School, Peer and Family Relationships and Adolescent Substance Use, Subjective Wellbeing and Mental Health Symptoms in Wales: a Cross Sectional Study

Light Cannabis Use and the Adolescent Brain: An 8-years Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health, Cognition, and Reward Processing

RATIONALE

For decades, cannabis has been the most widely used illicit substance in the world, particularly among youth. Research suggests that mental health problems associated with cannabis use may result from its effect on reward brain circuit, emotional processes, and cognition. However, findings are mostly derived from correlational studies and inconsistent, particularly in adolescents.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS

Using data from the IMAGEN study, participants (non-users, persistent users, abstinent users) were classified according to their cannabis use at 19 and 22 years-old. All participants were cannabis-naïve at baseline (14 years-old). Psychopathological symptoms, cognitive performance, and brain activity while performing a Monetary Incentive Delay task were used as predictors of substance use and to analyze group differences over time.

RESULTS

Higher scores on conduct problems and lower on peer problems at 14 years-old (n = 318) predicted a greater likelihood of transitioning to cannabis use within 5 years. At 19 years of age, individuals who consistently engaged in low-frequency (i.e., light) cannabis use (n = 57) exhibited greater conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms compared to non-users (n = 52) but did not differ in emotional symptoms, cognitive functioning, or brain activity during the MID task. At 22 years, those who used cannabis at both 19 and 22 years-old n = 17), but not individuals that had been abstinent for ≥ 1 month (n = 19), reported higher conduct problems than non-users (n = 17).

CONCLUSIONS

Impairments in reward-related brain activity and cognitive functioning do not appear to precede or succeed cannabis use (i.e., weekly, or monthly use). Cannabis-naïve adolescents with conduct problems and more socially engaged with their peers may be at a greater risk for lighter yet persistent cannabis use in the future.

The Influences of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Support on Male Teenagers' Gaming Motivation: A Moderated Network Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Strong gaming motivations can lead to gaming-related health problems, but how gaming motivations are formed is unclear. Therefore, we examined the impact of early life experiences on gaming motivations.

METHODS

Questionnaire data on the gaming motivations, adverse childhood experiences, and social support of 2,171 teenaged online game players were modeled using moderated network analysis.

RESULTS

All adverse childhood experience components positively correlated with achievement and escapism motivations (weight range: 0.08-0.40). Social support from friends (weight = -0.04) negatively moderated the relationship between achievement motivation and other adverse childhood experiences and positively moderated (weight = 0.01) the relationship between escapism motivation and familial dysfunction.

DISCUSSION

The findings indicate that adverse childhood experiences foster negative gaming motivations. Additionally, social support moderates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and gaming motivations. These findings offer valuable insights that nursing practitioners can apply to gaming-related health problem interventions and prevention in teenagers.

Exploring the research needs, barriers and facilitators to the collection of biological data in adolescence for mental health research: a scoping review protocol paper

INTRODUCTION

While research into adolescent mental health has developed a considerable understanding of environmental and psychosocial risk factors, equivalent biological evidence is lacking and is not representative of economic, social and ethnic diversity in the adolescent population. It is important to understand the possible barriers and facilitators to conduct this research. This will then allow us to improve our understanding of how biology interacts with environmental and psychosocial risk factors during adolescence. The objective of this scoping review is to identify and understand the needs, barriers and facilitators related to the collection of biological data in adolescent mental health research.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Reviewers will conduct a systematic search of PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Cochrane, ERIC, EMBASE, ProQuest, EBSCO Global Health electronic databases, relevant publications and reference lists to identify studies published in the English language at any time. This scoping review will identify published studies exploring mental health/psychopathology outcomes, with biological measures, in participants between the ages of 11 and 18 and examine the reported methodology used for data collection. Data will be summarised in tabular form with narrative synthesis and will use the methodology of Levac et al, supplemented by subsequent recommendations from the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review Methodology.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. The scoping review will be conducted with input from patient and public involvement, specifically including young people involved in our study ('Co-producing a framework of guiding principles for Engaging representative and diverse cohorts of young peopLE in Biological ReseArch in menTal hEalth'-www.celebrateproject.co.uk) Youth Expert Working Group. Dissemination will include publication in peer-reviewed journals, academic presentations and on the project website.

Family migration and well-being of Chinese migrant workers' children

This article aims to explore the effects of parental migration on the well-being of children and how to adjust social cognitive well-being through the interrelations among family relations and social cognitive well-being indicators using structural equation modelling. Two modified social cognitive well-being models were tested in 1682 Chinese migrant workers' children to examine the pathways among social cognitive well-being and family relation characteristics. The modified models are based on the social cognitive well-being model and the characteristics of Chinese migrant workers' children. The results show that caregiver-child communication frequency, caregiver-child regulation, caregiver-child conflicts, caregiver-child trust and communication, and coactivity positively impact children's social cognitive well-being. In contrast, caregiver-child alienation negatively influences children's social cognitive factors through caregiver-child trust and communication. Additionally, this research revealed that family-related characteristics (caregiver-child regulation, caregiver-child coactivities, caregiver-child communication frequency, caregiver-child alienation, caregiver-child conflicts, and caregiver-child trust and communication) are interconnected with social cognitive well-being indicators (academic satisfaction, outcome expectations, goal progress, lifelong satisfaction, environmental support, positive affect, negative affect, and self-efficacy). This suggests that family migration and relationships with caregiver(s) can significantly affect the well-being of migrant workers' children.

Family cumulative risk, life satisfaction, and anxiety and depression in adolescents: A developmental cascades model

INTRODUCTION

Family cumulative risk (FCR) is predominantly regarded as an antecedent for adolescent mental health, as the prevailing perspective continues to emphasize the influential role of parents, despite recognizing the child's influence. To identify the interplay between family adversity (FCR, process-related FCR, and sociodemographic-related FCR), life satisfaction (LS), and anxiety and depression (AD), this study examined the cascade effects among these constructs.

METHOD

Participants (N = 707; 52.9% male; grades 10 and 11) from four high schools in Wuhan, China, were recruited to participate, and they completed the measures in October 2018, April 2019, and November 2019. Family sociodemographic risk (e.g., single parenthood) and family process risk (e.g., low family cohesion) were simulated in the models for FCR, sociodemographic-related FCR, and process-related FCR.

RESULTS

The random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) revealed a lagged effect from LS to FCR; lagged effects from LS and AD to process-related FCR at the within-person level; and significant associations between LS, AD, and family adversity at the between-person level.

CONCLUSIONS

The lagged effects provide evidence for the influential child perspective and suggest that FCR and family process risk are sensitive to adolescent well-being and psychopathological symptoms. School mental health prevention and intervention programs that take a complete mental health approach to enhance children's well-being and alleviate symptoms would help prevent increases in family risk.

Mental toughness in adolescents: bridging family relationships and depression across personality traits

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a pivotal stage vulnerable to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. While family relationships, mental toughness, and personality traits are known to impact adolescent mental health, their interactive and moderating roles are not fully understood.

AIM

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of mental toughness in the relationship between family relationships and depression among high school students, and to examine the varying impacts of personality traits on this mediation.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 734 adolescents. Participants completed measures assessing family relationships, mental toughness, personality traits, and mental health outcomes (depression). Latent Profile Analysis, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling, to investigate these relationships.

RESULTS

The study found that mental toughness significantly mediates the relationship between family relationships and depression. Notably, this mediating effect varied between personality type; it was more pronounced in the moderate-reserved type compared to the proactive-engaged type. LPA identified two distinct personality types of students based on their personality traits, with differential patterns of family relationships, mental toughness, and depression. Multiple regression analysis indicated that character and adaptability, components of mental toughness, were significant negative predictors of depression.

CONCLUSION

The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of adolescent mental health, particularly in the context of Chinese high school students. It underscores the importance of considering family dynamics, personality traits, and mental toughness in developing effective mental health interventions for adolescents.

Socio-economic inequalities in smoking and drinking in adolescence: Assessment of social network dynamics

AIMS

We investigated whether (1) adolescents selected friends with a similar socio-economic status (SES), (2) smoking and alcohol consumption spread in networks and (3) the exclusion of non-smokers or non-drinkers differed between SES groups.

DESIGN

This was a longitudinal study using stochastic actor-oriented models to analyze complete social network data over three waves.

SETTING

Eight Hungarian secondary schools with socio-economically diverse classes took part.

PARTICIPANTS

This study comprised 232 adolescents aged between 14 and 15 years in the first wave.

MEASUREMENTS

Self-reported smoking behavior, alcohol consumption behavior and friendship ties were measured. SES was measured based upon entitlement to an income-tested regular child protection benefit.

FINDINGS

Non-low-SES adolescents were most likely to form friendships with peers from their own SES group [odds ratio (OR) = 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.11]. Adolescents adjusted their smoking behavior (OR = 24.05, 95% CI = 1.27-454.86) but not their alcohol consumption (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 0.62-4.39) to follow the behavior of their friends. Smokers did not differ from non-smokers in the likelihood of receiving a friendship nomination (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.87-1.10), regardless of their SES. Alcohol consumers received significantly more friendship nominations than non-consumers (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01-1.33), but this association was not significantly different according to SES.

CONCLUSIONS

Hungarian adolescents appear to prefer friendships within their own socio-economic status group, and smoking and alcohol consumption spread within those friendship networks. Socio-economic groups do not differ in the extent to which they encourage smoking or alcohol consumption.

Multiple psychological senses of community and community influences on personal recovery processes from substance use problems in later life: a collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic analysis

PURPOSE

There is a pressing need for substance use services to know more about how to promote recovery from substance use problems, particularly in later life. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important recovery dimension. This study aims to clarify in what ways PSOC and communities influence later life recovery processes.

METHOD

A collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic approach was used to analyse 23 interviews with older adults in recovery from different substance use problems.

RESULTS

The findings suggest that PSOC and recovery in later life include multiple communities (relational, geographical, substance use-related, ideal and service-related) and affective states (PSOC and NPSOC). Older adults' recovery, moreover, can be described as personal and heterogenic (with respect to community relationships, individual needs, type of substance use problem, age of onset and meaningful activities).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm age of onset, type of substance use problem and community memberships as essential to later life recovery. They also supplement prior evidence on community resources and challenges to later life recovery. Importantly, the new findings extend and nuance current understandings of later life recovery. Taken together, the article illustrates MPSOC as a useful concept, with central practical and theoretical implications for later life recovery.

Dual alcohol and cannabis use in male and female adolescents: Relationships with family variables

Family dynamics influence adolescents' use of alcohol and other substances, such as cannabis. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between family variables and alcohol use, dual use of alcohol and cannabis, and non-use in adolescents according to sex. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample comprised 879 adolescents (56.4 % boys; M(SD)age = 14.25 (1.88) years). Multinomial regression analysis showed that for boys, the presence of family conflict increased the likelihood of being an alcohol (OR = 1.19) and dual (OR = 1.23) user rather than a non-user. For girls, communication reduced the probability of being an alcohol user (OR = 0.88), and the presence of consequences for breaking rules reduced the probability of being a dual user rather than a non-user (OR = 0.83) or an alcohol user (OR = 0.84). These findings highlight the importance of family prevention of adolescents' substance use, bearing in mind the participants' sex.

Pubertal timing moderates the same-day coupling between family hassles and negative affect in girls and boys

This study examined the association between pubertal timing, daily affect, conduct problems, and the exposure to hassles across family, peer, and school contexts. Adolescents (M age = 12.27; 49.7% female; 62.6% White) completed ecological momentary assessments across 14 consecutive days (N = 388). Earlier maturing girls reported lower daily averages of positive affect compared to their same-sex, same-age peers. We did not find evidence for a relationship between pubertal timing and daily negative affect or conduct problems in girls, nor for daily negative and positive affect or conduct problems in boys. However, pubertal timing did moderate the day-level association between average negative affect and family hassles for both girls and boys. When experiencing more family hassles, earlier maturing girls reported greater negative affect relative to later maturing girls who experienced family hassles. In contrast, later maturing boys, relative to earlier maturing boys, reported higher levels of negative affect in the context of family hassles.

The buffering effect of family support on the association between weight-based teasing and adolescent weight management outcomes

Weight-based victimization (WBV) is associated with poor weight-related outcomes in adolescence. Family support may be one protective factor against the negative impact of WBV. The goal of this study is to examine the moderating effect of family support on the association between WBV and early weight loss for adolescents in a clinical weight management program. Parents of adolescents (N = 78) completed psychosocial measures at baseline. Objective height and weight were measured at baseline and follow-up (Visit 3). The overall model was significant (p = .02), explaining 12.76% of the variance in weight change over the first 2 months of treatment. As hypothesized, there was a significant moderating effect of family support on the association between WBV and weight change (p = .04), accounting 5.0% of the variance in weight change. Increased support from the family buffered the negative impact of WBV on early treatment outcomes for adolescents in a weight management program. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender difference in the change of adolescents' mental health and subjective wellbeing trajectories

Gender differences in adolescents' mental health problems have been extensively reported. Yet, there is limited research in exploring longitudinal trends in mental health and wellbeing between boys and girls. This study investigated any emerging developmental trends of gender differences in mental health problems and subjective wellbeing for young people from early to mid-adolescence in England. A longitudinal group of 8612 young people's mental health and subjective wellbeing trajectories were investigated between the period of ages 11/12 and 13/14. Mental health difficulties and subjective wellbeing were measured using the child self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Short Warwick and Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS), respectively. Any gender difference in the change of adolescents' mental health and subjective wellbeing over 3 year period were estimated using multi-level regression while accounting for various socio-demographic and resilience factors. Young people are at increased risk of mental health problems between the ages of 11 and 14, particularly girls. The overall difficulty levels reported by girls were significantly higher than boys across a range of mental health problems and subjective wellbeing. These developmental trends persisted after controlling for a broad range of potential confounders. Young people has shown clear signs of mental distress as they get older. This escalation was particularly evident among girls. Distress can come at the time of significant physical, emotional, and social changes in an adolescents' life, and can be heightened during secondary school transition. This evidence highlights the importance of early intervention to reduce risk of distress.

Trend of Correlations between Psychological Symptoms and Socioeconomic Inequalities among Italian Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Study from 2006 to 2018 in Tuscany Region

Adolescence is a critical moment in life; people become individuals, create new relationships, develop social skills and learn behaviours that they will use for the rest of their lives. During this phase, adolescents establish patterns of behaviour that can protect their health. This study aims to 1. assess the presence of psychological disorders in adolescents of both genders, 2. determine their relation to socio-economic differences based on the Family Affluence Scale (FAS), and 3. assess trends from 2006 to 2018. Data were collected from the Italian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey given to a representative sample of Tuscan adolescents aged 11-15 years. Participants (n. 12,550) filled out questionnaires to assess whether psychological symptoms such as feeling low, irritability, nervousness, or sleeping difficulties manifested weekly or more often over the past six months. For the study we utilized a cross-sectional survey method and linear regression to examine the association between psychological symptoms (dependent variable measured on an interval scale (0-16)), gender and FAS. We conducted similar analyses using logistic regressions for each of the four symptoms. An increase in psychological symptoms in both genders was revealed between 2006 and 2018, with a statistically significant presence in females: 0.29 (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.41), 1.43 (95% CI, 1.37 to 1.48) and 1.43 (95% CI, 1.34 to 1.52) in low-, medium- and high-affluence families, respectively; whereas males presented 0.14 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.27), 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65 to 0.77) and 0.31 (95% CI, 0.22 to 0.39), respectively. The probability of a predictive episode of psychological symptoms (feeling low, irritability, nervousness, sleeping difficulties) occurring weekly, or more, often was greatly increased in females of all socioeconomic classes. These findings suggest that the increase in psychological disorders in adolescents should be considered a public health problem and further investigated through longitudinal studies and continuous monitoring of health trends.

How Does Social Support and Emotional Intelligence Enhance Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents? A Mediational Analysis Study

Introduction

The decline in life satisfaction throughout adolescence has led research to focus on variables that facilitate life satisfaction, such as social support and trait emotional intelligence. However, the relationship dynamics between the main sources of social support (family, friends and teachers), trait emotional intelligence (emotional attention, clarity and repair), and life satisfaction have yet to be elucidated.

Objective

Therefore, the aim of this study is to test and compare a set of structural models that integrate these three variables.

Methods

A sample of 1397 middle school students (48% males, 52% females) with age range 12-16 years (M = 13.88, SD = 1.27) was selected.

Results

The data showed that trait emotional intelligence significantly mediated the effect of the social support network on life satisfaction, highlighting the greater contribution of family support, emotional clarity, and emotional repair as enabling factors of adolescent well-being.

Discussion

Psychoeducational and social implications of these results are discussed.

Adolescent mental well-being, religion and family activities: a cross-sectional study (Northern Ireland Schools and Wellbeing Study)

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we seek to explore the relationship between adolescent mental well-being, religion and family activities among a school-based adolescent sample from Northern Ireland.

SETTING

The Northern Ireland Schools and Wellbeing Study is a cross-sectional study (2014-2016) of pupils in Northern Ireland aged 13-18 years.

PARTICIPANTS

1618 adolescents from eight schools participated in this study.

OUTCOMES MEASURES

Our primary outcome measure was derived using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. We used hierarchical linear regression to explore the independent effects of a range of personal/social factors, including religious affiliation, importance of religion and family activities.

RESULTS

In fully adjusted models, older adolescents and females reported lower mental well-being scores-for the year-on-year increase in age β=-0.45 (95% CI=-0.84, -0.06), and for females (compared with males) β=-5.25 (95% CI=-6.16, -4.33). More affluent adolescents reported better mental well-being. No significant differences in mental well-being scores across religious groups was found: compared with Catholics, Protestant adolescents recorded β=-0.83 (95% CI=-2.17, 0.51), other religious groups β=-2.44 (95% CI=-5.49, 0.62) and atheist adolescents β=-1.01 (95% CI=-2.60, 0.58). The importance of religion in the adolescents' lives was also tested: (compared with those for whom it was not important) those for whom it was very important had better mental well-being (β=1.63: 95% CI=0.32, 2.95). Higher levels of family activities were associated with higher mental well-being: each unit increase in family activity produced a 1.45% increase in the mental well-being score (β=0.78: 95% CI=0.67, 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that non-religious adolescents may have lower mental well-being scores when compared with their more religious peers, irrespective of religious denomination. This may relate to both a sense of lack of firm identity and perceived marginalisation. Additionally, adolescents with poor family cohesion are more vulnerable to poor mental well-being.

A qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of a whole school approach to mental health and emotional well-being in Wales

Early intervention to support mental health and well-being of school-aged children may be of significant benefit in preventing escalation of mental health problems in later life. While there are limitations to current understanding of the best ways for schools to support mental well-being, a whole school approach (WSA), involving all those who are part of the school system in creating and sustaining a supportive environment where health is prioritized, may be effective. This research explored stakeholder views of this approach, as part of a contract commissioned by the Welsh Government to conduct an evaluability assessment of a WSA. Semistructured focus groups and interviews were completed with stakeholders from the health and education sectors, as well as parents, to explore how a WSA may operate in a Welsh context and barriers and facilitators to potential implementation and outcomes. Findings suggest that existing pressures on schools may impact implementation of a WSA, with school staff already time poor and many staff experiencing their own mental well-being challenges. Implementation may be supported by clear guidance at local and national levels, funding for staff time and training and stakeholder involvement at all stages. Long-term monitoring and evaluation are also needed to understand system changes.

Social Connectedness and Smoking among Adolescents in Ireland: An Analysis of the Health Behaviour in Schoolchildren Study

Continuing progress with preventing smoking initiation is a key to the tobacco endgame. Home- and school-based social networks shape the health behaviour of children and adolescents. This study described the relationship between social connectedness and smoking behaviour in school-aged children in Ireland. The 2014 Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveyed self-reported smoking status and measured perceptions of social connectedness and support with validated and reliable questions across a random stratified sample of 9623 schoolchildren (aged 10-19). Overall, 8% of school-aged children reported smoking, in the last 30 days 52% reported smoking daily, and prevalence increased with age (p < 0.001). Compared with schoolchildren who did not smoke, perceptions of social connectedness and perceptions of support at home, from peers, and at school were significantly poorer for schoolchildren who smoked across all measures examined (p < 0.001). The poorest rated measures were for school connectedness and teacher support for smokers. Policies and practices that build and support positive environments for schoolchildren must continue to be prioritised if progress on preventing smoking initiation is to be sustained.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Family Support, and Depression: Evidence from Internal Migrants in China

Previous studies have linked poor family support and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to increased risk of depression; however, little is known about the interplay between the two when it comes to their effects on depression. Therefore, the current study examined if family support moderated the cumulative effect of ACEs on depression. Based on data from a migrant survey in Shiyan, Hubei Province, in 2019 (N = 1,326), this study used the ordinary least squares method to analyze the effect of ACEs on depression and evaluate whether family support moderated this effect. Higher exposure to ACEs and lower scores of family support were associated with higher depression levels in adulthood. The moderation model indicated that family support significantly moderated the relationship between ACEs and depression. Appropriate interventions to reduce depression should target internal migrants with history of ACEs. Community nurses should consider ACEs as an integral part of psychosocial assessment. Negative effects of ACEs can be reduced through teaching skills that increase effective family interaction and maintain supportive family networks. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(3), 19-25.].

Predicting prolonged non-suicidal self-injury behaviour and suicidal ideations in adolescence - the role of personal and environmental factors

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents and repetitional suicidal ideations (SI) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) often precede it. In order to improve recognition of youth who are at high risk of suicide, current study aims to identify which individual variables (personality, self-concept and adverse childhood experiences - ACE) predict prolonged NSSI and SI from middle to late adolescence. A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted with 1101 Croatian adolescents (aged 15-17). 181 students (72.4% females) reported either NSSI or SI or both in T1 and were included in all waves of the study. Analyses are focused on differentiation between adolescents who continue with NSSI/SI and those who stop with it in a 3-year period. Results showed that adolescents with prolonged NSSI/SI had more ACE, especially domestic violence, worse family financial status, higher neuroticism and lower results on self-concept variables. The prediction model of classification of those who have prolonged NSSI or SI was better for SI than NSSI, with predictors explaining 31% of variation in SI. Adolescents who experienced more ACE and report more neuroticism have a higher chance of prolonged SI, while youth who perceive better family financial status and have better relationships with parents have a greater chance to stop with it. For NSSI only neuroticism was a significant predictor. Considering significant variables which could predict prolonged NSSI and/or SI, data presented in this paper have both scientific and practical contribution in understanding, treating and preventing adolescents' mental health problems.

Association between interpersonal relations and anxiety, depression symptoms, and suicidal ideation among middle school students

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship between different types of interpersonal relationships and anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation and discusses the impact of different grades among middle school students.

Methods

The Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, the Chinese version of the Generalized Anxiety Scale, suicidal ideation questions, and interpersonal relations items were used to measure the depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, and interpersonal relations of the participants. The variables of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and interpersonal relations were screened using the Chi-square test and principal component analysis. AMOS17.0 constructs the path of the association between interpersonal relations and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidal ideation.

Results

The mother-child relationship had direct impacts of -0.06, -0.07, and -0.06 on anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. On anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, the direct impacts of the father-child relationship were -0.09, -0.03, and -0.08. Moreover, the direct effects of peer relationships on depressive symptoms were -0.04, whereas the direct impact of teacher-student relationships on anxiety and depressive symptoms were -0.10 and -0.09. Further pathway analysis based on grade level showed that in the junior high school model, the direct effect of the mother-child relationship on anxiety and depressive symptoms was -0.18 and -0.16. The direct impact of the father-child relationship on depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation was -0.08 and 0.09. The direct effect of peer relationships on depressive symptoms was -0.08, and the direct impact of the teacher-student relationship on anxiety symptoms was -0.06. In the high school model, the direct effect of the mother-child relationship on suicidal ideation was -0.07, while the direct impact of the father-child relationship on anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation was -0.10, -0.07, and -0.12, respectively. In addition, the direct effects of peer relationships on anxiety and depression were -0.06 and -0.05, and the direct impact of teacher-student relationships on anxiety and depression was -0.10 and -0.11.

Conclusion

The father-child relationship affects suicidal ideation and depression the most, followed by the mother-child relationship, the teacher-student interaction, and the peer relationship. The teacher-student relationship influences anxiety symptoms the most, followed by the father-child and mother-child relationships. The association between interpersonal interactions and anxiety, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation varied significantly across grade levels.

Academic achievement is more closely associated with student-peer relationships than with student-parent relationships or student-teacher relationships

Introduction

Personal relationships have long been a concern in education. Most studies indicate that good personal relationships are generally positively correlated with academic performance. However, few studies have compared how different types of personal relationships correlate with academic performance, and the conclusions of existing studies are inconsistent. Based on a large sample, the current study compared how the three closest types of personal relationships among students (with parents, teachers, and their peers) compared with their academic performance.

Methods

Cluster sampling was used to issue questionnaires to students in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China in 2018 (Study 1) and in 2019 (Study 2). The actual sample size included 28168 students in Study 1 and 29869 students in Study 2 (both studies, Grades 4 and 8), thus totaling 58037 students. All students completed a personal relationship questionnaire and several academic tests.

Results

The results showed that: (1) the quality of personal relationships significantly and positively correlated with academic performance; (2) Among the three types of relationships tested, the quality of student-peer relationships was the most closely associated with academic achievement.

Discussion

This study gives insights into future research directions in this field and also reminds educators to pay attention to the personal relationships among their students, especially peer relationships.

Self-harm, in-person bullying and cyberbullying in secondary school-aged children: A data linkage study in Wales

INTRODUCTION

Although the evidence base on bullying victimization and self-harm in young people has been growing, most studies were cross-sectional, relied on self-reported non-validated measures of self-harm, and did not separate effects of in-person and cyberbullying. This study aimed to assess associations of self-harm following in-person bullying at school and cyberbullying victimization controlling for covariates.

METHODS

School survey data from 11 to 16 years pupils collected in 2017 from 39 Welsh secondary schools were linked to routinely collected data. Inverse probability weighting was performed to circumvent selection bias. Survival analyses for recurrent events were conducted to evaluate relative risks (adjusted hazard ratios [AHR]) of self-harm among bullying groups within 2 years following survey completion.

RESULTS

A total of 35.0% (weighted N = 6813) of pupils reported being bullied, with 18.1%, 6.4% and 10.5% being victims of in-person bullying at school only, cyberbullying only and both in-person bullying at school and cyberbullying respectively. Adjusting for covariates, effect sizes for self-harm were significant after being in-person bullied at school only (AHR = 2.2 [1.1-4.3]) and being both in-person bullied at school and cyberbullied (AHR = 2.2 [1.0-4.7]) but not being cyberbullied only (AHR = 1.2 [0.4-3.3]). Feeling lonely during recent summer holidays was also a robust predictor (AHR = 2.2 [1.2-4.0]).

CONCLUSIONS

We reaffirm the role of in-person bullying victimization on self-harm. Pupils were twice as likely to self-harm following in-person bullying as their nonvictimised peers. Interventions for young people that minimize the potential impacts of bullying on self-harm should also include strategies to prevent loneliness.

Children's and Adolescents' Happiness and Family Functioning: A Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

the present research represents the first systematic review of the literature on the relation between happiness (i.e., subjective well-being, life satisfaction, positive affect) and family functioning in families with children aged 6-18 years.

METHOD

relevant articles were systematically searched in three scientific databases (i.e., PsycInfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science) in June 2022. The databases were searched for original articles published after 1968 with the keywords "happiness" and "family functioning."

RESULTS

of the 2683 records recovered, 124 original articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The articles were divided according to four emergent themes: (1) family dimensions and happiness; (2) global family functioning (i.e., family functioning, and family relationships), environmental variables, and happiness; (3) parental differences; (4) longitudinal studies.

CONCLUSIONS

the results of the review provide evidence for a positive relation between happiness and family functioning, across different cultures and age groups: Family dimensions (e.g., cohesion, communication) were found to strongly predict children's and adolescents' happiness. Future studies should investigate the differences between fathers and mothers using multi-informant and mixed methods procedures and a longitudinal research approach. The implications of the findings for children's positive development are discussed.

How teacher and classmate support relate to students' stress and academic achievement

According to the conservation of resources theory, social support provides resources to help overcome challenges. Although some empirical findings have emphasized the pivotal role of teacher support and/or peer support for students' stress and academic achievement, multilevel analyses that consider contextual class and individual student effects are scarce. The current study addresses this gap and further includes gender, socio-economic status, and neuroticism as covariates. Multilevel analyses in Mplus were conducted. All measures were taken at the student level and then aggregated to the classroom level to estimate class-level relationships. Results revealed that on the individual level, teacher support was related to higher ability to cope and lower levels of helplessness, while on the class level, peer support by classmates was related to higher ability to cope and academic achievement. The context effects also show that in classes with higher peer support, students are more likely to benefit in terms of coping ability and achievement, whereas in classes with higher teacher support, students tend to show less coping ability.

A scoping review of school-level risk and protective factors of youth cannabis use: An application of the socio-ecological model

Risk and protective factors for cannabis use exist at various levels of influence, and the school environment can play a key role in preventing cannabis use and initiation as most youth. By using the socio-ecological model to hierarchically characterize school-specific risk and protective factors, a wholistic approach to school-based cannabis use prevention can be demonstrated. This study uses scoping review methodology to describe current research on school-level risk and protective factors of youth cannabis use. The socio-ecological model was used as a guiding framework to characterize the literature. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were used to retrieve original research articles published between 2010 and 2020 that examined cannabis use as a main outcome of interest. Articles that examined school-related risk and protective factors within participants who were 18 years old or younger were included. Articles that met the pre-established criteria were extracted and categorised by theme based on levels of the socio-ecological framework. Four levels of risk and protective factors related to the school environment were identified (individual, interpersonal, community, and societal). A majority of school-based research examined individual and societal factors that influenced youth cannabis use. Our findings suggest most available research has focused on individual and societal school-level factors of cannabis use. A number of consistent themes were identified, however, findings were mixed and demonstrate the need for a more critical examination of research in order to understand which risk and protective factors are most influential among youth.

Associated factors of stigma toward people with mental illness among university and school students

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the associated factors of stigma towards people with mental illness among Omani school and university students.

DESIGN AND METHOD

A cross-sectional study among 371 school and university students with a multivariable linear regression model to identify the associated factors of personal and perceptions of stigma.

RESULTS

Male students, those with highly educated mothers, have high monthly income, higher mental health knowledge, employed fathers, and received focused education on mental illness showed fewer stigmatizing attitudes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Enhancing the knowledge about mental illness among school and university students and their families can play a significant role in reversing stigma.

Remote Learning Experience and Adolescents' Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Does the Future Hold?

Background. Major shifts within the education system have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic; frontal teaching was often replaced with remote learning, which has affected students in many ways. We investigated the associations and predictors of perceptions of the remote learning experience on well-being (life satisfaction, self-rated health, psychosomatic, and psychological symptoms). Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional research study consisting of 1019 school students in Israel aged 11−18 (53.5% girls, 46.7% boys). Questionnaires were distributed from May−July 2021 during school time. The percentages of participants with various levels of well-being (WB) and remote learning experience were compared. Multiple regression procedures were used to analyze factors predicting wellbeing. Results. All of the remote learning items had statistically significant positive correlations with life satisfaction and self-rated health (i.e., better overall WB was associated with a more positive perception of the remote learning experience). Male gender, high socioeconomic status, greater involvement in lessons in the past year, and connection to the pedagogical team/school and peers predicted better overall WB (F-ratio = 14.03; p < 0.01; adjusted R2 = 0.08). Conclusions. Our results highlight the need for schools to target youths’ coping skills, which may lead to better remote learning experiences. These findings also provide several implications for the need to support children and adolescents through positive activities, relaxation/mindfulness, and cognitive coping to deal with the psychosomatic symptoms during remote learning periods.

Supporting family and friends of young people with mental health issues using online technology: A rapid scoping literature review

AIM

Family and friends are often the first and/or only support options used by young people (12-25 years) struggling with mental health issues. The overarching aim of this literature review is to map current practice in online interventions specifically targeting family and friends of young people with mental health issues, especially relevant in light of the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A rapid scoping literature review was conducted searching health and psychology databases for online interventions targeting family and friends supporting a young person (12-25 years) struggling with a mental health issue. The search strategy was comprehensive and expert librarian endorsed. The final synthesis comprised 13 articles.

RESULTS

Identified articles were few, reporting a disparate range of research aims, intervention content and delivery modes. Studies addressing caregivers of adolescents with a mental health diagnosis were small-scale, although suggested virtual modalities are positively received and viable alternatives to other delivery methods with potential for equivalent outcomes. Five randomized control trials involving caregivers of 'at-risk' adolescents reported improved parental knowledge, but mixed effects on family functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary evidence suggests flexible online options including professional and peer support, to respond to carers' busy lives are needed to maximize benefits. Content that is sufficiently individualized and targeted to address the diverse needs of parents, as well as other caregivers, is also required. Well-being and self-care, in addition to parenting skills should be given more consideration in online interventions. Examination of the value of support from peers is also warranted.

In what ways do emerging adults with substance use problems experience their communities as influencing their personal recovery processes?

Applying the multiple psychological sense of community concept (MPSOC), this study explored how emerging adults with substance use problems experience the influences of various senses of community and communities on their personal recovery processes. Semi-structured interviews with 21 emerging adults from different urban contexts in Norway were analysed using a collaborative, seven-step, deductive, and reflexive thematic approach. MPSOC is shown to be a key concept for achieving a broad, in-depth understanding of emerging adults' senses of community and personal experiences of community influences on recovery processes from substance use. Positive and negative senses of community in geographical, relational, substance use-related and ideal communities influence the potentials and challenges in emerging adults' recovery processes. Supportive and motivating community relationships, meaningful activities with peers, and distance from recovery-impeding communities were identified as important recovery components. To promote recovery and prevent substance use in emerging adults, community approaches and tools applied in substance use treatment have to take into account and utilise multidimensional and age group-specific aspects of belonging.

Nicotine vaping for relaxation and coping: Race/ethnicity differences and social connectedness mechanisms

The current study examined race- and ethnicity-based differences in the reasons that youth report for vaping, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between race/ethnicity and vaping for relaxation and stress/anxiety coping. This work also sought to go beyond examining race-based differences as a cause of tobacco-use disparities by assessing social connectedness factors that mediate relationships between race/ethnicity and vaping for relaxation and coping. Research questions were tested using data from the 2019-2020 California Student Tobacco Survey, a representative school-based survey of 10th and 12th grade public school students throughout schools in California. Overall, 7.78% of the sample reported using nicotine vapes in the past 30 days. The final sample included 11,112 high school student current vape users. The most important reason that youth vaped was for relaxation and stress/anxiety coping, with racial and ethnic minorities most likely to report this vaping motivation. Analyses of the structural mechanisms underlying the relationship between race/ethnicity and vaping reasons showed that minority youth reported lower school, peer, and family connectedness when compared to White youth. Lower school and family connectedness were in turn correlated with being motivated to vape to relax or relieve stress and anxiety, and lower overall mental health. Findings imply that future intervention efforts might profitably focus on reducing stressors associated with relaxation and stress/anxiety coping motivations and highlight the importance of connectedness for indirectly decreasing vape use risk by improving negative mood and mental health.

Self-help Digital Interventions Targeted at Improving Psychological Well-being in Young People With Perceived or Clinically Diagnosed Reduced Well-being: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Levels of well-being are declining, whereas rates of mental health problems remain high in young people. The World Health Organization defines mental health as not merely the absence of mental disorder but also includes social and psychological well-being as integral to positive mental health, highlighting that mental health is applicable to young people with mental health conditions and those without a diagnosis of a mental health condition. Reduced mental well-being have been identified in studies of young people with clinical populations, as well as in populations consisting of nonclinical young people. Self-help digital interventions can be delivered at mass at a low cost and without the need for trained input, thereby facilitating access to support for well-being. Self-help interventions are effective in young people with mental health conditions, but systematic reviews of such studies have been limited to randomized controlled trials, have not included reduced well-being as an inclusion criterion, and do not consider engagement factors such as retention.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to systematically review all controlled studies of digitally delivered, self-administered interventions for young people aged 9 to 25 years, with perceived or clinically diagnosed reduced psychological well-being. Participant retention and effectiveness of the interventions were also explored.

METHODS

A systematic search of the PsycInfo, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, and MEDLINE databases from inception to 2021, reference searches of relevant papers, and gray literature was carried out for digitally controlled studies conducted with young people with perceived or clinically diagnosed reduced well-being, aimed at improving psychological well-being. Data were extracted to identify the effectiveness and retention rates of the interventions and the quality of the studies.

RESULTS

Overall, 1.04% (12/1153) of studies met the inclusion criteria: 83% (10/12) of studies were randomized controlled trials and 17% (2/12) were controlled pre-post studies. Most (6/12, 50%) studies aimed to improve symptoms of depression; 3 interventions aimed at both anxiety and depressive symptoms and 2 studies aimed at improving social functioning difficulties. Owing to the high risk of bias across interventions and lack of similar outcome measures, a meta-analysis was not conducted. Retention rates across studies were regarded as good, with moderate to high retention. Overall, the findings indicated that predominantly self-administered self-help interventions improved well-being in the areas targeted by the intervention and identified additional areas of well-being that were positively affected by interventions. Few interventions supported psychological well-being that was different from those used by young people with a clinical diagnosis of mental illness or young people from neurodiverse backgrounds.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings, along with the advantages of self-help interventions, highlight the need for upscaling self-help interventions to better support vulnerable populations of young people who experience poor psychological well-being.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019129321; https://tinyurl.com/4fb2t4fz.

The association between social capital indicators and psychological distress in Catalan adolescents

According to the WHO, globally, one in seven adolescents experiences a mental disorder, being in a detrimental situation toward educational achievement, social cohesion, future health and life chances. Calls to identify risk and resilience factors to develop effective preventive actions have been made. Following a systemic approach, we conducted a cross-sectional study on the relationship between social capital and psychological distress in a sample of Catalan adolescents in Barcelona, taking into account a range of other relevant aspects at different levels influencing mental health, including gender, age, migrant status, family background, lifestyle factors, body mass index, and self-rated health. Data were collected through validated questionnaires in December 2016 from 646 of 14- to 18-year-old adolescents from three public and private high schools in Barcelona (Spain). Data analysis included descriptive analysis, a correlational study and logistic regression to obtain the odds ratio for social capital indicators to be associated with psychological distress. Our results suggest that reporting higher levels of family support and higher levels of teacher-student trust reduce the likelihood of suffering psychological distress. Higher levels of neighborhood informal control were associated with mental health, but a possible detrimental effect cannot be ruled out. Being a girl, reporting low self-rated health or higher media use was also associated with higher likelihood of psychological distress. Current results may encourage interventions that focus on social capital as a means to reduce psychological distress and foster well-being in youth.

Family Related Variables' Influences on Adolescents' Health Based on Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Database, an AI-Assisted Scoping Review, and Narrative Synthesis

Objects

Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) is an international survey programme aiming to investigate adolescents' health behaviours, subjective perception of health status, wellbeing, and the related contextual information. Our scoping review aimed to synthesise the evidence from HBSC about the relationship between family environmental contributors and adolescents' health-related outcomes.

Methods

We searched previous studies from six electronic databases. Two researchers identified the qualified publications independently by abstract and full-text screening with the assistance of an NLP-based AI instrument, ASReview. Publications were included if they were based on HBSC data and investigated the effects of family environment on adolescents' health outcomes. Researches addressed family-related factors as mediators or moderators were also included.

Results

A total of 241 articles were included. Family environmental contributors could be mapped into six categories: (1) Demographic backgrounds (N = 177); (2) General family's psycho-socio functions (N = 44); (3) Parenting behaviours (N = 100); (4) Parental health behaviours (N = 7); (5) Family activities (N = 24); and (6) Siblings (N = 7). Except for 75 papers that assessed family variables as moderators (N = 70) and mediators (N = 7), the others suggested family environment was an independent variable. Only five studies employed the data-driven approach.

Conclusion

Our results suggest most research studies focussed on the influences of family demographic backgrounds on adolescents' health. The researches related to parental health behaviours and siblings are most inadequate. Besides, we recommend further research studies to focus on the mediator/moderator roles of the family, for exploring the deep mechanism of the family's impacts. Also, it would be valuable to consider data-driven analysis more in the future, as HBSC has mass variables and data.

Mental Health Service Urgency in Children's Mental Health: Factors Impacting the Need for Expedited Services

Delayed access to mental health services for children and adolescents has been linked to an increased risk of harm and nonattendance to scheduled appointments. While studies suggest that the lack of standardized assessments for prioritizing individuals has contributed to long wait times, the inconsistent use of assessments across service sectors in Ontario continues to persist. This has contributed to a paucity of information surrounding which children and adolescents may require urgent mental health services. Using a large secondary data set, this study examined whether service sector (e.g., school), and other individual client characteristics (e.g., age, sex, legal guardianship, interpersonal and school conflict) predicted greater mental health service urgency in 61,448 children and adolescents assessed using the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener. Binary logistic regression revealed that all predictors, except for sector, showed a significant effect on service urgency. Findings are instrumental in prioritization, reducing the likelihood that children with acute needs remain on waitlists.

The joint development of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in black and Hispanic youth and the link to late adolescent substance use

There is a need to understand how the joint development of externalizing and internalizing behaviors is related to substance use, particularly among historically understudied and often disadvantaged populations. Latent class models were used to estimate patterns of externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors in the form of depressive and anxious symptoms from age 6 to 14 among 390 Black and Hispanic youth. Then, growth curve models of substance use between the ages of 15 and 19 were estimated as a function of joint latent class membership. Only elevated levels of externalizing behaviors were associated with higher levels of substance use through age 18. Internalizing behaviors appeared to serve as a protective factor among those with moderate displays of externalizing behavior only. Additionally, growth in substance use from ages 15 to 19 was slower among those who displayed the highest level of externalizing behaviors, and internalizing behaviors appeared to moderate growth (and serve as protective factor) among those who displayed moderate levels of externalizing behaviors. The findings underscore the importance of pattern profiles based on observations of the joint development of problem behaviors to assess risk for substance use, particularly in understudied populations where risk/protective factors may operate in a unique manner.

Learning Through a Pandemic: Youth Experiences With Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective of this paper was to examine the school-related experiences of youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants represented both clinical and community youth aged 14 to 28 who were sampled as part of a larger study. Feedback from youth attending school during the pandemic was qualitatively examined and youth who planned to attend school prior to the pandemic and did (n = 246) and youth who planned to attend but did not (n = 28) were compared quantitatively. Youth appreciated the flexibility of online learning and some also reported experiencing a lack of support from their school and the need for instructor training on how to deliver virtual classes effectively. Future studies should examine what factors influence student engagement with virtual learning, what strategies could improve supports for student in their long-term career development, and the longitudinal experiences of youth who may have chosen not to go back to school due to the pandemic. This survey was conducted in Ontario, Canada. A more diverse sample collected outside of Ontario would improve generalizability. Qualitative data were based on survey responses and not interviews. Thus we were unable to discern the reasons youth decided to attend school, or not, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typologies of Joint Family Activities and Associations With Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Adolescents From Four Countries

PURPOSE

This study aims to identify distinct typologies of joint family activities and the associations with mental health and wellbeing among adolescents across four countries from the World Health Organization European region.

METHODS

The 2017/2018 data from adolescents from Armenia (n = 3,977, M_age = 13.5 ± 1.6 years, 53.4% female), Czechia (n = 10,656, M_age = 13.4 ± 1.7, 50.1% female), Russia (n = 4,096, M_age = 13.8 ± 1.7, 52.4% female), and Slovakia (n = 3,282, M_age = 13.4 ± 1.5, 51.0% female) were collected in schools. The respondents self-reported their participation in joint family leisure-time activities, life satisfaction, psychological and somatic complaints, as well as a range of demographic and family situational factors. Stratified by countries, latent class analysis identified typologies of joint family activities, and logistic regression models explored cross-sectional associations with life satisfaction, and psychological and somatic complaints.

RESULTS

Three typologies were identified across each of the four countries, distinguished by low, moderate, and high levels of family engagement. Adolescents with higher family engagement generally reported greater life satisfaction and fewer psychological complaints compared to those with lower family engagement. Russian adolescents in the high family engagement typology reported fewer somatic complaints compared to those with low family engagement. In addition, adolescents from Czechia and Russia showing moderate family engagement also reported fewer psychological complaints compared to those in the low family engagement typology.

DISCUSSION

Our findings from four countries suggest that adolescents with high family engagement have greater life satisfaction and fewer psychological complaints, pointing toward a need for interventions to support family engagement among adolescents. Further research is needed to fully explore underlying mechanisms.

Single-Item Happiness Measure Features Adequate Validity Among Adolescents

Background

Happiness is becoming increasingly relevant in recent research, including adolescents. Many studies are using the single-item measure for adolescent happiness, however, its validity is not well known. We aimed to examine the validity of this measure among adolescents in three countries from distinct European regions - Eastern (Lithuania), Southern (Portugal), and Western (Scotland).

Materials and Methods

The analysis included data from Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from three countries and three last surveys (2009/10, 2013/14, and 2017/18). The total sample comprised 47,439 schoolchildren. For validity, the indicators reflecting subjective health, life satisfaction, quality of life, well-being, social support, health complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence were assessed. The calculations were conducted in the total sample and by gender, age, survey year, and country.

Results

The different indicators of concurrent and convergent validity revealed consistent correlations with happiness, with better well-being, health, and subjective perceptions being related to higher happiness. Meanwhile, health complaints, bullying behaviors, and self-directed violence were related to lower happiness. The subgroup differences were consistent across gender, age groups, countries, and survey rounds. The extent of differences was more expressed among girls.

Conclusion

The single item for adolescent happiness measurement features a consistent pattern of validity concerning indicators of concurrent and convergent validity. Higher self-reported happiness is associated with better mental and physical health and well-being, and less expressed negative factors (complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence). In addition, among girls the correlations tend to be stronger than boys.

Subjective Well-Being of Primary and Secondary School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis

This study employs a person-oriented approach to examine the heterogeneity of samples of primary school students (N = 2,333; 56.5% girls) and secondary school students (N = 2,329; 62.9% girls) in terms of levels of subjective well-being (SWB) in five domains: family, friends, school experience, body, and the local area. The study was conducted in Poland during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latent profile analysis revealed five profiles among primary school students and six profiles among secondary school students. The profiles identified among primary school students had their counterparts among secondary school students and included "highly satisfied," "moderately satisfied," "highly dissatisfied," "satisfied with their family life and local area and dissatisfied with their friends," and "satisfied with their family life and friends and dissatisfied with their local area" profiles. In both samples, the profile with high levels of satisfaction in all domains was the most numerous. Moreover, in secondary school students, we identified the sixth profile, which was highly satisfied with their friends and dissatisfied in other domains. We also noted that gender, age, type of school and positive relationships with others predicted the latent profile membership. The results of this study indicate the need to utilize the person-oriented approach to gain insight into various patterns of children's SWB. Moreover, the study provides some practical recommendations for preparing tailored interventions aimed at improving children's SWB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-022-09952-2.

Challenges of integrating economics into epidemiological analysis of and policy responses to emerging infectious diseases

COVID-19 has shown that the consequences of a pandemic are wider-reaching than cases and deaths. Morbidity and mortality are important direct costs, but infectious diseases generate other direct and indirect benefits and costs as the economy responds to these shocks: some people lose, others gain and people modify their behaviours in ways that redistribute these benefits and costs. These additional effects feedback on health outcomes to create a complicated interdependent system of health and non-health outcomes. As a result, interventions primarily intended to reduce the burden of disease can have wider societal and economic effects and more complicated and unintended, but possibly not anticipable, system-level influences on the epidemiological dynamics themselves. Capturing these effects requires a systems approach that encompasses more direct health outcomes. Towards this end, in this article we discuss the importance of integrating epidemiology and economic models, setting out the key challenges which such a merging of epidemiology and economics presents. We conclude that understanding people's behaviour in the context of interventions is key to developing a more complete and integrated economic-epidemiological approach; and a wider perspective on the benefits and costs of interventions (and who these fall upon) will help society better understand how to respond to future pandemics.

Trajectories of Substance Use and Well-being in Early and Middle Adolescence Shaped by Social Connectedness

Increasing substance use and decreasing well-being are typical in adolescence, yet how social contexts shape disparate development during this time is less well-understood. A latent growth class analysis was conducted that identified groups of early (N = 706; Age_m  = 12.20) and middle (N = 666; Age_m  = 14.38) adolescents distinguished by rates of substance use and well-being over three years. In both cohorts, the largest group reported low substance use and high well-being, with a smaller group exhibiting maladaptive trajectories for both substance use and well-being. Two additional groups were identified during middle adolescence characterized by either low well-being or high substance use. Family connectedness was a protective factor, while high peer connectedness was a risk factor for substance-use groups and low peer connectedness for languishing.

Boosting Student Wellbeing Despite a Pandemic: Positive Psychology Interventions and the Impact of Sleep in the United Arab Emirates

Positive psychology interventions hold great promise as schools around the world look to increase the wellbeing of young people. To reach this aim, a program was developed to generate positive emotions, as well as improve life satisfaction, mental toughness and perceptions of school kindness in 538 expatriate students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Starting in September 2019, the program included a range of positive psychology interventions such as gratitude, acts of kindness and mental contrasting as examples. Life satisfaction and mental toughness at mid-year were sustained or grew by the end of the year. Positive affect, emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing increased at post-intervention 1, compared to baseline. However, this improvement reverted to baseline levels at post-intervention 2, when data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only psychological wellbeing, negative affect, perceptions of control, and school kindness were increased at post-intervention 2. During the lockdown, students moved less, but slept and scrolled more. Those who extended their sleep duration reported greater wellbeing. Boosting wellbeing through the use of positive psychology interventions works – even in a pandemic – and extended sleep duration appears to be a driving factor for this observation.

Sources and Types of Social Supports and Their Association with Mental Health Symptoms and Life Satisfaction among Young Adults with a History of Out-of-Home Care

Young adults with a history of out-of-home care report poorer mental health and life satisfaction compared to non-care-experienced peers. Social support is a known protective factor for mental health. There is limited evidence, however, on the relationship between sources (e.g., family members) and types (e.g., information) of social support and mental health symptoms and life satisfaction in this population. Reporting cross-sectional survey data from 215 young adults aged 18–22 years with a history of out-of-home care, the current study conducted descriptive, bivariate, and linear regression analysis to examine the different sources and types of support young adults receive and their relation to mental health symptoms and life satisfaction. Participants had high levels of support from family members, friends, and other adults. Most participants had informational support, but less than half had consistent material support. Regression analyses demonstrated that having enough informational and material support were associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Having family support and material support were associated with greater life satisfaction. Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the trajectory between social supports and mental health functioning and life satisfaction.

Subjective well-being among AIDS orphans in southwest China: the role of school connectedness, peer support, and resilience

BACKGROUND

Few studies have explored the health and development of AIDS orphans using the positive youth development (PYD) framework. Grounded in this framework, the main objective of this study is to examine how internal assets (i.e., resilience) and external assets (i.e., school connectedness, peer support) affect subjective well-being among Yi AIDS orphans in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted by interviewing 571 AIDS orphans and 979 non-orphans of Yi ethnic minority from 5th-10th grades. Structural equation models (SEM) were utilized to identify and estimate the direct and indirect effects of internal and external assets on subjective well-being.

RESULTS

The average score of subjective well-being was significantly lower for AIDS orphans than for in non-orphans (P < 0.05). Resilience, school connectedness, peer support (number of friends, caring friends), and self-rated physical health had significant and positive direct effects on subjective well-being. In addition, the effects of school connectedness, and peer support on subjective well-being were mediated by resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive individual and school-related contextual assets can bolster subjective well-being among AIDS orphans. The design of health intervention programs for AIDS orphans should incorporate these positive development assets.