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Though mental health and substance use concerns often co-occur, few studies have characterized patterns of co-occurrence among adolescents in clinical settings. The current investigation identifies and characterizes these patterns among adolescents presenting to an outpatient mental health service in Ontario, Canada. Data come from cross-sectional standardized patient intake assessments from 916 adolescents attending an outpatient mental health program (January 2019–March 2021). Latent profile analysis identified patterns of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, (e-) cigarettes) and emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms. Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of these patterns were examined using multinomial regression. Three profiles were identified including: 1) low substance use and lower frequency and/or severity (relative to other patients in the sample) emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms (26.2%), 2) low substance use with higher emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms (48.2%), and 3) high in both (25.6%). Profiles differed in sociodemographic and clinical indicators related to age, gender, trauma, harm to self, harm to others, and service use. Experiences of trauma, suicide attempts, and thoughts of hurting others increased the odds of adolescents being in the profile high in both substance use and symptoms compared to other profiles. These findings further document the high rates of substance use in adolescents in mental health treatment and the profiles generally map onto three out of four quadrants in the adapted four-quadrant model of concurrent disorders, indicating the importance of assessing and addressing substance use in these settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To quantify the strength of association between passive and active forms of screen time and adolescent major depressive episode and anxiety disorders. Methods: Data from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study, a representative sample of 2,320 adolescents aged 12–17 years in Ontario (mean age = 14.58, male = 50.7%) were used. Screen time was measured using adolescent self-report on time spent on screen-based activities. Past 6-month occurrence of DSM-IV-TR defined major depressive episode, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia which were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents. Result: Adolescents reporting 4 or more hours of passive screen time per day, compared to those reporting less than 2 h, were three times more likely to meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria for major depressive episode [OR = 3.28(95% CI = 1.71–6.28)], social phobia [OR = 3.15 (95% CI = 1.57–6.30)] and generalized anxiety disorder [OR = 2.92 (95% CI = 1.64–5.20)]. Passive screen time continued to be significantly associated with increased odds of disorders, after adjusting for age, sex, low income, active screen time use, sleep and physical activity. A small-to-moderate attenuation of the estimated ORs was observed in the fully adjusted model. In contrast, associations between active screen time use and depression and anxiety disorders were smaller in magnitude and failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Passive screen time use was associated with mood and anxiety disorders, whereas active screen time was not. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying processes contributing to differential risk associated with passive versus active screen time use and adolescent mood and anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High levels of distress in post-secondary students, alongside the real or perceived barriers to accessing services, highlight the need for evidence-based, accessible, and brief interventions for students such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). This systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to determine the effectiveness of MBIs for mental health outcomes in post-secondary students. We searched OVID MEDLINE In-Process, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsychInfo, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar, Proquest Dissertations, and OpenGrey. When possible, data were pooled using a random-effects model. Effect estimates were reported as standardized mean differences (SMDs) and then back-transformed into common scales of measurement. This review includes 41 randomized controlled trials reported in 49 studies. When comparing to a passive control, MBIs appear to reduce symptoms of depression [SMD − 0.49 (95% CI − 0.68, − 0.30)], anxiety [SMD − 0.53 (95% CI − 0.78, − 0.29)], and perceived stress [SMD -0.39 (95% CI -0.50, -0.27)] post-intervention (low-quality evidence). These findings were similar for shorter compared to longer interventions, although mindfulness-based cognitive therapy appeared to be the most effective for depression and anxiety. This review found no differential effects of MBIs compared to active comparators for depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or perceived stress (low-quality evidence). Overall, MBIs of at least 2 weeks in duration appear to be a better alternative than no intervention for students with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines longitudinal behaviour change in six key lifestyle behaviours—sleep, physical activity (PA), sedentary recreational screen time, diet, alcohol use, and tobacco use—and associations with mental health in a large study of Australian adolescents. Change between baseline (Mage = 12.7, N = 6,639) and 3-year follow up (Mage = 15.7, N = 4445) was investigated. Generalised linear mixed effects regressions modelled associations between behaviour change and later psychological distress score adjusting for baseline behaviours, baseline psychological distress, social determinants, and school clustering. Changes over time in each of the behaviours were significantly associated with later psychological distress, whereby health-promoting behaviours were associated with reduced psychological distress and vice versa. When all behaviour changes were modelled together, significant effects remained for sleep, PA, vegetable consumption, junk food and SSB consumption, alcohol, and tobacco use. Results highlight the potential benefits of behaviour modification to reduce the progression of psychological distress in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]