Associations between Social Support from Family, Friends, and Teachers and depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Parent- and Adolescent-Driven Effects in Emotion-Related Communication and Longitudinal Relationships with Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Communication on emotions is an important aspect of parent-adolescent communication, yet its process and effects remain less examined in families of adolescents. This study examined the bidirectional association between parental responses to adolescents' emotions and adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, and further examined their longitudinal predictive effects on adolescent depressive symptoms. The potential moderating role of adolescent gender was also examined. A total of 503 adolescents (Mage = 13.45, SD = 0.50; 44.73% females) participated in this study, with 438 adolescents completing the three-wave longitudinal survey. Adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, parental responses to emotions, and depressive symptoms were reported. The bidirectional relationship was examined using cross-lagged panel models, while the parent- and adolescent-driven effects of emotional communication on adolescent depressive symptoms and the moderation effect of adolescent gender were examined using multi-group structural equation modeling. The findings revealed gender-specific patterns in parent-adolescent communication on emotions. Significant parent- and adolescent-driven effects of positive communication behaviors on adolescent depressive symptoms were found. However, only negative communication behaviors initiated by parents predicted adolescent depressive symptoms, with this effect mediated by adolescents' negative communication behaviors. This study deepened the understanding of characteristics and effects of parent-child emotional communication during adolescence, which has implications for interventions aiming at improving parent-adolescent relationship and adolescents' mental health.

Social Support and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: The Differential Influences of Family, Friends, and Teachers

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is common among adolescents and is associated with a range of detrimental consequences. Family, teachers, and friends are essential sources of social support for adolescents. Increased social support from these sources may reduce NSSI behaviors among adolescents. However, it is uncertain if each source of social support retains its significance when their influences are evaluated simultaneously, and how each source influences the others to impact NSSI behaviors. To address this gap, this research investigated the direct and indirect effects of each source of social support on adolescent NSSI using cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), as well as whether these relationships varied by sex. A total of 3098 Chinese adolescents with a range of 10 to 15 years old (Mage = 13.27, SD = 0.73, 42.4% girls) completed assessments on three waves across approximately two years. The results indicated that teacher support compared to family and friend support showed the strongest association with NSSI behaviors and mediated the relationship between family support and NSSI. These findings highlight teacher support as a hub in the role of social support on NSSI and emphasize the importance of the connections between teacher and family support.

Trends in the Link Between Perceived Social Support and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents (2013/14-2021/22): A Cross-National Study

Objectives

This repeated cross-sectional study aimed to (a) report trends in adolescents' perceived family, friend, classmate, and teacher support, (b) estimate the extent to which each source of support related to life satisfaction across space and time, and (c) ascertain whether sociodemographic factors moderated the relationship in question.

Methods

We relied on data pertaining to the 2013/14, 2017/18, and 2021/22 waves of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. The examined sample covered 44 countries and regions (n = 716,083; M AGE = 13.6; SD AGE = 1.64; 50.7% female).

Results

The level of all sources of perceived social support slightly decreased over the examined period (all ω2 < .01). Family support involved the largest association with life satisfaction (β = 0.16); friend support, the lowest one (β = 0.03). These associations varied only tenuously across space and time. Sociodemographic factors moderated the link between perceived social support and life satisfaction to a negligible-to-weak extent.

Conclusion

Levels of perceived social support and their associations with life satisfaction subtly changed. Future research may attempt to pinpoint the macrosocial levers of these temporal dynamics.

Emotional - Behavioral Difficulties and Prosocial Behaviour among Vietnamese Adolescents: the Role of Social Support

Background

In recent decades, a high prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents has been reported worldwide. In Vietnam, mental health problems such as emotional and behavioural difficulties are relatively common in the adolescent age group.

Objective

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of emotional-behavioural problems and prosocial behaviours in Vietnamese adolescents and identify the role of social support in these adolescents' strengths and difficulties.

Methods

A population sample of 582 adolescents from sixth to ninth grade from four secondary schools in Vietnam voluntarily participated by completing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (α = .64) and the Social Support Scale (α = .90).

Results

The research results revealed that Vietnamese adolescents suffered from considerable levels of emotional-behavioural difficulties and prosocial behaviour problems. Through multible regression analysis, support from their families significantly predicted to decrease students' emotional and behavioural symptoms (β\< 0; p\< .05) and increasing prosocial behaviours (β> 0; p \< .05). In contrast, friend support only contribute to protecting adolescents from behavioural problems (β = -.18; p \< .05) and encouraged prosocial behaviours (β = .22; p \< .05).

Discussion

Family support had a central role in its positive contribution to reducing emotional-behavioural and prosocial behaviour problems. Friend support only decreased behavioural problems and encouraged prosocial behaviours. These results are interpreted that educators could limit adolescents' emotional-behavioural difficulties and encourage prosocial behaviours through social support from their families and friends.

Prevalence and correlates of sleep disturbance among adolescents in the eastern seaboard of China

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbances are serious public health issues that warrant increased attention, especially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with sleep disorders among urban adolescents in China.

METHODS

This study utilized an online survey to assess the demographic characteristics and mental health status of secondary school students in Lianyungang City. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate sleep disturbances in adolescents. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) assessed anxiety symptoms, and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) was used to measure perceived social support.

RESULTS

Among 3443 adolescents, the prevalence of sleep disorders were 10.8%, with significantly higher proportions of sleep disorders (13.7% VS 8.3%, P < 0.001) among female adolescents when compared to males. Binary regression analysis revealed that anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.305, 95% CI: 1.269-1.342, P < 0.001) was risk factor for sleep disturbances, and significant other support (OR = 0.944, 95% CI: 0.896-0.994, P = 0.028) and good annual household income (OR = 0.616, 95% CI: 0.394-0.963, P = 0.034) were protective factors. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, and anxiety symptoms were associated with an elevated risk of experiencing more frequent sleep disturbances (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We have found that 10.8% of adolescents experience sleep disorders, and it is evident that various factors can influence healthy sleeping. These results underscore the significance of addressing these factors to enhance sleep health among this population.

Connected or Cutoff? A 4-Year Longitudinal Study of the Links Between Adolescents' Compulsive Internet Use and Social Support

As the online world plays an increasing role in young peoples' lives, research on compulsive internet use (CIU) is receiving growing attention. Given the social richness of the online world, there is a need to better understand how CIU influences adolescents' social support and vice versa. Drawing on ecological systems theory, we examined the longitudinal links between adolescents' CIU and perceived social support from three sources (parents, teachers, and friends) across 4 critical years of adolescence (Grades 8-11). Using random intercept cross-lagged modeling, we found that CIU consistently preceded reduced social support from teachers, whereas social support from parents preceded increases in CIU over time. We discuss the implications of our findings for parents and schools seeking to support young people experiencing CIU.

The relationship between family communication and family resilience in Chinese parents of depressed adolescents: a serial multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience

BACKGROUND

Family resilience plays a crucial role in helping depressed adolescents overcome challenges. However, studies examining family resilience in depressed adolescents are currently scarce. This study, guided by the family resilience framework, aimed to investigate the serial-multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience between family communication and family resilience in Chinese families of depressed adolescents.

METHODS

In 229 parents of adolescents with major depressive disorder, 20.1% comprises of fathers, while 79.9% comprises of mothers. The mean age of depressed adolescents was 14.84 (±1.76) years, and the mean age of parents of these depressed adolescents was 43.24 (±4.67) years. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Psychological Resilience of Parents of Special Children Questionnaire, and the Social Support Rating Scale, Family Assessment Device (FAD) were used to collected data. Descriptive, univariate, and Pearson correlation analyses were used in preliminary analyses. To explore mediation, we employed a serial-multiple mediation model (PROCESS model 6).

RESULTS

Family communication was positively correlated with family resilience, social support, and psychological resilience. Mediation analysis revealed indirect effects of family communication on family resilience, which were mediated solely by either social support or psychological resilience, or through multiple mediation pathways involving both social support and psychological resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Family communication positively and directly affects the family resilience of depressed adolescents, and a higher level of social support and psychological resilience can help improve family resilience. These findings not only provide empirical evidence supporting the family resilience framework but also have practical implications for future family interventions targeting depressed adolescents.

Multidimensional social support and associations between COVID-19 stress and depressive/anxiety outcomes among Hispanic/Latinx and White first-year college students

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to greater depression and anxiety among college students. Social support may alleviate this risk. We examined how social support from family, friends, and romantic partners may influence internalizing psychopathology outcomes associated with COVID-19-related stressful events. Participants: Participants were first-years (N = 425, 34.8% Hispanic/Latinx, 74.9% female) enrolled in a United States public university. Methods: Participants completed an online survey in Fall of 2020. Linear regression models examined associations between COVID-19 stressors, social support, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and differences between White and Hispanic/Latinx students. Results: Reported COVID-19 stressors were associated with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms and higher among Hispanic/Latinx students. Family and friend support were negatively associated with both internalizing outcomes. Partner support was negatively associated with depression and more predictive among White students whereas friend support was for Hispanic/Latinx students' anxiety. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the importance of social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youth Perceived Social Support and Symptom Distress: A Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Although social support and mental health associations have been extensively investigated, their reciprocal relations in vulnerable youth remain understudied. This study investigated the relations between perceived social support and symptom distress over time whilst differentiating between support from caregivers and significant others. The sample included 257 youth (79% self-identified women, Mage = 19.2, SD = 2.5) who were receiving mental health treatment. Using a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model, results revealed no significant concurrent associations, between-person effects, or cross-lagged effects. The autoregressive effects suggested that perceived social support from caregivers was relatively stable over time, while symptom distress and support from a significant other were not. In all, this study challenged the validity of the social causation and social erosion models in the context of perceived social support and symptom distress among vulnerable youth, revealing an absence of significant reciprocal associations. The stable nature of perceived social support from caregivers compared to support from significant others was highlighted. The study design, hypotheses, and target analyses were preregistered under https://osf.io/f4qpg .

Association Between Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms Among Firefighters: The Mediating Role of Negative Coping

Background

Depressive symptoms (DS) can erode physical and mental health; social support (SS) is considered a buffer for DS and a promoter for improving coping and recovery abilities. However, there is almost no research on the mediating role of negative coping (NC) in SS and DS, especially among firefighters.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among firefighters in Chongqing, China, and the valid data of 407 firefighters were collected through questionnaires distributed on the WeChat platform in 2020. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 26.0 is used for descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the association among SS, NC, and DS. The mediation effect is also evaluated.

Results

Firefighters' detection rate of DS is 23.3%, and when they receive more SS were less likely to develop DS. NC was positively correlated with DS (β = 0.54, p < 0.001) after controlling for SS. Besides, the results of structural equation modeling showed that NC partially mediates the relationship between SS and DS (standard error = 0.039, indirect effects = 0.109, 95% confidence interval: 0.047-0.200 p < 0.001).

Conclusion

NC has a partial indirect effect between SS and DS among firefighters. SS could not only affect DS directly but also indirect work on it by affecting NC. This discovery will be a novel and meaningful part of the research on the firefighter population.

Growing up with a sibling with depression: A qualitative study in Israel

Depression has major consequences for the entire family, among them emotional distress, disrupted daily routine and social damage caused by negative stigmas. The aim of this study was to explore the retrospective experiences of young adults who lived with a sibling with depression while they were adolescents. The present study adopted a qualitative-phenomenological approach. The research participants were recruited via purposive sampling on social networks across Israel from May to September 2022. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants aged 18-29 who lived with a sibling with depression during their adolescence. Data collection continued until saturation of concepts was reached. The results underwent thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analyses: 1) "I felt like I was living in a minefield": Adolescence while living with a sibling with depression; 2) "One step forward and two steps back": Siblings' coping strategies; 3) "My parents were not there for me when I needed them": Participants' experiences with their parents during their adolescence. The research findings indicate that adolescents who grew up with a sibling affected by depression had to cope with an acute family crisis, whose serious ramifications required emotional and social support. Mental health professionals and counselors working within educational institutions and the broader community should provide support and intervention for adolescents who have siblings struggling with depression. This intervention may take the form of individual or group therapy that aims to foster a sense of belonging and help affected individuals. Creating a supportive environment that meets the needs of the affected siblings is also crucial in addressing this issue effectively.

Hair androgen concentrations and depressive disorders in adolescents from the general population

Although the link between androgens and depression is well established in adults, the effects of cofactors on this association are less clearly understood, particularly in youth. Epidemiological cohort study of adolescents in Dresden, Germany. Analyses comprised data of 985 individuals assessed at baseline and of 512 individuals at 1-year follow-up. We investigated multivariable regression models for cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of hair testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and their cortisol ratios with 12-month diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and MDD without any anxiety disorder assessed with standardized diagnostic interview (DIA-X-5), and with dimensional depression scores (PHQ-9, PROMIS), separately for males and females. The potential moderating effect of social support was determined. Cross-sectional analyses yielded inverse associations of testosterone and DHEA with MDD and MDD without any anxiety disorders in males. In cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, baseline ratio cortisol/DHEA was significantly, inversely associated to PROMIS-depression in males. Only cross-sectional associations for ratio cortisol/DHEA and PROMIS-depression remained significant after Bonferroni-Holm correction. No robust associations were observed in female participants. Social support exerted no consistent moderating effect on the investigated association. The present observational cohort study showed no consistent association of hair androgen concentrations with depressive disorders in adolescents. However, findings provide some support for the association between the cortisol/DHEA ratio and depression in males. Longitudinal research designs in large samples are needed to understand the interplay between androgens, depression, and developmental and social factors in youth.

A Few Close Friends? Adolescent Friendships' Effect on Internalizing Symptoms Is Serially Mediated by Desire for More Friends and Social Goal Orientation

Interpersonal connection is a fundamental human motivation, and the extent to which it is fulfilled is a strong predictor of symptoms of internalizing disorders such as social anxiety and depression, perhaps especially during the "social reorienting" period of adolescence. However, little is known about the contribution to this effect of the individual's social motivations, which are intensified during adolescence. Furthermore, social goal orientation - an individual's priorities and intentions in social interactions - is an important predictor of vulnerability to internalizing symptoms. Adolescents spend most of their waking lives in classrooms, bounded social networks with a limited pool of candidates for befriending. This study investigated whether friendships within one's class protects against internalizing symptoms in part by reducing the desire for more classmate friendships, which may tend to promote maladaptive social goals. Participants were 423 young adolescents (M age = 13.2, sd = 0.52 years; 49.4% girls). As predicted, adolescents' number of reciprocated classroom friendships had a protective effect on internalizing symptoms which was serially mediated by desire for more such friendships, and social goal orientation. However, only demonstration-avoidance goals significantly predicted internalizing symptoms. Unreciprocated friendship nominations were unexpectedly associated with stronger desire and more social anxiety symptoms. The results suggest that the effect of number of friends is mediated by the individual's thoughts and feelings about their number of friendships, such that a strong desire for more friendships promotes maladaptive goals, oriented toward social status and consequently less oriented toward the cultivation of interpersonal intimacy with the friends they already have.

WITHDRAWN: Associations between family support, loneliness, and underlying depression among children and adolescents in the China family panel studies: A mediation analysis

This article has been withdrawn: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been withdrawn at the request of the editor and publisher. The publisher regrets that an error occurred which led to the premature publication of this paper. This error bears no reflection on the article or its authors. The publisher apologizes to the authors and the readers for this unfortunate error.

Social Support and Parental Conflict as Predictors of Outcomes of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Depression

Group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for adolescent depression, but outcomes vary. Our goal was to examine interpersonal factors that predict response to group CBT for adolescent depression using a broad range of outcomes, including depressive symptoms, session attendance, treatment completion, engagement, and improvement. Seventy adolescents (age 14-18) with depression completed self-report measures of social support and parental conflict and were offered an established 16-session group CBT program. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted for interpersonal predictors and CBT outcomes. Accounting for pre-treatment depressive symptoms, fewer social supports predicted lower likelihood of finishing treatment and less clinician-rated improvement. Greater pre-treatment parental conflict predicted fewer sessions attended, lower clinician-rated engagement, and less clinician-rated improvement. Results highlight the need to consider interpersonal difficulties in CBT, as they may present a barrier to treatment attendance, engagement, and improvement.

Related factors to the coping style of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss

BACKGROUND

Coping style can affect the patient's physical and mental health management. Therefore this study aimed to identify factors related to the coping style of young and middle-aged sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients to provide reference for clinical nursing practice.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on young and middle-aged SSNHL patients hospitalized in the otolaryngology departments of four hospitals in Suzhou City, China. A paper-based self-administered questionnaire investigated the patient's coping style and related factors. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysed the effective related factors in patients' coping styles.

RESULTS

Among 872 patients, 866 completed the survey, with an average age of 37.27 y. Factors related to the coping style of these patients included gender, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality (p<0.05). Female patients adopt more negative coping styles than male patients. Patients with chronic diseases or a history of trauma had more positive coping styles. Higher social support scores were related to improvements in coping style. Patients with type D personality were more likely to adopt negative coping styles.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that psychological assessment of patients, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality may benefit the understanding of these patients' coping styles and, as a consequence, may improve their stress management.

Temporal Directionality Between Teaching Behavior and Affect in High School Students

The associations between teaching behaviors and students' affect are examined in cross-sectional studies in younger samples, but the temporal direction of these associations in high school students is unknown. In this longitudinal study, adolescents (N = 188; 88.8% White; 69.7% female) completed instruments to measure teaching behaviors and adolescents' negative (e.g., cheerful) and positive affect (e.g., ashamed) twice, four months apart. Adolescents' negative affect predicted future negative teaching behavior and negative teaching behavior marginally predicted adolescents' future negative affect. Positive affect predicted future socio-emotional teaching behavior and vice versa. The findings provide insight into which teaching behaviors impact students' affect and the impact that students' mental health has on teaching behavior, an area of study that has received limited attention.

The interactive effects of family violence and peer support on adolescent depressive symptoms: The mediating role of cognitive vulnerabilities

BACKGROUND

Family violence as an inducing factor of depressive symptoms has been confirmed in previous studies. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood, particularly in Chinese adolescents. Guided by the social-ecological diathesis-stress model, this three-wave longitudinal study aimed to examine the effects of an individual's cognitive vulnerabilities (rejection-sensitivity anxiety and negative cognitive error) and positive societal contexts (peer support) on the link between family violence and depressive symptoms in Chinese society.

METHODS

A total of 859 Chinese adolescents (44.35 % female; M_age = 12.73, SD = 0.43 at baseline) completed self-reporting surveys that assessed variables associated with study and peer-nominated peer support.

RESULTS

The results showed that family violence increased the incidence of depressive symptoms in adolescents after two years, resulting in rejection-sensitivity anxiety and negative cognitive error. Surprisingly, higher self-reported peer support, although not peer-nominated support, exacerbated rather than mitigated this indirect effect, supporting the reverse stress-buffering model and extending the healthy context paradox.

LIMITATIONS

Most of the measures were based on participants' self-reports.

CONCLUSIONS

These results emphasize the importance of individual cognition and societal contexts in adolescents with traumatic experiences and provide empirical evidence for the intervention and clinical treatment of depressive symptoms.

Communication and Social Interaction Experiences of Youths With Congenital Motor Speech Disorders

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore the communication and social interaction experiences of adolescents with congenital motor speech disorders due to cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, with the aim of identifying clinical and research needs to support the development and implementation of speech-language interventions.

METHOD

Five male youths (ages 14-18 years) with congenital motor speech disorders and one of their parents participated in face-to-face, semistructured interviews designed to understand communication and social experiences in daily life. Interviews were audio-recorded and orthographically transcribed offline. Content was coded according to topic areas emerging in the data. Themes were developed to illustrate the most salient and representative aspects of participants' experiences according to the phenomenological tradition that recognizes that participants are experts in their "lived experience."

RESULTS

Participants described the youths' day-to-day communication experiences, including facilitators and barriers to successful social interactions. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (a) strong core relationships amidst sparse, superficial interactions in daily life; (b) the complicated picture of why; and (c) how speech-language pathologists can help.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants reported that the impact of congenital motor speech disorders on social interactions and experiences became more apparent in adolescence than in earlier childhood. Addressing communication challenges to meet the unique social demands of this period requires tailored interventions that target multiple contributing factors beyond speech impairment, such as social communication skills, negative communication partner attitudes, and participation opportunities. Shifting practice toward a life participation approach to communication intervention stands to substantially improve the long-term social outcomes of adolescents with motor speech disorders.

Influencing factors, prediction and prevention of depression in college students: A literature review

The high prevalence of depression among college students has a strong negative impact on individual physical and mental health, academic development, and interpersonal communication. This paper reviewed the extant literature by identifying nonpathological factors related to college students' depression, investigating the methods of predicting depression, and exploring nonpharmaceutical interventions for college students' depression. The influencing factors of college students' depression mainly fell into four categories: biological factors, personality and psychological state, college experience, and lifestyle. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has exacerbated the severity of depression among college students worldwide and poses grave challenges to the prevention and treatment of depression, given that the coronavirus has spread quickly with high infection rates, and the pandemic has changed the daily routines of college life. To predict and measure mental health, more advanced methods, such as machine algorithms and artificial intelligence, have emerged in recent years apart from the traditional commonly used psychological scales. Regarding nonpharmaceutical prevention measures, both general measures and professional measures for the prevention and treatment of college students' depression were examined in this study. Students who experience depressive disorders need family support and personalized interventions at college, which should also be supplemented by professional interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and online therapy. Through this literature review, we insist that the technology of identification, prediction, and prevention of depression among college students based on big data platforms will be extensively used in the future. Higher education institutions should understand the potential risk factors related to college students' depression and make more accurate screening and prevention available with the help of advanced technologies.

Interventions in Chinese Undergraduate Students' Mental Health: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Over 30% of university students from 8 countries were afflicted with mental distress according to a World Health Organization survey. Undergraduate students in increasing numbers in China have also been reported to suffer from different mental problems. Various psychological distresses significantly impact their academic and daily life, thereby causing role impairments and unsatisfactory academic achievements. While the prevalence of, diverse underlying factors for, and interventions of social support in college students' mental health have extensively been investigated in China, there is no study exclusively focusing on the impact of interventions on their psychological well-being.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review was to identify and synthesize the interventions in the mental health concerns of Chinese undergraduate students studying in China reported in the literature to inform educational authorities, college and university management, students' affairs counselors, and mental health providers.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and reported the research findings of previous studies according to the protocol of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 statement. First, based on the predefined search strategy, keyword searches were performed in the PubMed and ProQuest databases to retrieve relevant studies. Subsequently, we screened the candidate articles based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, we analyzed the included papers for qualitative synthesis.

RESULTS

We retrieved a total of 675 studies from the PubMed and ProQuest databases using the search strategy on March 15, 2022. Among these candidate studies, 15 that were not written in English, 76 duplicates, and 149 studies of other document types were removed before screening. An additional 313 studies were excluded in the screening process, with 73 articles ruled out for being not relevant to interventions, not related to mental health, or not focused on undergraduate students in the full-text review. As a result, 49 papers were eligible and included in this systematic review. In the qualitative synthesis, we divided the interventions reported in the selected studies into two categories: (1) social support from government authorities, university authorities, students' affairs counselors and teachers, family members, health care authorities and professionals, and the media (various online platforms), and (2) various coping strategies adopted by undergraduate students themselves. We identified further research on mental health interventions that may be delivered by digital medical platforms, conversational agents (eg, chatbots), and researchers.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first systematic review of interventions to address the mental health concerns of Chinese undergraduate students studying in China. The categorization of reported interventions and the identification of new intervention channels can effectively inform stakeholders. Interventions for undergraduate students' mental health is a research topic worth further investigation.

School educational models and child mental health among K-12 students: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

The promotion of mental health among children and adolescents is a public health imperative worldwide, and schools have been proposed as the primary and targeted settings for mental health promotion for students in grades K-12. This review sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of key factors involved in models of school education contributing to student mental health development, interrelationships among these factors and the cross-cultural differences across nations and societies.

METHODS

This scoping review followed the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and holistically reviewed the current evidence on the potential impacts of school-related factors or school-based interventions on student mental health in recent 5 years based on the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and PsycExtra databases.

RESULTS/FINDINGS

After screening 558 full-texts, this review contained a total of 197 original articles on school education and student mental health. Based on the five key factors (including curriculum, homework and tests, physical activities, interpersonal relationships and after-school activities) identified in student mental development according to thematic analyses, a multi-component school educational model integrating academic, social and physical factors was proposed so as to conceptualize the five school-based dimensions for K-12 students to promote student mental health development.

CONCLUSIONS

The lessons learned from previous studies indicate that developing multi-component school strategies to promote student mental health remains a major challenge. This review may help establish appropriate school educational models and call for a greater emphasis on advancement of student mental health in the K-12 school context among different nations or societies.

Socioemotional Resources and Mental Health in Moroccan Adolescents: A Person-Centered Approach

Mixture modeling technics are not the one and only to perform person-centered analyses, but they do offer the possibility of integrating latent profiles into models of some complexity that include antecedents and results. When analyzing the contribution of socioemotional resources to the preservation of mental health, it is the variable-centered approaches that are the most often performed, with few examples using a person-centered approach. Moreover, if the focus is on the Arab adolescent population, to our knowledge, there is an absence of such studies. This study aims to extend the research about socioemotional resources by examining: (1) if distinguishable profiles can be identified based on scores about perceptions of different emotional abilities and levels of social support from different sources (e.g., parents, friends, and teachers/counselors); (2) if the identified profiles relate to mental health indicators, such as depression levels and health-related quality of life (HRQoL); and (3) to acknowledge if sociodemographic variables such as age or gender and positive self-views (self-esteem) ascertain the probability of pertaining to the identified profiles. The study was carried out on a large sample of Moroccan adolescents (N = 970). We adopted a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis (LPA) to establish whether different socioemotional resources profiles (e.g., emotional intelligence and social support) are present in Moroccan adolescents. Furthermore, we investigated the role of sociodemographic variables and self-esteem as antecedents of these profiles and the association of these profiles with mental health (depression and HRQoL). Results from LPA revealed three patterns of socioemotional resources (i.e., latent profiles): (1) “High socioemotional resources” (43.09%); (2) “Moderate socioemotional resources” (42.68%); and (3) “Low socioemotional resources” (14.23%). Analyses showed that Moroccan adolescents differed significantly in depression (cognitive-affective and somatic dimensions) and HRQoL depending on the profile membership. Profiles with higher levels of resources contributed positively to preserving mental health. Finally, the results show that self-esteem boosted the probability of pertaining to the profiles related to better mental health. Thus, this study extends previous research about socioemotional resources, highlighting that researchers and health professionals should consider empirically identified profiles of adolescents when explaining mental health outcomes. Therefore, the psychological intervention should be focused on enhancing the self-esteem of adolescents, to favor a high socioemotional resource profile, which results in better mental health.

The Prevalence of Depression and Related Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among the General Population of the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia

Background This study examines the rates of depression associated with the COVID-19 pandemic along with mitigation measures such as lockdown and quarantine in the population of the Jazan region in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) began mitigation measures before the first case appeared on March 2, 2020, disrupting daily life in a culture that is centered on family life. We sought to assess the psychological impacts of the pandemic on this culturally unique region to see if it affected as many as other reported places in the world. Methods A self-reporting online questionnaire in Arabic was distributed through social media applications and a convenience sample of 942 participants ≥18 years of age living in the Jazan region was selected. The questionnaire included socio-demographics, economic status, chronic medical conditions, focus on and knowledge of COVID-19, and the patient health questionnaire-9 scale (PHQ-9) for depression metrics. The data in this study were analyzed using descriptive analysis of participant characteristics, followed by Chi-square testing to compare reported depression related to each variable. Finally, to control for confounding factors, we applied multivariate logistic regression to find an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI. Results In the Jazan region, the rate of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic was nearly 26%. There are several significant determinants associated with higher rates of depression in descending order: those with chronic diseases were 160% higher than those without; those with a history of mental illness were 150% higher; participants who focused excessively on the pandemic ≥3 hours daily were 130% higher; participants who were divorced or widowed were 120% higher than singles; females were 87% higher; those under age 40 were 57% higher; students were 50% higher; those reporting low incomes were 40% higher than those with moderate incomes and 60% higher than those with high incomes. Conclusions Strategies need to be devised to protect vulnerable groups of participants from mental health effects, including depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will require the collaboration of various institutions, such as schools and others, to provide support for education and mental health. Future research should be aimed at determining the reasons for this higher vulnerability of some groups.

A multisystemic perspective on the temporal interplay between adolescent depression and resilience-supporting individual and social resources

BACKGROUND

Adolescent depression can severely interfere with age-appropriate and lifetime development and functionality. Physical functioning in daily life (as a means of individual support) as well as social support from family and friends have been shown to enhance adolescent resilience against depression. By applying a multisystemic model of resilience, this study investigates how these resources reciprocally influence each other and how they interact with depression over time.

METHODS

Longitudinal data (three assessments over three years) from the Resilient Youth in Stressed Environments project was analyzed using panel network analysis to investigate short- and long-term uni- and bidirectional effects. The sample consisted of N = 500 adolescents from Canada (mean age = 18.49, SD = 3.01, 56.40% young women) at the first assessment.

RESULTS

Depression seemed to fluctuate, while the resources showed significant stability over the course of the study. Perceived family and friend support were not significantly influenced by depression while they had significantly negative temporal effects on depression. Only physical functioning showed a negative feedback loop, notably with somatic symptoms of depression. Family and friend support shared a reinforcing feedback loop, while physical functioning was not related to either type of support.

LIMITATIONS

Future studies should address the low average of depressive symptomatology and subjective, global measures of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

The resources show potential time-dependent effects: symptom-specific resources need to be applied in the short-term, while a pool of multisystemic resilience resources seems necessary over the long-term to increase the resilience to depression among adolescents.

Validity evidence for the School Subjective Well-Being Scale

Abstract This study gathered validity evidence based on relations to other variables for the School Subjective Well-being Scale. The sample consisted of 434 students of both genders, with age ranging from 12 to 19 years (M = 14.88; SD = 1.70); they were all students from the 7th grade Elementary School to the 2nd grade High School, attending a public school located in Ceará, Brazil. The School Subjective Well-being Scale, a sociodemographic and school questionnaire, was applied, as well as the Baptist Depression Scale for Children and Adolescents, the Global Life Satisfaction Scale for Adolescents, the Social Support Perception Scale for Adolescents. The scale factors showed significant positive and negative, moderate to high correlations and the measure’s scores of school well-being allowed differentiation among groups regarding gender and school issues.

Who Is Exposed to Harmful Online Content? The Role of Risk and Protective Factors Among Czech, Finnish, and Spanish Adolescents

Although adolescents' exposure to harmful online content has been linked to decreased subjective well-being and offline risky behaviors, there is limited research on the factors that underlie such problematic online behavior. Using the conceptual framework of Problem Behavior Theory, this study examined the role of risk (i.e., emotional problems, sensation seeking) and protective (i.e., the quality of family environment, social support from friends) factors in exposure to harmful online content among 4473 12- to 16-year-olds (M = 13.9, SD = 1.3, 49% girls) in the Czech Republic, Finland, and Spain. Individual country samples included 1848 adolescents from the Czech Republic (age: M = 14, SD = 1.4; 51% girls), 788 from Finland (age: M = 13.9, SD = 1.3; 52% girls), and 1837 from Spain (age: M = 13.5, SD = 1.2; 47% girls). In all of the sampled countries, emotional problems and sensation seeking served as risk factors, whereas good family relationships were protective. In some countries, the effects of emotional problems and sensation seeking were moderated by the quality of the family environment and social support from friends. These moderating effects suggest that individual risk factors for exposure to harmful online content may be buffered by a positive family environment and friends' support. The findings revealed similarities in the risk and protective factors underlying online problem behavior across three different countries. They demonstrate that the mechanisms proposed by Problem Behavior Theory can help to understand the etiology of adolescent problem behavior across different countries as well as offline and online contexts.

The impacts of coping style and perceived social support on the mental health of undergraduate students during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a multicenter survey

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of undergraduate students in China have been reported to have psychological problems. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of preventive and control measures were implemented, which undoubtedly worsened their psychological health. Coping style and social support were probably important factors that affected the psychological well-being of undergraduate students during the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the effects of coping style and perceived social support on the psychological well-being of college students and relevant risk factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was performed in February and March of 2020 by distributing an online questionnaire among undergraduate students from seven geographical regions across China. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information; the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS); and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). For the analyses, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple linear regression were utilized. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Among 3113 college students, the rates of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms were 13.3, 15.4 and 6.8%, respectively. Increased rates of current smoking and drinking (5.5 and 25.2%, respectively) among undergraduates were identified. The results indicated that the PSSS subscales and SCSQ subscales were significantly associated with DASS-21 scores (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that active coping style and family support were protective factors while passive coping style could aggravate psychological problems among participants (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A remarkable number of college students adopted passive coping strategies to cope with negative feelings, such as smoking and drinking, which were detrimental to their mental health. In contrast, active coping strategies helped improve their psychological well-being. Moreover, family support was particularly important for maintaining their mental health and ameliorating mental health challenges in this major health crisis. Consequently, suitable psychointervention, routine screening for risk behaviors, and provision of further social support are needed for undergraduate students in the COVID-19 pandemic or other emergency public health events.

Adolescent Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Close Relationships and COVID-19-related Stress

During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents' typical social support systems have been disrupted. The present study examined adolescent adjustment during the pandemic (summer, 2020) while controlling for pre-pandemic adjustment (2017-2018) in 170 youth (ages 12-20) from Missouri and Florida. We also examined whether positive and negative relationship qualities with four close others (i.e., mothers, fathers, siblings, and best friends) interacted with COVID-related stress to impact adolescent adjustment. In general, we found that close relationships impacted adolescent adjustment in expected directions (i.e., positive relationships better for adjustment, negative relationships more detrimental), but while mothers and fathers impacted adolescent adjustment in largely similar ways to pre-pandemic studies, influences of relationships with best friends and sibling were more impacted by COVID-related stress.

The longitudinal influences of adverse childhood experiences and positive childhood experiences at family, school, and neighborhood on adolescent depression and anxiety

BACKGROUND

Adolescent depression and anxiety are major mental health concerns. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are risk factors for depression and anxiety in adolescence and positive childhood experiences at home, school, and neighborhood are protective factors. Few studies, however, have compared the longitudinal effects of these two sets of contextual risk and protective factors on depression and anxiety among adolescents by framing them together.

METHODS

This study used data on a subsample of 3426 socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents collected at their birth, ages one, three, five, nine, and fifteen. Logistic regression was used to examine the longitudinal effects of ACEs, focusing on childhood maltreatment and family dysfunctions, and positive childhood experiences with family, school, and neighborhood on the risks of depression and anxiety. Adolescents' characteristics and their families' socioeconomic status were adjusted.

RESULTS

In the two ACEs subcategories, childhood maltreatment exposures increased the risks only for later anxiety; family dysfunction increased the risks for both later depression and anxiety. In the three contexts, positive childhood experiences at family and school protected at-risk adolescents against both mental health concerns, whereas neighborhood collective efficacy protected adolescents only against depression.

LIMITATIONS

Resilience was examined as an outcome only; it can also be examined as a process. Neither teachers' nor grandparents' supports were included.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs maltreatment and family dysfunction are two different risk dimensions for adolescent depression and anxiety. Positive childhood experiences at family are the strongest protective factors for children exposed to ACEs, followed by these in school and neighborhood. Early interventions building positive relationships may benefit adolescent mental health.

Mental health condition of college students compared to non-students during COVID-19 lockdown: the CONFINS study

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the effect of student status on mental health condition during COVID-19 general lockdown in France.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis comparing students and non-students recruited in the same study.

SETTING

Participants of the web-based CONFINS study implemented during the general lockdown in France in spring 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

2260 participants (78% women) including 1335 students (59%).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Through an online questionnaire, participants declared if they have experienced suicidal thoughts, coded their perceived stress on a 10-points scale and completed validated mental health scales (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depressive symptoms, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety symptoms) during the last 7 days. The effect of college student status on each mental health condition was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Stratified models for students and non-students were performed to identify population-specific factors.

RESULTS

Student status was associated with a higher frequency of depressive symptoms (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.58; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.14), anxiety symptoms (aOR=1.51; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.07), perceived stress (n=1919, aOR=1.70, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.29) and suicidal thoughts (n=1919, aOR=1.57, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.53). Lockdown conditions that could be potentially aggravating on mental health like isolation had a higher impact on students than on non-students.

CONCLUSIONS

College students were at higher risk of mental health disturbances during lockdown than non-students, even after taking into account several potential confounding factors. A close follow-up and monitoring of students' mental health status is warranted during lockdown periods in this vulnerable population.

Family Cohesion and Stress Consequences Among Chinese College Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model

Family plays a pivotal role in individuals' mental health. During the COVID-19 epidemic, people were being quarantined at home to prevent the further spread of the virus. Therefore, the influence of family on individuals is more significant than usual. It is reasonable to assume that family cohesion can effectively alleviate the stress consequences during the COVID-19 epidemic. In the present study, a moderated mediation model was constructed to examine the mechanisms underlying the association between family cohesion and stress consequences among Chinese college students. A large sample of Chinese college students (N = 1,254, Mage = 19.85, SDage = 1.29) participated in the study. Results indicated that family cohesion was negatively related to stress consequences. Fear of COVID-19 partially mediated the link between family cohesion and stress consequences. Excessive affective empathy reported by participants served to aggravate the relation between fear of COVID-19 and stress consequences. The study helps us understand how internal and external factors affect individual mental health that provides meaningful implications for promoting mental health.

Perceived Social Support from Different Sources and Adolescent Life Satisfaction Across 42 Countries/Regions: The Moderating Role of National-Level Generalized Trust

Although previous research established a positive association between perceived social support and adolescent life satisfaction, little is known about the relative importance of different sources of support for adolescent life satisfaction and cross-country variations in this respect. Using large-scale representative samples from the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, this study examined to what extent the association between social support and life satisfaction in early adolescence varied across different social sources and countries. Also, it examined whether cross-country variations are explained by national-level generalized trust, a sociocultural factor that shapes adolescent socialization. National-level data were linked to data from 183,918 early adolescents (Mage = 13.56, SD = 1.63, 52% girls) from 42 European and North American countries/regions obtained from HBSC. Multilevel regression analyses yielded a positive association between support from different sources and life satisfaction. The strongest associations were found for support from families, followed by teachers and classmates, and weakest for support from friends. Associations varied across different countries/regions. National-level trust amplified the association between perceived classmate support and adolescent life satisfaction. The revealed cross-country differences open avenues for future cross-cultural research on explanations for cross-cultural differences in the association between social support from different sources and life satisfaction in early adolescence.

Zoom or In-Person: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study of Time with Friends and Depressive Symptoms on Affect in Emerging Adults

INTRODUCTION

Depression is associated with increased negative affect (NA) and low positive affect (PA), as well as interpersonal difficulties. Although most studies examine symptoms and affect at only one time point, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) captures data on affect and activity in real time and across contexts. The present study used EMA to explore the links between in-person and virtual social interactions, depressive symptoms, and momentary affect.

METHODS

Emerging adults (N=86) completed a self-report measure of both general depression and dysphoria symptoms, followed by EMA surveys 8 times daily for one week, reporting momentary affect (PA and NA) and social context (in-person and virtual interactions with friends).

RESULTS

In-person, but not virtual, presence of friends was associated with increased PA overall. Depressive symptoms were linked to less time with in-person friends and elevated NA. There was also a significant interaction between in-person presence of friends and dysphoria in predicting NA, such that presence of in-person friends was associated with lower NA only for those low in dysphoria.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that time with in-person friends is associated with increased PA overall and decreased NA only for those lower in depressive symptoms, but these effects do not generalize to virtual interactions. Those with greater depressive symptoms may be less responsive to positive stimuli and experience less of an effect of friends' presence on affect. Alternatively, maladaptive social behaviors characteristic of depression may influence the effect of social interactions on affect.

Risk, Protective, and Associated Factors of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Campus Health Services Utilization Among Black Men on a College Campus

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to analyze relationships among social and environmental determinants serving as risk, protective, and important covariate factors for mental health risk and help-seeking among Black men on a college campus.

METHODS

A secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing an ongoing, campus-wide survey at a large, urban, public university. Measures included depressive and anxiety symptoms; campus service utilization; risk factors (e.g., financial status); protective factors (social support/religiosity); and additional covariates (substance use/GPA). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine relationships between these factors, symptoms and help-seeking.

RESULTS

Data is included for 681 students. Findings indicated that stressful life events were associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms (B = 0.39, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (B = 0.33, p = 0.013). Cannabis use (B = 1.14, p = .020) was also associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. We found that financial status (B = 0.21, p = 0.041) was positively associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and endorsement of religiosity was associated with lower levels anxiety (B = - 0.23, p = 0.019) and depressive symptoms (B = - 0.32, p = 0.035). Religiosity predicted lower utilization of campus health services.

CONCLUSIONS

The key findings indicated that Black men's mental health is negatively influenced by stressful live events and cannabis use. As religiosity was associated with lower levels of symptoms and utilization, it may be beneficial to assess this in future work. Further research is needed to address and improve mental health and help-seeking among these men.

The Architecture of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Network Analysis Study

Rates of subclinical symptoms and full-blown depression significantly increase during adolescence. Hence, understanding how multiple cognitive risk factors are related to depression in adolescence is of major importance. For this purpose, we simultaneously considered multiple cognitive vulnerabilities, as proposed by three major cognitive theories for depression, namely Beck’s cognitive theory, hopelessness theory, and response style theory. In this four-wave study, we investigated the architecture, interplay, and stability of cognitive vulnerability mechanisms, depressive symptoms, and stressors in a large group of adolescents over a period of one year (n = 469; mean age = 15 years; 64% female). Network analysis was used to shed light on the structure of cognitive vulnerabilities in a data-driven fashion. Analyses revealed that different cognitive vulnerabilities were intertwined and automatic thoughts played the role of hub node in the network. Moreover, the interplay among cognitive vulnerabilities and depressive symptoms was already markedly stable in adolescence and did not change over a 12-month period. Finally, no evidence was found that cognitive vulnerabilities interacted with stressors, as proposed by diathesis-stress models. These findings advance our understanding of multiple cognitive risk factors for depression in adolescence.

Family factors and depressive symptoms among college students: Understanding the role of self-compassion

Objective: Poor family support and increased family unpredictability during childhood have been related to subsequent depression. How self-compassion might influence the relation between family factors (ie, unpredictability and support) and depression is unclear. The present study examines how family factors and self-compassion relate to depressive symptoms.Participants: Study participants include 365 university students.Methods: Undergraduate students responded to a questionnaire assessing family factors, recent depressive symptoms, and self-compassion.Results: Hypotheses were supported: family factors were correlated with depression and lower self-compassion, and self-compassion and depression were negatively related. Furthermore, self-compassion moderated the unpredictability-depression relationship. Specifically, individuals who reported high levels of self-compassion demonstrated similar rates of depression, regardless of whether they reported mild, moderate, or high levels of family unpredictability. Self-compassion did not moderate the family support-depression relationship.Conclusions: Implications for therapeutic interventions targeting self-compassion for alleviating depressive symptoms are discussed.

IDEAL CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH STATUS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADOLESCENTS: THE LABMED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STUDY

Objective:

Adolescent’s ideal cardiovascular health index (ICVH) seems to be an important indicator of youth’s lifestyles and cardiometabolic health with potential positive consequences for their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between the ICVH index and HRQoL in adolescents.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study based on secondary analyses from the LabMed Physical Activity Study (n=407 adolescents, 53% girls). ICVH, as defined by the American Heart Association, was determined as meeting ideal behaviors (physical activity, body mass index, smoking status, and diet intake) and health factors (blood pressure, total glucose, and cholesterol). HRQoL was measured with the Kidscreen-10 self-report questionnaire.

Results:

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant association between the accumulation of ideal cardiovascular health metrics and HRQoL (F_(4,403)=4.160; p=0.003). In addition, the higher the number of ideal health behaviors accumulated, the higher the mean values of HRQoL (p-value for trend=0.001), after adjustments for age, sex, socioeconomic status and pubertal stage.

Conclusions:

ICVH index was positively associated with HRQoL in adolescents. Ideal health behaviors metrics seem to have a stronger association with HRQoL than the ideal health factors metrics in adolescents.

Depressive Symptoms and Academic Achievement: The Role of Adolescents' Perceptions of Teachers' and Peers' Behaviors

This present study, using a longitudinal design, investigated how depressive symptoms are related to academic achievement and whether the perceptions of teachers' and peers' behaviors moderated this relation. A sample of 302 adolescents (60.10% girls, M_age  = 17.35) completed scales measuring the depressive symptoms and perception of their teachers' support/equity and peers' cooperation/cohesiveness behaviors at Time 1. The adolescents' average grades were also collected. The adolescents' depressive symptoms and average grades were measured again at Time 2. The results showed that depressive symptoms measured at Time 1 were negatively associated with academic achievement measured at Time 2. The adolescents' perception of their peers' cooperation/cohesiveness moderated the relation between depressive symptoms and academic achievement. The results' implications for educational practice are discussed.

Association between Active Travel to School and Depressive Symptoms among Early Adolescents

Background: Although much evidence has demonstrated the positive relationship of active school travel (AST) and physical health, little is known about the relationship of AST and mental health indicators among early adolescents, especially in Chinese populations. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship of AST with depressive symptoms and its sex as well as age difference among early adolescents from Shanghai urban areas, China. Methods: 6478 adolescents (mean age = 13.6) in urban area were recruited, of whom boys accounted for 46.2%. A self-reported questionnaire in Chinese was used to collect data on AST and depressive symptoms, and other control variables. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationships of AST with depressive symptoms. Results: Of all included participants, 53.2% of adolescents reported being active in AST without sex difference. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.2% without sex difference. AST was associated with reporting no depressive symptoms in adolescents (adjusted OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.06–1.36). However, the relationship was significant in boys (adjusted OR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.11–1.60), in those who were grade 8 (adjusted OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.01–1.55) and 9 (adjusted OR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.01–1.65) adolescents. Conclusions: AST may play an important role in preventing depressive symptoms among early adolescents. However, the relationship of AST with depressive symptoms differed by sex and age. More research is encouraged to explore the mechanism linking AST and depressive symptoms among adolescents, especially in different contexts.

Teacher Support and Mental Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Negative Emotions and Resilience

Teacher support has been shown to enhance adolescent mental health. However, the effects of negative emotions and resilience in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being in adolescents are still unknown. This study investigated (a) the mediating role of negative emotions in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being, (b) the mediating role of resilience in the association between teacher support and mental well-being, (c) the serial mediating role of negative emotions and then resilience in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being, and (d) the parallel mediating role of the five dimensions of resilience and the three factors of negative emotions in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being. Participants were 1228 Chinese adolescents (age, M = 15.43 years; 53.09% male). Participants filled out questionnaires regarding teacher support, negative emotions, resilience, and mental well-being. After controlling for age and gender, we found that teacher support, negative emotions, and resilience were significantly linked with mental well-being. Moreover, negative emotions and resilience were found to mediate the relationship between teacher support and adolescent mental well-being, accounting for 5.45 and 30.00% of the total effect, respectively. We also found that teacher support enhances mental well-being by decreasing negative emotions and then increasing resilience. This serial mediating effect accounted for 8.48% of the total effect. Finally, the mediating effect of resilience between teacher support and mental well-being was significantly greater than the mediating effects of the other two indirect effects (negative emotions in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being, negative emotions and then resilience in the relationship between teacher support and mental well-being). And the parallel mediation model showed that teacher support can promote adolescent mental well-being by increasing goal planning, affect control, and help-seeking behavior, and decreasing depression. These findings suggest a process through which negative emotions can decrease resilience and identify the mediating effects of negative emotions (including the three dimensions of negative emotions) and resilience (including the five factors of resilience) in the relationship between teacher support and adolescent mental well-being.

How involuntary subordination and social support influence the association between self-esteem and depression: a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

In China, young migrants are at elevated risk of mental health problems, such as depression. The influence of self-esteem on depression is well acknowledged. We examined correlates of depression and their mediating and moderating role in the association between self-esteem and depression to promote a better understanding of depression prevention among young migrants.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study among young Chinese migrants. A moderated mediation model was used to test the combined effect of involuntary subordination and social support on the association between self-esteem and depression. The Johnson-Neyman method was used to identify the range of scores for which social support acted as a moderator.

RESULTS

A total of 572 participants completed questionnaires. The median depression score was 19 (interquartile range: 14). Self-esteem had a negative effect on involuntary subordination (β = - 2.1440, p < 0.001). Involuntary subordination (β = 0.2406, p < 0.001), self-esteem (β = - 0.3870, p < 0.01), and social support (β = - 0.1221, p < 0.01) all had significant effects on depression. The effect of involuntary subordination on depression was moderated by social support (β = - 0.0041, p < 0.05), and the effect decreased as social support scores increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated a mediating role of involuntary subordination and a moderating role of social support in the association between self-esteem and depression among young Chinese migrants. Future intervention strategies should focus on these factors to reduce depressive symptoms.