviancy in preadolescence and externalizing problems in early adolescence. The participants included 500 boys and girls, most of them African Americans. Peer deviancy was measured with teacher reports of aggressive-disruptive behavior for classmates identified by target children as friends. Parents provided info…
From Family Violence to Dating Violence
Cross-gender Violence Perpetration and Victimization Among Early Adolescents and Associations with Attitudes Toward Dating Conflict
The Distinct Roles of Biological and Perceived Pubertal Timing in Delinquency and Depressive Symptoms from Adolescence to Adulthood
Peer Selection and Socialization in Adolescent Depression
Emotional and Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life and Movie Violence
Other-Sex Friendships in Late Adolescence
Adolescents' friendships with other-sex peers serve important developmental functions, but they may also facilitate engagement in problem behavior. This study examines the unique contributions of other-sex friendships and friends' behavior to alcohol use, smoking, and initiation of sexual intercourse among late adolescent girls and boys. A total of 320 adolescents (53% girls; 33% racial/ethnic minorities) provided sociometric nominations of frien…
Inter‐parental conflict and empathy in early adolescence as predictors of dating violence perpetration in adolescence and adulthood
Witnessing inter-parental conflict is associated with dating violence perpetration in late adolescence and adulthood. This relationship may be moderated by adolescents' empathy, with more empathic youth viewing their parents' conflict behavior as less acceptable, and thus refraining from dating violence perpetration. This study sought to determine if empathy buffers the effects of inter-parental conflict in early adolescence on expected dating vi…
Neighborhood Disorder, Family Functioning, and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Adolescence
Reciprocal relationships between emotion regulation and motives for eating palatable foods in African American adolescents
Neighborhood Disadvantage and Parenting in Early Adolescence Predict Epigenetic Aging and Mortality Risk in Adulthood
Comparisons of Types of Exposure to Violence Within and Across Contexts in Predicting the Perpetration of Dating Aggression
The Effects of Media Violence on Anxiety in Late Adolescence
The Effects of Parental Nurturance, Harsh Discipline, and Inter-Parental Conflict on Empathy Development in Early Adolescence
Parents play an important role in adolescents’ development of empathy. However, less understood is what dimensions of parental behavior predict changes in empathy during early adolescence and whether effects of parental behavior are moderated by pubertal timing or differ by sex. This study used data from an ethnically diverse sample of 704 youth who reported on their parents’ nurturance, harsh discipline, and inter-parental conflict at age 11; on…
Empathy as a Mediator of the Relationship between Authoritative Parenting and Delinquent Behavior in Adolescence
Reciprocal Relationships Between Exposure to Community Violence and Sleep Problems Across Adolescence
Urban adolescents experience high rates of exposure to community violence, which is associated with sleep problems. However, less is known about the prospective relationships between community violence exposure and sleep problems across adolescence. This study investigated reciprocal relationships between community violence exposure and sleep problems across early, middle, and late adolescence. Participants included 84 urban adolescents (50% fema…
The Relationship Between Violence Exposure and Academic Achievement in African American Adolescents Is Moderated by Emotion Regulation
Compared with other ethnic groups, African American adolescents are exposed to higher levels of family and community violence, which contribute to poorer academic achievement. This study examines whether emotion regulation moderates the effects of exposure to family and community violence on academic achievement among low-income African American adolescents. Eighty African American adolescents ([Formula: see text] age 12.89 years, 50% male) repor…
Moderators of Negative Peer Influence on Early Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors
This study examined the extent to which antisocial behavior, parenting, and school connectedness moderated the association between peer deviancy in preadolescence and externalizing problems in early adolescence. The participants included 500 boys and girls, most of them African Americans. Peer deviancy was measured with teacher reports of aggressive-disruptive behavior for classmates identified by target children as friends. Parents provided info…
Violence exposure across multiple contexts
This study examined the relationship between violence exposure in three different contexts (home, school, and community) and internalizing and externalizing outcomes in early adolescents. We modeled both context-specific and cumulative effects of exposure to violence. After controlling for a number of risk factors associated with violence exposure, violent incidents encountered at school and at home were consistently related to multiple outcomes.…
Predictive Value of Informant Discrepancies in Reports of Parenting
Cross-gender Violence Perpetration and Victimization Among Early Adolescents and Associations with Attitudes Toward Dating Conflict
Prospective effects of violence exposure across multiple contexts on early adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems
Background: Violence exposure within each setting of community, school, or home has been linked with internalizing and externalizing problems. Although many children experience violence in multiple contexts, the effects of such cross‐contextual exposure have not been studied. This study addresses this gap by examining independent and interactive effects of witnessing violence and victimization in the community, home, and school on subsequent inte…
Other-Sex Friendships in Late Adolescence
Adolescents' friendships with other-sex peers serve important developmental functions, but they may also facilitate engagement in problem behavior. This study examines the unique contributions of other-sex friendships and friends' behavior to alcohol use, smoking, and initiation of sexual intercourse among late adolescent girls and boys. A total of 320 adolescents (53% girls; 33% racial/ethnic minorities) provided sociometric nominations of frien…
Peer Selection and Socialization in Adolescent Depression
The Effects of Media Violence on Anxiety in Late Adolescence
Emotional and Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life and Movie Violence
From Family Violence to Dating Violence
The Relationship Between Violence Exposure and Academic Achievement in African American Adolescents Is Moderated by Emotion Regulation
Compared with other ethnic groups, African American adolescents are exposed to higher levels of family and community violence, which contribute to poorer academic achievement. This study examines whether emotion regulation moderates the effects of exposure to family and community violence on academic achievement among low-income African American adolescents. Eighty African American adolescents ([Formula: see text] age 12.89 years, 50% male) repor…
Trajectories of Adolescent Alcohol Use by Gender and Early Initiation Status
Within the adolescent risk behavior literature, questions remain about relationships among behaviors in early adolescence, gender, context, and negative social and health outcomes. Additionally, little attention has focused on trajectories of adolescent risk behavior among impoverished African American youth. Using data from the Mobile Youth Survey, a multiple cohort longitudinal study of adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods, we have …
Reciprocal relationships between emotion regulation and motives for eating palatable foods in African American adolescents
Peers
Emotion Socialization and Internalizing Problems in Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
This study examined coping strategies as mediators of the relationship between parental emotion socialization and internalizing problems in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and whether these relationships varied by gender or ethnicity. Participants were 1,087 individuals (M age = 19.35 years; 50% male; 61% African American, 36% European American). Results from structural equation modeling indicated that parental supportive responses to sa…
Individual and Family Predictors of Disrespect Sensitivity in Urban Adolescents
This study examines individual and family predictors of disrespect sensitivity in urban adolescents. Seventy-five adolescents from Southeastern USA (95% African American, 52% female) participated in two waves of a longitudinal study (mean ages 16.1 and 17.8 years, SDs = 1.11). Youth reported on their disrespect sensitivity at both time points, as well as physical aggression and parental nurturance at Time 1. Parents reported on parental harsh dis…
Comparisons of Types of Exposure to Violence Within and Across Contexts in Predicting the Perpetration of Dating Aggression
Predictors of motives for marijuana use in African American adolescents and emerging adults
African American adolescents use marijuana at higher rates and may be more vulnerable to psychosocial risk factors for marijuana use, including depression, post-traumatic stress, and having substance-using peers, compared to Caucasian adolescents. Little is known about how these factors contribute to African American adolescents' motives for marijuana use. This study examined the roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms and substanc…
Pharmacies and features of the built environment associated with opioid overdose
A Longitudinal Investigation of Falls and Motor Vehicle Crashes in Older Drivers
Objective: To assess the longitudinal association between fall history reported at a driver's license screening visit and the likelihood of subsequent vehicle crashes. Method: A total of 1,127 older adults were recruited from Maryland State Motor Vehicle Administration sites and interviewed annually over 15 years. Results: Individuals who reported a previous fall were more likely to be female, perform worse on physical functioning and divided att…
Reciprocal Relationships Between Exposure to Community Violence and Sleep Problems Across Adolescence
Urban adolescents experience high rates of exposure to community violence, which is associated with sleep problems. However, less is known about the prospective relationships between community violence exposure and sleep problems across adolescence. This study investigated reciprocal relationships between community violence exposure and sleep problems across early, middle, and late adolescence. Participants included 84 urban adolescents (50% fema…
Neighborhood Disorder, Family Functioning, and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Adolescence
Examining Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Co-use of Alcohol, Cannabis, and Cigarettes in a Community Sample of Adolescents
Introduction: Although adolescents often co-use alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis, little is known about sex and racial/ethnic differences in the co-use of these substances. Therefore, this investigation examined sex and racial/ethnic differences in alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis co-use in a large and ethnically diverse group. Methods: Participants were drawn from a large, multi-site study of adolescents from three regions in the United States …
Predicting Substance Use from Religiosity/Spirituality in Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis
Moderating Effects of Coping Style on Externalizing Behaviors and Substance Use in Urban Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence
Community violence exposure is associated with externalizing problems in adolescents, yet little research has examined the moderating role of coping in these relationships. Eighty-four low-income, urban adolescents (Mage = 13.36, 50%male, 95%African American) participated in two waves of a longitudinal study a year and a half apart. Youth reported their community violence exposure and coping styles at Wave 1, and their delinquent behavior, physic…
Psychology (46 works) · Developmental psychology (40 works) · Medicine (34 works) · Clinical Psychology (29 works) · Clinical Psychology (21 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (20 works) · Poison control (20 works) · Injury prevention (16 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Suicide prevention (13 works)