Search

This paper aims to explore young people's perspectives of a real-life scenario of child language brokering in a healthcare setting (the doctor's office), when the topic of discussion is sensitive and potentially conflictual. Child Language brokers are migrant young people who translate and interpret for family members, peers and the local community. Often the spaces in which children broker (e.g., healthcare, banks), referred to here as a 'contact zone', are dominated by adults in positions of authority and unequal power differentials. The language broker and those for whom they are brokering may be in a less powerful position because of their migration status and/or age status. Existing research has focused mainly from the view of adults and young people's perspectives on the practice are underexplored. We draw the existing literature to explore how brokers understand the wider societal context and the strategies they employ to manage conflict. Findings are presented from 29 individual qualitative vignette-based interviews with language brokers (aged 13–16) in the United Kingdom which were qualitatively analysed. Findings show how these children play a vital role in protecting those for whom they broker, often navigating sophisticated social interactions and tactics (such as delay and selective modification). Equally, they carry a weight of responsibility trying to manage complicated, perhaps morally questionable, situations. By asking brokers to reflect on a real-life healthcare scenario, we are advancing understanding of migrant youth brokers and the families they support in their day to day lives. Highlights: Child language brokers find themselves brokering in health care settings with unequal power relations. Vignette methodology is a useful way of capturing complex sensitive and conflictual accounts of healthcare brokering in children. Brokering in the doctor's office required children to have knowledge of tri-interactional actors, institutional factors and wider societal norms. Young people used different strategies for managing conflict (e.g., delay tactics and selective modification). Clearer guidelines are needed around child language brokering in medical settings and spaces with contentious power inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research on emotion regulation (ER) has historically tended to focus on its association with developmental outcomes as a risk factor, within the last several years there has been a surge of studies focused on the promotive and protective effects of ER for children and adolescents. The purpose of the current review is to summarize this work. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify papers focused on the promotive and protective effects of ER on psychological and behavioural outcomes among children and adolescents. Of the papers identified, 50 met selection criteria and were included in the current review. Results indicated that there is good evidence that ER functions as both a promotive and protective factor for psychological and behavioural outcomes for children and adolescents. Specifically, the current review suggests that ER promotes positive outcomes in terms of reduced internalizing and externalizing difficulties, and improved mental health outcomes, such as reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. In summary, the majority of published studies available indicated that ER is beneficial in a variety of contexts and for diverse samples in terms of psychological and behavioural outcomes. These results are important because ER is a relatively modifiable skill, and evidence of the positive impact of ER supports the design and use of interventions that foster ER skills. Based on the literature reviewed, implications for future ER research are discussed. Highlights: For children and youth, ER skills appear to be associated with positive wellbeing. These findings support the development and investigation of ER interventions. Future research should focus on consistent conceptual definitions of ER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review provides a synthesis of the state of the evidence relating to child and adolescent mental health interventions in Nepal, with particular emphasis on the use and impact of cultural adaptation of these interventions. The review follows the PRISMA and JBI review guidance. Nine papers met the inclusion criteria, studies were characterised by methodological weaknesses impacting on their reliability. Five of the nine studies reported statistically significant improvements, of these, all except one worked with the family and wider community alongside the child. The use of cultural adaptation was implemented in all studies, but varied in terms of the extent of the adaptation processes used. The findings from this review indicate that high quality studies are needed in this area, particularly those which consider the influence on the collectivist nature of Nepali culture on design of the intervention. Interventions need to consider cultural adaptation more closely, as well as the acceptability of the intervention to the wider community. Highlights: In a collectivist culture such as Nepal, successful interventions typically included the family and wider community alongside the child Cultural adaptation was implemented in all studies, but with marked variation in the extent of it. Some studies only adapted the outcome measurement tools The majority of the studies were of low to moderate quality, impacting on the reliability of the findings Future studies should look to report the implementation of cultural adaptation much more closely, alongside the acceptability of the intervention to the child's family, school and wider community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst adolescence is often discussed as a challenging time, it is also a stage of life with tremendous potential for building positive skills that will support current and future mental health. This paper presents results from a pilot study of a mental health and stigma reduction program called The Inquiring Mind Youth, which is based on a series of programs that have previously demonstrated effectiveness in adult and workplace samples. The program was developed in collaboration with experts and youth and piloted in nine secondary schools across Canada (Calgary area and Eastern Coast). Data from 293 adolescent participants were collected using a pre-post-follow-up design. An overall medium effect size was found for both improved resilience skills (SMD = 0.49) and decreased stigmatizing attitudes (SMD = 0.38) pre-post program. An additional multi-level modelling analysis also showed improved resilience skills and decreased stigmatizing attitudes pre-post program, with more robust shifts in one geographic region (Calgary area). Further analysis showed that resilience improvements were retained at follow-up, with smaller effects. The results of this pilot study support ongoing work and development of programming that aims to foster resilience and reduce stigmatizing attitudes in young people. Highlights: A novel mental health promotion and stigma reduction program (The Inquiring Mind Youth) was developed and piloted in Canadian schools. Participants showed increased resilience skills, decreased stigmatizing attitudes, and increased willingness to seek help after participating in the program. Males saw more improvements than females on resilience, while the opposite was found with stigmatizing attitudes, with females decreasing significantly more. Results support efforts in program development aimed at fostering resilience and reducing stigmatizing attitudes in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication can reduce sexual risk attitudes and behaviors, but less is known about caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication in Uganda. Using a risk-focused approach, this paper seeks to characterize caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication and associated individual and family-based attributes, and associations with adolescents' sexual risk attitudes. We used latent class analyses to derive typologies (classes) of sexual health communication and assess their relationships with respondents' socio-demographic characteristics and sexual risk-taking attitudes. We derived three latent classes of sexual risk communication characterized as avoidant (class 1; 48%), functional (class 2; 22.2%) and comprehensive (class 3; 29.8%), each representing varying levels of frequency and type of content covered in the caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication. Primary caregiver's sex and respondents' comfort talking to their caregiver were significantly associated with membership in the functional class (RRR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.05–2.19; p < 0.05) and comprehensive class (RRR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.13–2.49; p < 0.05). Caregivers and their adolescents are attempting to engage in conversations related to sexual health, but many caregivers tend to shy away from potentially embarrassing topics such as sex. The wide variations in type and content of covered in caregiver-adolescent sexual health communications may compromise adolescents' sexual health knowledge, putting them at risk for poor sexual health outcomes. Given the cultural taboos around caregiver-adolescent communications on sex related topics, family interventions to address to strengthen caregiver-adolescent communication on sexual health are required. Highlights: Study findings revealed three latent caregiver-adolescent sexual health classes, dominated by avoidant communication. Caregiver gender and adolescents' comfort enhanced caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication. Interventions must tackle cultural norms and taboos for better caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that psychological needs frustration strongly influences adolescent depression. However, this influence's underlying mechanisms remain unknown, and related protective factors have not been identified. Based on an integration of basic psychological needs theory, the cognitive vulnerability model of depression, and findings regarding the link between psychological suzhi (a Chinese cultural construct that includes a hierarchical and integrated set of positive psychological qualities) and mental health, we assessed a structural equation model examining the mediating role of self-esteem and moderating role of psychological suzhi in the relationship between psychological needs frustration and depression. Participants were 1552 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.30, SD = 0.54, 49.10% male) who effectively completed paper-based questionnaires. The results indicated that psychological needs frustration significantly and positively predicted adolescent depression. Furthermore, the relationship between psychological needs frustration and depression was significantly mediated by self-esteem and significantly moderated by psychological suzhi; specifically, psychological suzhi buffered the association between psychological needs frustration and adolescents' depression. Additionally, we provide further evidence for the relationship between psychological needs frustration and depression, revealing the relevant underlying mechanisms and protective factors; these findings have practical relevance in the prevention and treatment of Chinese adolescents' depression. Highlights: Psychological needs frustration significantly and positively predicted adolescent depression. Self-esteem played a mediating role between psychological needs frustration and depression. Psychological suzhi played a moderating role in the association between psychological needs frustration and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Empathy and compassion are important components of prosocial behaviour which can lead to greater peer acceptance and positive relationships in children and adolescents. As mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to be effective in increasing empathy and compassion among adults, we aimed to systematically review the current literature to see if mindfulness-based interventions increased empathy and compassion in children and adolescents. Methods: We systematically searched six databases, yielding 540 potentially relevant papers. Eight additional papers were identified through hand searching. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, the first two authors independently applied the inclusion/exclusion criteria to 34 full-text papers, leaving 16 eligible for inclusion. Studies that contained children and adolescents between 5 and 18 years old, measured empathy or compassion in some form and contained a mindfulness-based intervention were included. The first two authors independently checked the studies for methodological quality and data were extracted and synthesised narratively. Results: We found convincing support in favour of MBIs increasing empathy in children and adolescents. Further, there was some evidence to suggest that MBIs increase self-compassion amongst this population and that this was correlated with an increase in mindfulness. Due to poor methodological quality in many of the included studies, these results should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: MBIs may be effective in increasing empathy and compassion in children and adolescents. Future research should concentrate on examining the mechanisms of change and the long-term effects of these interventions among a variety of different age groups and neurodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents impacted by their own or a relative's cancer diagnosis experience significant psychosocial needs. Residential programmes provide opportunities to address these, yet limited evaluation research and unclear reporting of therapeutic and theoretical underpinnings complicate efforts to understand programme effects. This paper reports the development and process evaluation of PEER, a four-day programme with psychosocial (acceptance and commitment therapy, self-compassion) and recreational components for adolescents impacted by their own or a parent/sibling's cancer. Staff (N = 51) and adolescents (N = 148, 12–17 years) who attended a PEER programme participated in this evaluation. The evaluation of fidelity included measures of facilitators' confidence to deliver content, adherence to the programme manual, quality of programme delivery, participants' engagement, and overall satisfaction. The process evaluation included assessment of quality of life, distress, and process variables (psychological flexibility, mindfulness, self-compassion) at pre-programme, post-programme, and two-month follow-up, as well as qualitative feedback from participants and facilitators. Moderation analyses identified predictors of clinically significant improvement in psychosocial outcomes. The programme was delivered with good fidelity, and participants reported high satisfaction and engagement. Approximately 15–20% of participants experienced clinically-meaningful improvements in distress and quality of life; those who reported higher distress and lower baseline psychological flexibility, mindfulness and self-kindness experienced greater improvements. Qualitative feedback additionally evidenced the value of peer connection and support. The evaluation evidences PEER's feasibility, acceptability and value for adolescents impacted by cancer, particularly those experiencing greater distress. Its success indicates the potential of the therapeutic approaches used, and for community organisations to develop interventions complementing services offered by healthcare systems. Highlights: A new programme informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and self-compassion was developed for adolescents impacted by cancer. The programme was delivered with high fidelity, and found to be feasible and acceptable for participating adolescents. 15–20% of participants reported clinically-meaningful improvements in distress and quality of life. Those with higher baseline distress and lower psychological flexibility, mindfulness and self-kindness reported greater benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Many Mexican American families are immigrants who reside in under-resourced, urban communities, where they are at risk for numerous stressors, ranging from poverty to community violence. This paper analyzed qualitative data from Mexican American urban youth to explore their perspectives on neighborhood stressors, psychosocial difficulties and coping. Methods: A community-based participatory research approach was used with Mexican American youth from a Chicago neighborhood to explore personally salient experiences of living in their community. In collaboration with a community organization serving this neighborhood, 32 youth ranging from ages 12–18 with differing risk levels for violence and resilience participated in focus group sessions. Participants were asked about and discussed a wide range of topics covering (a) neighborhood characteristics and experiences; (b) psychosocial functioning and youth empowerment; (c) connection to school and community; and (d) family and cultural experiences. Results: Based on content analyses, three themes emerged related to stress (i.e., violence, gangs and the police, poverty) and coping strategies (i.e., avoidant, aggressive, and active coping). While pervasive stress appeared consistent across all groups, coping styles and psychological sequelae varied across the youth. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the importance of incorporating culturally relevant strategies, such as reframing, support seeking, and engaging familism, when developing interventions for use in this population. Furthermore, maximizing social supports by providing access to appropriate mentors and supportive peers should be a focus of educational programming and intervention with these youth. Finally, the authors offer a discussion of how these results might inform future community-based research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There are few methods to assess attachment representations during adolescence, all showing strengths and limits. The Friends and Family Interview (FFI) is the only narrative interview considering a wide range of relevant domains in adolescents' life, including peer and sibling relationships, as well as self-esteem, relations with parents and reflective functioning. However, the FFI has been used sparingly with community samples, never with adolescents older than 14-years, and few studies have investigated its psychometric characteristics. This study aimed at investigating the content and discriminant validity of the FFI, comparing the distribution of FFI classifications with the distribution observed in adolescents in response to the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), based on national and international meta-analytic reports. This paper also aimed to consider FFI classifications and rating scales with respondents' gender, age, verbal intelligence and internalizing-externalizing problems. Methods: Participants were 110 adolescents aged 11–17 years (M = 14.22, 50% boys), recruited from schools in North-west Italy, coming from low risk families. Measures administered were the FFI, the Verbal Comprehension Index of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (ICV-WISC-IV) for verbal skills, the Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 years (CBCL) for internalizing–externalizing problems. Results: The distribution of FFI classifications overlapped with the AAI distribution seen in a national meta-analysis, while less insecure dismissing and disorganized FFI responses were found compared to the AAI distribution in the international meta-analytic report; girls were more secure and less dismissing than boys, while FFI classifications were unrelated to adolescents' age, verbal skills, or internalizing–externalizing problems, although relevant correlations were found with some of the FFI rating scales. Conclusions: Within a culturally-oriented perspective, the FFI appears to be a reliable and valid method to investigate adolescent IWMs in both research and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale (INDCOL) is a brief, easy-to-use and good tool to measure individualism and collectivism at individual level. Due to the lack of adequate measures to assess those cultural values in the Italian context and a paucity of research on measurement invariance across groups, the present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the INDCOL in Italian young people. Furthermore, the paper also examined developmental period (adolescents vs. emerging adults) and gender (males vs. females) differences in individualism and collectivism. Methods: Nine hundred and forty Italian students (14–26 years old; 56.4% adolescents) filled in the 16-item version of the INDCOL and the Family Allocentrism-Idiocentrism scale (FAIS). Results: Confirmatory factor analysis suggested a modified four-factor model of the INDCOL (14-item version). The factor structure was invariant across developmental periods and gender. Each dimension showed acceptable internal consistency. The results of multivariate analysis of variance found that emerging adults scored higher in horizontal collectivism than adolescents. Males scored higher in vertical individualism than females. The INDCOL showed good convergent validity with FAIS. Conclusion: The INDCOL is a reliable and valid instrument to assess individuals' individualism and collectivism in the Italian context. These findings contribute to the knowledge about Italian young people's cultural orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to frequent, intense, and poorly resolved interparental conflict puts adolescents at risk for problems in many domains, including internalizing and externalizing problems, and stress physiological dysfunction. Existing intervention strategies to target these adolescents focus almost solely on improving marital dynamics, for example, through relationship education or couples therapy. However, interventions that aim to enhance marital communication require high levels of parental commitment and motivation for change, and may be expensive and time-consuming. In the current paper, we argue that it is essential to also apply intervention strategies that directly promote the regulatory capabilities of adolescents to improve outcomes for youth from high-conflict homes. Mindfulness, or present-moment, nonjudgemental awareness, is associated with myriad positive outcomes in adults (e.g., lower levels of depression and anxiety, and greater emotion regulation). We propose that mindfulness interventions are an ideal intervention strategy for adolescents from high conflict homes. Mindfulness interventions may target the mechanisms whereby destructive marital interaction impacts youth, by providing distance between experiences and evaluations, training regulation of attention, and enhancing self-compassion and nonjudgement, as well as by enhancing relationships. We also provide an example of a specific intervention model designed to increase mindfulness in youth, Learning to Breathe (L2B). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Children and youth in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at greater risk for poor mental health. Adverse circumstances including poverty, violence, and lack of available psychological treatments increase their vulnerability. Given the importance of the family environment for child and youth wellbeing, family interventions are a powerful mode of treatment; however, their development and evaluation has received relatively little attention in LMIC. Methods: This review presents evidence for family- and parent-focused interventions on mental health outcomes for children and youth in LMIC and identifies treatment components present in promising interventions. A systematic search was conducted using comprehensive search terms in five databases (Global Health, PubMed, PsychINFO, PILOTS, and Cochrane Library). Reporting follows PRISMA guidelines. Independent raters screened and retrieved articles for inclusion, completed quality ratings, conducted data extraction, and coded common practice elements. Results: This review included 36 papers representing 32 unique studies of family or parenting interventions in LMIC. Study designs covered: RCTs (50% of studies), pre-to-post studies (38%), and other (12%). The majority of interventions showed positive outcomes for child and youth mental health and wellbeing. The two most frequently used treatment techniques were caregiver psychoeducation and caregiver coping skills; the next most common were treatment processes of providing between-session homework and accessibility promotion. Conclusions: Evidence for family-focused interventions for child and youth mental health in LMIC is growing with several promising approaches that should be more rigorously evaluated. Further research into effects of specific intervention components will ensure targeted and optimally effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The ability to regulate emotions has been linked to a variety of adolescent health-risk behaviors, including sexual risk behaviors, especially for adolescents who are experiencing mental health symptoms. However, there is limited information available on intuitive emotion regulation strategies for early adolescents with mental health symptoms to facilitate the adaptation of emotion regulation interventions for psychopathology to health-risk behavior prevention. For example, interventions to prevent sexual risk behaviors in early adolescence have yet to specifically target emotion regulation.Methods: This paper describes the use of focus groups to identify emotion regulation strategies that were understood by and acceptable to early adolescents with mental health symptoms who are also more likely to engage in risky health behaviors. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups (k = 5 groups) with 15 early adolescents with mental health symptoms.Results: The most commonly generated emotion regulation strategies were leaving the situation, distraction, physical release, expressing oneself to someone, positive thinking, and considering other options.Conclusions: Early adolescents with mental health symptoms identified multiple acceptable and developmentally appropriate emotion regulation strategies. Translation of these findings for use in preventive health-risk behavior interventions (including for sexual risk) is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large evidence base supporting the efficacy of mindfulness interventions in adulthood, and growing support for the efficacy of these interventions in adolescence. Historically mindfulness interventions have been delivered in person and in groups, with recommendations for home practice being a critical part of the intervention. However, compliance with these practice recommendations in adolescence is very poor. Past studies indicate that using mobile technology to promote skill transfer to real life can be an effective strategy, particularly when used as a supplement to an in-person intervention strategy. To date, however, mobile technology has largely been used to create stand-alone mindfulness interventions. The goals of the current paper are to discuss the potential opportunities and challenges with a mobile-technology-enhanced mindfulness intervention, and to present the rationale that such an approach is not only theoretical and empirically sound but also a critical next step to increase the efficacy and developmental appropriateness of mindfulness interventions for adolescents. This discussion is grounded in a specific example of a mindfulness intervention supplemented by a momentary intervention we are developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an exploratory study of two contrasting cases observed longitudinally, using the different versions of the LTP procedure from infancy to adolescence, to evaluate the continuity of family processes, coparenting, and children’s triangular communication. Two cases, matched for SES and gender of the children, were selected from a sample of 50 volunteer families. One family had a functional alliance, while the other had a detouring coalition. We begin with descriptions of the family interactions, the coparenting alliance and the children’s triangular communication at 18 months, followed by brief descriptions of their LTPs at 3 and 9 months as well as at 5 years. Finally, we present the LTP for adolescents and their parents, which involves a discussion task rather than play (LTP/Discussion). Detailed excerpts contrast the interactions of the two families once the children were 15 years old. These descriptions show the continuity of family processes, particularly “three-way” communication in the family with a functional alliance vs. “two-against one” communication in the family with a coalition. Data from microanalysis of gaze and affect, during the LTP/Discussion, provide a second way of assessing communication patterns. The microanalysis revealed great discrepancies between the families at adolescence, not only in terms of the pattern of gaze interaction, but also with respect to the valence of affects. In the functional alliance, fun and affection dominated and gaze patterns were typical of three-way communication. Gaze patterns of restricted communication, lack of empathy and hostility characterised the detouring coalition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siblings have been found to be perhaps the greatest source of social risk for adolescent substance abuse, particularly when the relationship is close. But, close sibling relationships are also linked to an array of important developmental and lifelong protective benefits. Sibling closeness simultaneously poses considerable risks and benefits. These conflicting findings suggest opposite treatment directions, or a “double bind” for practice. That sibling closeness risks contagion suggests treatment that aims to decrease sibling closeness. On the other hand, the many lifelong and protective benefits of close sibling relationships suggests increasing sibling closeness when possible. Family-based treatment is recommended for adolescent substance abuse, but offers little explicit direction for involving siblings in general, and none for this double bind. This paper untangles and translates the extant literature into preliminary practice guidelines; the Sibling Substance Abuse Treatment Matrix. Important variations related to gender, and age-spacing are considered. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radicalization of young people might be influenced by the way parents react towards the development of political or religious ideals. However, these reactions have hardly been explored. This study aimed to discover how parents reacted to the development of extreme ideals, and why they responded in the way that they did. To gain knowledge about the influence of parents on adolescents who developed extreme ideals, 82 in-depth interviews were held with adolescents and young adults who held extreme ideals. Interviews were also held with the parents or siblings of each adolescent and young adult. In line with parenting style theory, it was found that parents react in four possible ways: (1) by rejecting, (2) applauding, (3) ignoring, or (4) discussing the (extreme) ideals of their children. Few parents discuss ideals and values with their child, and this paper tries to show why (e.g., powerlessness, disassociation, occupation with other problems, believing it to be a phase that will pass, or that their reaction would not help). Most parents struggle to cope with radicalization and do not know how to react. Support and control are potentially important tools for parents to use to combat the development of extreme ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many children and teenagers living with mental health problems experience stigma from within their peer group, yet this remains an under-researched topic in developmental science and the broader mental health literature. This paper highlights the limitations of adopting measures, concepts and theories that have exclusively emanated from the adult mental health literature. We argue that the social context of children and adolescents is critical in understanding the development and maintenance of stigma towards those with mental health problems, alongside the changing developmental needs and abilities of children and adolescents. In this article we argue that a theory proposed to explain the development of stereotypes and prejudice in childhood has potential as a framework for integrating existing research findings on mental health stigma in childhood and adolescence and providing direction for further research. The need for interventions that are grounded within the developmental science literature and that explicitly state their theory of change are identified as key research priorities for reducing stigma during childhood and adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health anxiety is a condition which can negatively impact the well-being of an individual through rumination or extreme safety measures. However, literature about the factors related to adolescent health anxiety is scarce. In this study, we explored factors potentially related to adolescent health anxiety. Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed data from 1530 Czech adolescents aged 13–18, recruited through quota sampling, and their caregivers (64% female). First, we focused on its transmission from caregiver to offspring and on the moderating effect of gender. Second, we studied the relationship between online health information seeking and adolescent health anxiety with eHealth literacy as a potential moderator. The responses partially supported our hypotheses. Adolescent health anxiety was positively related to the health anxiety of the caregiver. Disease information seeking was positively related to health anxiety, but we found no such effect for fitness information seeking. Finally, eHealth literacy did not moderate online health information seeking. Our results underline that the health anxiety of caregivers and their offspring are intertwined and should ideally be addressed together. Furthermore, we show that for adolescents, like adults, online disease information seeking can be related to health anxiety and should be considered. Highlights: Adolescent health anxiety was positively related to parent health anxiety. Neither the parent's nor the offspring's gender moderated the relationship between adolescent and parental health anxiety. Seeking disease, but not fitness information online was related to health anxiety. eHealth literacy did not moderate the relationship between seeking health information online and health anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the association between interparental conflict and adolescent adjustment is well documented, the intervening mechanisms that explain this relationship are not fully understood. Guided by the spillover hypothesis and the self-determination theory, this study examined whether the associations among interparental conflict and adolescent depressive feelings and life satisfaction were explained by maternal autonomy support and, in turn, by adolescent need frustration. Participants were 925 Turkish adolescents (Mage = 16.08 years, SD = 0.31) and their mothers (Mage = 41.43, SD = 5.16). Results from path analysis showed that interparental conflict was related to lower maternal autonomy support, and in turn to higher adolescent need frustration. Greater need frustration, in turn, predicted higher adolescent depressive feelings and lower life satisfaction six months later. These findings suggested that conflictual parental relationships may predict adolescent adjustment through poor parenting and adolescent need frustration. The findings and related directions for future research are discussed in the context of self-determination theory and its role in advancing a process-oriented understanding of the familial and individual determinants of adolescent adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal depression is a serious public health issue among African American adolescents who experience significant racial health disparities in addition to age-related mental and physical health risks. Perinatal depression prevention interventions that specifically target the needs of African American adolescents are warranted. The current study presents the development and preliminary results of an intervention designed to prevent perinatal depression among African American adolescents using the heuristic framework for cultural adaptations. Adaptations were applied to an existing evidence-based cognitive behavioral group intervention to develop the Mothers and Babies Course for African American Adolescents. Adaptations were guided by qualitative data collected from a focus group and individual interviews, and by existing research on specific risk and protective factors that drive engagement with and barriers to interventions for this population. The adapted intervention was piloted with 7 pregnant and 21 postpartum African American adolescent students at four different public high schools in an urban city in the United States. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess pre- and post-intervention perinatal depression scores. Accessibility and feasibility were assessed using participant and observer evaluations, respectively. Results indicated reductions in pre- to post-intervention depression scores and high acceptability and feasibility of the pilot study. Additional adaptations of the intervention based on qualitative feedback from study participants are discussed. Future development and implementation of the intervention provides an opportunity to reduce a mental health disparity that disproportionately affects African American adolescents. Highlights: Perinatal depression is a serious public health issue among African American adolescents who experience significant racial health disparities in addition to age-related mental and physical health risks. Introduces adaptation methods and results of an intervention pilot-study designed to prevent perinatal depression among African American adolescents. The intervention was adapted from an existing evidence-based perinatal depression prevention intervention using the heuristic framework for cultural adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Life Experiences Scale (ELES) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses personal feelings of perceived threat and submissiveness in interactions within family. This paper presents the adaptation and validation of the ELES in Portuguese language for adolescents. The sample was composed of 771 adolescents from community schools with ages between 13 and 18 years old. Along with ELES, participants also answered the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children and Adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the factor structure of the ELES and results confirm a three-factor structure, composed by Threat, Submissiveness and Unvalued dimensions. These emotional memories focused on perceived threat, submissiveness and unvalued seem to have a distinct nature. The scale also showed adequate internal consistency, good test-retest reliability and convergent validity with measures of positive emotional memories, positive and negative affect. There were sex differences for threat subscale and age differences for submissiveness subscale. Overall, these findings suggest that the ELES in its Portuguese version for adolescents may be a useful tool for research, educational and clinical contexts with school-aged adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article serves as an introduction to this special issue focused on the mental health of African American youth within a familial and environmental context. I present background on the African American adolescent population in the area of mental and behavioral health, describe the impetus for this special issue and provide a brief overview of the professional training and backgrounds of the contributing authors. Finally, I present brief descriptions of the manuscripts selected for inclusion in this special volume of the Journal of Child and Family Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent suicide is on the rise and treatment resources are scarce. Adolescents with suicidal behavior often are evaluated in the Emergency Department (ED), where the default treatment recommendation traditionally has been admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Emergency Medicine increasingly provides intervention in the ED with the goal of stabilization and discharge, avoiding unnecessary inpatient stays that are expensive and utilize limited resources. Family-Based Crisis Intervention (FBCI) is a manualized psychiatric intervention that is used to optimize care for suicidal adolescents and their families in the ED. This paper presents the framework of FBCI and includes a case to demonstrate the essential parts of the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the understanding of child marriage in Ghana has improved in recent decades, scholarship on this important topic remains scant, especially research examining the reasons for child marriage across socio-cultural contexts. We apply the social-ecological model to explore the drivers of child marriage in the Bawku West District in Ghana. After purposive sampling, we conducted in-depth interviews with 15 women who married before the age of 18 and thematic content analysis to summarize the text. The findings reveal that child marriage is commonplace in the study area and has several drivers, including community/societal factors such as poverty and bride price payment. Other drivers include teenage pregnancy and low educational levels. The results corroborate the social-ecological model in which child marriage has multiple levels of influence. Findings suggest that addressing child marriage in Ghana requires practical solutions across all sectors and levels. Highlights: Female child marriage remains unacceptably high in Ghana. Research examining reasons for child marriage in Ghana is limited. This study examined reasons for child marriage in the Bawku West District of Ghana. Factors at multiple levels of the social-ecological system influence child marriage. Preventing child marriage requires practical solutions across all sectors and levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mothers and fathers remain important attachment figures beyond infancy and toddlerhood, comparisons of attachment security of older children with their mothers and fathers are relevant for family researchers and practitioners. We analyzed mean-level differences between verbal reports of attachment security with mothers and fathers, and correlations between both attachments. A systematic search in electronic databases identified 826 studies that were included in random-effects meta-analyses. Although security of attachment with fathers was, on average, lower than security of attachment with mothers, mean-level differences were small (g = −0.29). Large correlations were found between security with mothers and fathers (r = 0.53). While mean-level differences were larger in studies with questionnaires rather than interviews, the reverse was found when analyzing correlation. The size of mean-level differences increased with age, while the size of the correlation between security with mothers and fathers declined. More recent studies found smaller mean-level differences and larger correlations of security with both attachment figures. There were smaller differences between security with mothers and fathers as well as larger correlations of security with both parents if samples included more intact families. Mean level-differences were smaller and correlations were stronger if studies included more males. Finally, there were larger correlations of security with mothers and fathers in low-risk samples than in clinical/high-risk samples. We conclude that correlations and mean-level differences of self-reported attachment security are stronger than in studies with behavioral measures of observed security in younger children. Further research is recommended on factors that explain the observed correlations and mean-level differences. Highlights: Security of attachment with fathers tends to be lower than security with mothers. Reports on security with mothers and fathers share about 28% of their variance. Older participants report larger mean-level differences and lower accordance of attachment with their mothers and fathers. Reports on attachment with mothers and fathers have become more similar in recent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, consisting of 13,677 U.S. high school students, were used to investigate patterns of suicidality, with a particular focus on understanding the interplay between depression and other relevant predictors of suicidality. Through a conjunctive analysis of case configurations (CACC), results from the current study demonstrate that (1) reported suicidality clusters significantly among specific adolescent profiles, which are defined by the unique combination of variable attributes; (2) students most at risk of suicidality consistently reported depression, but students at less risk of suicidality rarely reported bullying, sexual victimization, or depression; and (3) reported depression greatly increases the risk of adolescent suicidality in some situational contexts, but can have almost no influence on the risk of suicidality in others. Current findings are discussed considering existing scholarship on adolescent suicidal behaviors and recommendations for policy and future areas of research are offered. Highlights: Students most at risk of suicidality consistently reported depression. Students at less risk of suicidality rarely reported bullying, sexual victimization, or depression. Girls and younger adolescents are at greater risk of suicidality than males and older peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant literature has clearly demonstrated that transgender and nonbinary adolescents (TNBA) face extreme stress related to navigating gender identity and expression across various social environments. Additionally, parents are perhaps the most critical aspect of support for TNBA, and research has repeatedly identified the benefits of parent support for adolescent mental health. However, few studies underscore how TNBA and parents within the same family perceive parent support after adolescents disclose that they are transgender or nonbinary. The present qualitative study uses a life history calendar (LHC) interview approach with 20 TNBA-parent dyads (40 individual interviews) to explore TNBA-parent perceptions of parent support and adjustment related to TNBA gender identity and affirmation. Findings yielded three main points regarding parental support for TNBA. First, the time between disclosure to a parent and puberty mattered for parental support and adjustment processes. Second, parents who stepped into their child's gender journey during their child's adolescence grappled with feelings of grief and loss as they were making decisions to support their child's gender affirmation. For many of these families, stigma-related fears and adolescent distress impacted parent support for their child's gender journey. Third, parents lacked a familiar and affirming roadmap in their own families and communities, and although parents connected with other parents of trans kids for support, for some, these supportive resources presented challenges. Continued research can further study the complex drivers of support and the potential impact of these support processes on adolescent and parental well-being. Highlights: Life History Calendar qualitative interview approach to dyadic data collection with trans and nonbinary adolescents and one of their parents; Dyadic qualitative analysis; Findings underscore dyadic perspectives of parent support and adjustment to transgender and nonbinary adolescent gender identity and affirmation after TNBA disclosure of gender identity to parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV self-disclosure is an important challenge affecting the physical and psychological health of adolescents living with HIV. The study's aim was to explore the perspectives of HIV-infected adolescents on self-disclosure. Using purposive sampling, 20 adolescents aged 12–19 years were recruited from a HIV care clinic at a tertiary hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. All were vertically-infected with HIV (HIV transmitted from mother). In depth interviews were conducted to determine participants' views and experiences of self-disclosure. Interviews were analysed using the framework approach to identify main codes and themes relating to self-disclosure. Adolescents identified stigma and discrimination from peers, as well as lack of HIV knowledge as important barriers to status disclosure. They suggested that community resources such as support groups, media and religion assist them in the disclosure process. HIV status self-disclosure is a challenging task for adolescents, which is affected by individual, interpersonal and social factors. These must be borne in mind to assist with disclosure and facilitate the wellbeing of HIV-positive adolescents. Highlights: The study's aim was to explore the perspectives of adolescents vertically infected with HIV on self-disclosure in Harare. This is the first study to explore the pespectives of HIV-infected adolescents in Zimbabwe. Adolescents identified stigma, discrimination, and lack of HIV knowledge from peers as important barriers to disclosure. Despite their young age, adolescents are capable of making their own decisions about self-disclosure. They suggested that community resources such as support groups, media and religion assist them in the disclosure process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated profiles of perceived social support and their associations with mental health indicators for male and female adolescents. The sample was a nationally representative group of Danish adolescents age 13–16 years (Male N = 1114; Female N = 1065). Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of perceived social support from different sources (classmate, teacher, family, friend). Three distinct profiles of perceived social support were identified for both genders: 'High' support from all sources (54.4% of males; 55.5% of females), 'Moderate' support from all sources (31.6% of males; 28.8% of females) and 'Low friend' support with moderate support from other sources (13.9% of males; 15.7% of females). The 'high' perceived support profile was associated with optimal mental health; the 'moderate' perceived support profile was associated with lower wellbeing and more frequent emotional symptoms; and the 'low friend' perceived support profile was associated with the lowest levels of wellbeing and, specifically for females, higher frequency of emotional symptoms. Results highlight typical profiles of perceived social support among adolescents, and demonstrate nuanced associations between perceived social support and mental health indicators, with notable gender differences. Highlights: Three distinct profiles of perceived social support were identified among a large, representative sample of adolescents. Perceived social support profiles were associated with levels of psychological wellbeing and emotional symptoms. For females especially, the profile characterised by low support from friends was associated with poor mental health. Results have implications for identifying young people at risk of mental health difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biobehavioral correlates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among Latinx youth have been strikingly understudied. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the effects of T-ACEs (e.g., maltreatment, family dysfunction) and E-ACEs (e.g., family deportation, community violence) in alcohol use, (2) test whether social support moderate these associations and (3) explore whether ACEs and alcohol use were related via adrenocortical hormones (i.e., cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA]). A total of 100 Latinx youth, between the ages of 13 and 19, participated in this study (53% female). Community samples of United States (U.S.)-born (N = 54) and immigrant Latinx (N = 46) youth provided morning saliva samples and completed self-report questionnaires. Results highlighted that for immigrant youth, social support buffered the effects of E-ACEs on alcohol use, F(9,89) = 3.34, p = 0.01, R2 = 0.25. Although our mediation hypothesis was not supported, the direct effects of T-ACEs (β = 0.25, t (94) = 2.21, p = 0.03) and E-ACES (β = −0.24, t (94) = −2.23, p = 0.03) on DHEA were significant for the entire sample. Preventing maltreatment and reducing community-level adversities seem critical for optimal child development, as exposure to these may increase alcohol use risk and affect HPA Axis functioning. Increasing extrafamilial support may be particularly salient for immigrant Latinx youth, as many experience extended immigration-related periods of separation from family members. Highlights: We studied the biobehavioral correlates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among U.S.-born and immigrant Latinx youth. For immigrants, support from friends and adults buffered the effect of Expanded ACEs on alcohol use, emphasizing the importance of extrafamilial support. In the total sample, ACEs were significantly related to stress hormone DHEA, highlighting that ACEs can affect HPA axis functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of psychotropic medications is a significant factor in the overall effort to respond to detained youth with mental illness, yet there are very few studies of psychotropic medication use in juvenile detention settings. It is important to understand the factors that influence the use of mental health services and psychoactive medications in these settings since youth with emotional problems are overrepresented in them. This paper addresses the proportion of youth in these settings who receive mental health services and psychoactive medications. In addition, the impact of a major statewide policy change-the shift of juvenile placement responsibility from the state to local government-on these proportions was examined using 8 years of publicly available data from county probation departments. Multivariate regression analyses of 1,760 observations of quarterly reports from 55 counties showed that the use of both mental health services and psychoactive medications in detention facilities increased concurrently with the policy change. While these proportions had already been gradually increasing in these facilities, it appears that after the policy change they increased even more. This contradicts the aim of most juvenile justice planners-to divert non-violent youth offenders with emotional problems away from incarceration settings and towards community based treatment alternatives. If adequately available, these support services could provide diversion alternatives to prevent inappropriate detentions, and to provide post-detention treatment to prevent lapses in continuity of care and, ultimately, to prevent reoffending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth with disabilities are at risk for being cyberbullied. Additionally, these risks can be compounded by other intersectional factors, such as cultural identity. Youth with multiple marginalized identities are at risk for stress, discrimination, and poor mental health outcomes as a result of bullying. However, research exploring the intersections between risk, sexual identity, and disability is sparse. In this article, we begin to address this gap in a diverse sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth who have reported being cyberbullied in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. We discuss implications for child and family studies, identifying opportunities for further discussion on risk, mental health, and person-in-environment factors for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth with disabilities. Highlights: Child and family practitioners should be holistically inclusive and attend to intersectionality, affirming disability, sexual identity, and other identities. Cyberbullied sexual minority youth, especially those youth of color who had disabilities, were more likely than not to report poor mental health. Practitioners should understand the intersectional dimensions of people's lives, treating them as whole people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research examining how youth substance use is associated with both proximal microsystemic processes (interactions with family members) and distal macrosystemic conditions (rurality) is limited. To address this gap, a person-/variable-centered approach was used to: (1) identify latent profiles of family risk and protective factors for substance use, (2) test profile membership as a predictor of lifetime and 30-day substance use, (3) test rurality, as measured by school geographic location, as a predictor, and (4) explore interaction effects between profile membership and rurality. Youth (N = 9,104; 53% female) residing in a state in the southeastern U.S. completed a statewide substance abuse and risk behavior survey including questions about family risk and protective factors and substance use behaviors. Using latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of participants with similar means and variances on the family factors, four latent profiles emerged. Risk of 30-day and lifetime substance use varied across profiles, with the profile characterized by high family-level protective factors and low family-level risk factors indicating the lowest risk for substance use. Urban youth had increased odds of reporting lifetime marijuana use compared to suburban youth; however, geographic location did not appear to confer significantly increased or decreased risk across other substances. No significant interaction results were found. These results emphasize the importance of family functioning on substance use regardless of geographic location, and that evidence-based prevention programming that reduces family risk, strengthens family protection, and is accessible to all types of communities is important to reducing or delaying substance use among youth. Highlights: Families supporting prosocial behavior, appropriately supervising, and limiting conflict protected youth from substance use. School geographic location was not a significant predictor of odds of substance use among youth. Families and youth in all communities would benefit from access to family-based prevention to reduce substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial discrimination is related to mental health challenges for Black youth and parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of intrafamilial factors, including parent racial worries, depressive symptoms, and racial socialization competency, on internalizing symptoms for youth. A sample of 259 Black parents (Mage = 40.6) of children (ages 6–18) was assessed to investigate how parents' worries for their child's racial discrimination experiences may be directly and indirectly associated with youth internalizing problems (e.g., elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression) via parental levels of depression. We then evaluated the moderating role of parental racial socialization competency. Participants completed an online questionnaire battery that included measures of racial discrimination, depression, youth internalizing problems, and racial socialization competency. Mediation analyses revealed that parental racial worry was directly and indirectly associated with youth internalizing problems via increased levels of parental depressive symptoms. Furthermore, racial socialization competency moderated the association between parental racial worries and parental depression, wherein greater racial socialization competency (e.g., confidence and skills factors) was associated with less impact of parental racial worries on parental depression. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the implications of racial stress for Black Americans and identify culturally relevant and familial coping mechanisms. Highlights: Parental racial worry is directly and indirectly associated with youth internalizing problems via increased levels of parental depressive symptoms. Parental racial socialization competency (e.g., confidence and skills) moderates the association between parental racial worry and parental depression. When parents have the skills necessary to communicate about and confidence to prepare their children to cope with racial discrimination, much of the negative impact of parent racial worry on their depressive symptoms can be reduced. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the implications of racial stress for Black Americans and identify culturally relevant and familial coping mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents play an important role in delaying adolescent tobacco use, particularly through role modeling, parent-child relationships, and monitoring. Although these intrafamilial processes are relatively well documented, few studies have examined them among urban, Black mother-son dyads. Using data from 526 mothers and their adolescent sons living in public housing communities, this secondary longitudinal data analysis examined how parenting influenced adolescent boys' tobacco use. Although mother-son closeness and maternal intention to communicate to sons about not smoking reduced the risk of tobacco use among Black adolescent boys, maternal role-modeling, particularly past 30-day use, emerged as the most significant predictor of tobacco use. Research findings highlight the need to shift from individual-level interventions toward strategies designed to change family system-level behaviors. Highlight: Few studies have examined adolescent substance use in urban Black mother-son dyads. Maternal parenting behaviors can delay the onset of tobacco use Efforts to reduce smoking behaviors among urban Black mothers may not only reduce their use but also have a secondary effect on the tobacco use behaviors of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, racial socialization (RS) literature has focused on the content and frequency of RS messages communicated between Black parents and youth. In an effort to examine the potential added benefit of receiving RS messages from non-parental agents, three hierarchical linear regressions were tested among a sample of Black youth (ages 14–21). Black youths' acquisition of protection and bicultural coping messages from parents were associated with their belief in racial protection messages along with select relevant covariates. Black youths' acquisition of protection and racial stereotyping messages from parental agents and racial stereotyping messages from non-parental agents were associated with their belief in racial stereotyping messages. Finally, Black youths' belief in bicultural coping messages were association with their acquisition of protection, racial stereotyping, and bicultural coping messages from parental agents and racial stereotyping and bicultural coping messages from non-parental agents. Findings underscore the enduring role parental and non-parental figures serve in Black youths' racial socialization experiences across ecological contexts. As such, future interventions and community-based programs should be oriented towards equipping parents and supports for Black youth (e.g., including multiracial families) with the competency to communicate racial pride and skillfully support Black children's management of racialized experiences. Highlights: Parental agents remain a primary agent of racial socialization messages among Black youth. Non-parental agents are influential in youths' endorsement of bicultural coping and racial stereotyping messages. Racial protection messages were the most salient type of message among the Black youth in our study such that specific parent and youth factors may impact Black youths' belief in racial protection messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linked with a myriad of developmental outcomes, the parent-child relationship serves an important function, and it is therefore important that determinants of this relationship are elucidated so that optimal outcomes can be promoted. This study investigated links between parental attachment style and child temperament in the prediction of parent-child relationship quality during early adolescence. One hundred parents of 12–15-year-olds completed an online survey. Findings indicated that when examining parent attachment style alone, attachment-related anxiety but not avoidance predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining child temperament alone, negative affect and affiliation predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining both parental attachment style and child temperament in the same model, child temperament was uniquely predictive of the parent-child relationship quality. No moderation effects were detected. More precise models and expanded measures of parental attachment style, child temperament and parent-child relationship quality are recommended to fully capture the transactional and dynamic nature of the parent-child relationship. Highlights: Parental attachment avoidance was not predictive of parent-child relationship quality. Parental attachment anxiety was predictive of relationship quality when examined independently but not when examined with child temperament. Child negative affect and affiliation were predictive of relationship quality. Child effortful control and surgency were not predictive of relationship quality. No moderation effects were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet addiction is a pervasive problem among adolescents today. Previous research identifies socialization processes, including parenting, as important for these behaviors. The current study tested the links between perceived maternal monitoring, support, communication, and conflict and Internet addiction among youth, and whether these relationships were mediated by adolescent self-control. It also tested whether these links were moderated by sex. Data were collected from 569 high school students in Turkey (54.1% female, Mage = 15.92, SD = 1.15). Path analyses were used to test study hypotheses. Findings showed that perceived monitoring, support, communication, and conflict were directly associated with self-control and also indirectly with Internet addiction, mediated by self-control. No direct effects were found for monitoring, support, or communication on Internet addiction. Moderation tests by sex found only one significant difference for monitoring. Findings provided evidence that perceived maternal parenting processes as well as adolescent self-control are important in understanding variability in adolescent Internet addiction among youth, albeit indirectly so for maternal parenting processes with the exception of conflict. Thus, improving both parenting, and particularly self-control, appear to be fruitful avenues for prevention and intervention work in addressing Internet addiction among youth. Highlights: Perceived mother-adolescent conflict was directly associated with adolescent Internet addiction, whereas maternal monitoring, support, and communication were not. Perceived maternal monitoring, support, communication, and conflict were consistently associated with adolescent self-control. Adolescent self-control mediated all the links between perceived maternal parenting measures and adolescent Internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secure attachments to parents have been linked to social competence, but few studies address how attachment is related to character strengths. This study examined how attachment security is associated with a broad set of character strengths in early adolescence. In a mixed methods study with a sample of 10- to 14-year-olds (N = 92), we assessed attachment with the Friends and Family Interview, which was scored for markers of secure attachment. Children completed the Values in Action Inventory questionnaire of character strengths. More securely attached children more strongly endorsed Interpersonal Strengths (fairness, forgiveness, humor, and kindness), Temperance Strengths (honesty, persistence, and prudence), and the Transcendent Strength of spirituality. By contrast, secure attachment did not predict Intellectual Strengths (creativity, love of learning, appreciation of beauty). The findings show that secure attachments are associated with several character strengths, and future work could consider the foundational processes that account for these associations. Highlights: Parent–child relationships are an important context in which school-age children develop their personal characteristics. We tested whether secure attachments to mothers and fathers are both associated with character development in early adolescence. More securely attached children were more fair, forgiving, humorous in social interaction, kind, honest, persistent, thoughtful in decision making, and spiritual compared to less securely attached children. Many of the study findings are novel, and they point to areas where parents might be especially likely to influence children's character development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social anxiety is an increasing mental health concern for adolescents in the international community, including China, where access to psychotherapy is still limited. Training in cognitive bias modification of interpretation (CBM-I) for ambiguous social situations has demonstrated efficacy in improving social anxiety. Smartphone-based CBM-I has the potential to be an accessible tool to help address the mental health needs of adolescents. However, no prior studies have explored smartphone-based CBM-I targeting social anxiety in adolescents. We examined the effect of an eight-session smartphone-based training of cognitive bias modification of interpretation (CBM-I) on the social anxiety of Chinese adolescents. Twenty-eight participants who scored in the top ten percent of Social Anxiety Scale (SAS-A) and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) were randomly assigned to the training group and the waitlist group. Both groups completed pre- and post-tests of interpretation bias and social anxiety. Participants in the training group logged into the smartphone-based CBM-I application twice a week for four weeks to receive the intervention. The waitlist group received the same pre-and post-tests only during the 4-week waiting time. Results revealed that the CBM-I training group significantly increased positive interpretation bias and decreased negative interpretation bias, social anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. The waitlist group did not have any significant changes in the above measures. The eight-session smartphone-based CBM-I intervention showed the expected intervention effect for Chinese adolescents coping with social anxiety, demonstrating its potential as an effective tool for reducing social anxiety for the population. Highlights: Developed an 8-session smartphone-based training of CBM-I for social anxiety reduction. Developed culturally and developmentally adapted CBM-I training materials for Chinese adolescents. Found a significant reduction in social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation in the CBM-I training group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More knowledge is needed about how family factors influence depression features in adolescents. We aimed to replicate a previous small sample study showing that higher discrepancy between adolescents and caregivers in report of conflict predicted more hopelessness in adolescents with major depression. The current sample comprised 417 adolescent and maternal caregiver dyads. The adolescents were aged between 12 and 17 years (55.4% female, 44.6% male). The sample was drawn from the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). Analyses were conducted using latent difference score modelling, item response theory, and linear regression in a Bayesian framework. Higher adolescent-perceived conflict relative to caregiver-perceived conflict predicted more adolescent hopelessness. This replicated the original findings in a much larger sample. Adolescent gender did not influence the associations. Addressing divergence in adolescent and parent perceptions of conflict may be relevant to ameliorate hopelessness in treatment of adolescents with depression. Highlights: Hopelessness is a key complication in adolescent depression, and identifying factors associated with hopelessness is relevant for improving treatments. Parents and adolescents often perceive the level of conflict between them differently. This study replicated a previous finding that parents reporting less conflict than the adolescent predicts hopelessness among depressed adolescents. Interventions to align parent and adolescent perceptions of the relationship should be further investigated as brief interventions to reduce hopelessness in adolescent depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between parental sexual passion styles and parent-child communication about sex. The central research questions were how parent sexual passion was associated with parent-child communication about sex and whether commonalities emerged in communication patterns across passion styles. Data were taken from a US national sample; participants were 801 mothers and 838 fathers (n = 1639). Comprehensive measures of parent-child sexual communication and sexual passion were used in a structural equation model. Among both mothers and fathers, harmonious sexual passion was associated with higher communication frequency, openness, and adolescent disclosure. Obsessive and inhibited sexual passion were associated with parental control of communication. Inhibited sexual passion was associated with adolescent secrecy. Additionally, for mothers only, obsessive sexual passion was associated with higher adolescent disclosure; for fathers only, inhibited sexual passion was associated with higher communication frequency and adolescent disclosure. These results help to connect the individual-level concept of sexual passion with dyad-level communication about sex; they also can help lead researchers and practitioners to better understand the influence of motivation and sexual passion on parental participation in sex education, which may lead to more effective efforts to educate adolescents about sex. Highlights: Parents with higher levels of harmonious passion had higher levels of communication about sex with their adolescents. Parents with higher levels of inhibited and obsessive sexual passion had higher levels of controlling communication about sex with their adolescents. Parents with higher levels of inhibited passion had adolescents with higher levels of secrecy about their sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that psychosocial and behavioral factors are associated with engagement in a range of deviant behaviors across offline settings. To date, however, very little research has explored the impact of these factors in online contexts. This article addresses this gap by examining the psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with common types of adolescent cyberdeviance. This is accomplished through an empirical study of 327 adolescents enrolled in a high school located in a large Australian city. The study assesses various aspects of psychosocial and behavioral functioning using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (total difficulties, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, prosocial behavior), as well as numerous types of cyberdeviance relevant to young people, including cyberfraud, cyberhate, cyberviolence, sexting, digital piracy, hacking, and cyberbullying. A series of multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to demonstrate the association between psychosocial and behavioral difficulties and various types of cyberdeviance, independent of gender, school grade, socioeconomic status, and engagement in offline delinquency. Results indicate that total difficulties, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems were significantly associated with greater likelihood of engagement in most types of cyberdeviance examined in this study, whereas prosocial behavior was associated with a lower likelihood of engagement in digital piracy only. A discussion of the findings highlights the importance of understanding these factors in a digital context, as well as demonstrating the need to account for them when designing targeted interventions. Highlights: Identifying evidence-based approaches to help develop effective interventions for young people is critical due to the potentially serious social and economic harms associated with many types of cyberdeviance. A survey of Australian adolescents examined the relationship between types of cyberdeviance and various psychosocial and behavioral factors. Internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as prosocial behaviors, were all differentially associated with engagement in various types of cyberdeviance. Further research regarding the development of interventions that target internalizing and externalizing problems is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated the influence of family functioning on developmental outcomes but only a few studies have addressed the normative changes of family functioning during adolescence. While there is evidence that family adaptability is stable, findings regarding the development of family cohesion levels are controversial. The focus on the association of family functioning with parenting behavior has also been quite limited. Some studies have revealed that an authoritative parenting style is connected with better family functioning, but only a small body of research has analyzed the association with the main dimensions of parenting behavior. The current study investigated developmental trajectories of family adaptability and cohesion from adolescence to young adulthood. The impact of sex, number of siblings, marital status, socioeconomic status and parenting behavior was studied in a sample of N = 619 participants from a longitudinal Swiss study at two measurement times. Repeated measures ANOVAs and cross-sectional linear regression models were used to analyze the data. There was a significant developmental decline in perceived family cohesion but no change in adaptability from adolescence to young adulthood. In addition, there was a significant main effect of socioeconomic status on adaptability and of parental divorce on cohesion. Boys experienced a significantly steeper decline in family cohesion than girls. Adaptability and cohesion were predicted by perceived parental acceptance and psychological control at both measurement times while cohesion was also significantly predicted by perceived parental structure. The findings reflect normative developmental processes in the transition period. Highlights: Family adaptability remains stable from adolescence to young adulthood but is affected by socioeconomic status. Family cohesion declines over this period and is influenced by sex and parental divorce. Higher perceived parental acceptance and lower psychological control predicts higher family adaptability and cohesion. Perceived parental structure is positively correlated with family cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While exposure therapy has long been recognized as the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders in youth, access to exposure-focused treatment remains limited for many families. A parent-coached exposure therapy (PCET) protocol was designed to ameliorate this deficit, as previously discussed within the framework of individual therapy and a 5-day intensive treatment. The present study describes the application of PCET within a weekly group-based protocol and presents outcomes associated with this treatment model as implemented within an outpatient clinic setting. Preliminary uncontrolled data support potential effectiveness through statistically significant improvement in symptoms and functioning from baseline evaluation to post-treatment, while demonstrating the feasibility of providing exposure-focused treatment in an efficient and scalable format. These results further emphasize the flexible nature of this treatment protocol. Limitations and future directions are discussed which promote continued dissemination of and research on exposure-focused treatment protocols, such as PCET, for childhood anxiety disorders. Highlights: Parent-coached exposure therapy was implemented within an outpatient clinic. Parent-coached exposure therapy was effectively executed in weekly group format. Uncontrolled data demonstrated parent-coached exposure therapy to reduce anxiety. Group parent-coached exposure therapy has potential to be efficient and scalable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childbearing motivations are trait-like dispositions to feel, think, and act in a certain way in response to various aspects of parenthood. They shape human desire to have a child and underpin the decision about becoming a parent. A self-report tool to measure positive and negative childbearing motivations with their specific dimensions—the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ)—was developed in the US and has gained popularity over the past few decades as an increasing number of individuals choose not to have children. In the current article we present two studies, in which we developed and psychometrically validated a short version of the CBQ (The Childbearing Questionnaire-Short Form; CBQ-SF). In Study 1, we developed the CBQ-SF and verified its psychometric properties using a sample of 939 childless adults (25–44 years old). In Study 2, we cross-validated the CBQ-SF on a sample of 1803 childless adolescents aged from 18 to 20. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the CBQ-SF is a psychometrically sound instrument for comprehensively assessing childbearing motivations across different developmental periods (from late adolescence to middle adulthood). Most notably, our short measure preserves the multidimensionality of childbearing motivations and allows individuals' motivational profiles for parenthood to be identified. Future research directions and practical implications are discussed. Highlights: Childbearing motivations reflect individuals' beliefs about parenthood and may influence various parenting behaviors. Across two studies, we developed and evaluated psychometric properties of a short measure of childbearing motivations—CBQ-SF. We documented that CBQ-SF is a reliable measure of childbearing motivations and provided first evidence on its validity. The CBQ-SF can be successfully used in public health research and therapeutic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In U.S. schools, disruptive behavior is by far the primary reason for disciplinary referrals, including suspensions and expulsions. School-based interventions targeting disruptive behavior usually position struggling youth as treatment recipients and neglect the psychosocial benefits of helping others. In this mixed methods pilot study, we evaluate the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of Peer Coach Training (PCT), a novel, school-based intervention for youth referred for disruptive behavior that deemphasizes the youth's existing problems and focuses instead on training youth to help their peers. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of PCT on two cohorts of disruptive youth (N = 9) in an urban middle school in Southern California. Youth and teachers completed assessments at baseline, post-treatment, and three-month follow-up. At posttreatment and follow-up, youth reported significant reductions in externalizing problems, as well as reductions in conduct problems, attention problems, and aggressive behavior; in contrast, teacher ratings yielded null findings. Qualitative interviews revealed that youth and teachers observed positive changes in peer interactions, self-confidence, and classroom participation efforts. Youth satisfaction data indicated that youth enjoyed participating in PCT and would highly recommend it to their friends. Results from this pilot evaluation suggest that training youth to help their peers is an appealing, feasible, and promising strategy for reducing disruptive behavior, however, controlled trials are needed to provide evidence for treatment efficacy. Highlights: Disruptive behavior problems are a significant risk factor for negative life outcomes among school-age youth. Existing studies have not tested whether positioning youth as helpers can reduce disruptive behavior. This study tests a novel, strengths-based program for disruptive youth that position them as helpers. Study findings indicate that positioning disruptive youth as helpers shows promise in reducing externalizing behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to childhood adversity is a prevalent and pressing issue due to its established links with poor physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. High rates of adversity have been found within young people attending mental health services, and the provision of trauma-informed care and trauma-specific therapies are therefore essential within these services. Trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based intervention with established efficacy amongst traumatised children and youth. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of trauma-specific therapy (TF-CBT) when implemented in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). Given that most youth receive care in community settings, it is important to determine whether treatments tested under controlled conditions can apply in the real world of clinical practice. Specifically, this study aimed to quantify the number and type of adversities reported by clients receiving the intervention; investigate whether the intervention is associated with improvements in participants' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general mental health symptoms and functioning; and report contact with CAMHS at 3 months and 2 years post-treatment. Results showed that CAMHS clients were more likely to have experienced multiple traumatic events than single events, with 100% of clients experiencing suicidal thoughts. Treatment was associated with significant improvements in PTSD symptom severity and improvements in general mental health symptoms. Many clients received ongoing mental health support at the 3-month and 2-year follow-ups, reflecting the complex nature of their issues and the need for support to maintain gains achieved during treatment. Highlights: Result from the dissemination and implementation of TF-CBT in a real-world clinical setting. CAMHS clients had experienced multiple traumas, including sexual, emotional and physical abuse. Treatment with trauma-specific interventions was associated with significant improvements in PTSD, general mental health symptoms and greater functioning. A significant number of CAMHS clients required ongoing mental health support in the short and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]