Does adolescents' psychopathology change in times of change?

Generation COVID-19 and bodily disorders: Hyperbolic narratives and a developmental psychopathology perspective

Starting from spring 2020, newspapers headlines and studies have suggested that the COVID-19 pandemics had a negative impact especially on the mental health of children and adolescents, so that terms like "lost generation" or "generation COVID-19" have been used to define youth in time of pandemic crisis. Similarly, international health agencies reported an increase in depression and anxiety among adolescents in COVID-19 time, but also a rise in bodily disorders, such as non-suicidal self-injury and eating disorders. However, scientific data on this matter are not as clear as they seem and theoretical-clinical proposals regarding the processes involved are lacking. Focusing specifically on bodily disorders in adolescents during COVID-19, the aim of this perspective paper is to review this issue and propose a novel viewpoint on it. Firstly, data regarding frequency and phenomenology of bodily disorders in adolescence before and during the pandemic will be presented to underline possible discrepancies, gaps, or hyperbolic descriptions in the literature published after the COVID-19 outbreak. Secondly, a specific theoretical-clinical perspective will be proposed, that is, a developmental psychopathology perspective which attempts to frame these phenomena in a more nuanced and complex way, taking into account the role of developmental processes in adolescence age and its difficulties in the specific, subjective life-context of the individual, when intertwining with vulnerability factors and stressful life events. As such, the function of the body for the adolescent as a primary mean for regulating the self-other relationship and developing a greater sense of self-agency will be highlighted. The final objective is to help the clinician in developing both a critical thinking about the data that are shared in public outlets and an intervention that takes into account the complexity of contemporary psychopathological phenomena.

Does clinically relevant psychopathology in adolescents necessarily require treatment or does it "grow out"?

OBJECTIVE

To determine the treatment effect of psychodynamic therapy for adolescents in comparison to normative developmental progression in two groups without treatment: healthy adolescents and adolescents with juvenile diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a 3-wave longitudinal study, n = 531 adolescents (n = 303 treated adolescents, n = 119 healthy, n = 109 with diabetes) and their parents filled out psychopathology questionnaires (Youth Self-Report [YSR] and Child Behaviour Checklist [CBCL]). Growth curve modeling (GCM) was used to examine within-person change in psychopathology while controlling for stable between-person differences.

RESULTS

GCM analyses revealed significant within-person reductions in patients' YSR and CBCL (d = 1.02-1.99) at the end of treatment. When accounted for the control groups' developmental progression (d = .14-.94), patients' within-person change remained significantly higher (d = .48-.82). In all three groups, parents rated the severity of psychopathology significantly lower, and within-person change significantly higher than the adolescents him/herself.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychodynamic therapy led to a significant symptom reduction in treated adolescents and was superior to development-related symptom changes occurring in the two control groups. Hence, clinically relevant symptoms in adolescents do not "grow out", but require psychotherapeutic treatment. Differences between adolescents and their parents in the evaluation of symptom severity and change require attention in psychotherapy treatment and research.

[Psychopathology in adolescents from seven countries: What role does controlling identity development and family relationships play?]

Psychopathology in adolescents from seven countries: What role does controlling identity development and family relationships play? Abstract. This study analyzed the unique effects of gender and culture on psychopathology in adolescents from seven countries, after controlling for factors that might have contributed to variations in psychopathology. In a sample of 2259 adolescents (M = 15 years; 54 % female) from France, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Peru, Pakistan, and Poland, we assessed identity development, maternal parenting (support, psychological control, anxious rearing), and psychopathology (internalizing, externalizing). Using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), we analyzed country, sex, age, and the interaction country x sex as independent variables, while controlling for maternal rearing dimensions and identity development as covariates. This resulted in similar findings for internalizing and externalizing symptoms: Identity rumination and maternal rearing (support, psychological control, anxious rearing) proved to be significant covariates. Further, country, sex, age, and the interaction country x sex were significant. These analyses result in a clearer picture of culture- and gender-specific effects on psychopathology, which is helpful in designing interventions.

Adolescent psychopathology in times of change: Introduction to the special issue

The aim of this special issue is to understand better the many changes in adolescent psychopathology have taken place over the last decades. The factors associated with adjustment problems and psychopathology in adolescence today are not necessarily the same as the factors that predicted problems and psychopathology in the past. But the basic strategies for connecting negative experiences with adolescent psychopathology remain as important today as they were for understanding adolescent psychopathology decades ago. This is well exemplified in the studies included in this Special Issue. What all this studies have in common is that parenting and the family environment are assumed to play a key role in adolescents' adjustment and psychopathology. Finally, given that all papers in this special issue are based on conference presentations at the 15th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA), some more information on that conference in included in this introduction.

Adolescent psychopathology in Times of Change: The need for integrating a developmental psychopathology perspective

In addition to the major physical, sexual and cognitive changes, as well as changes in relationships with parents and peers, in recent years adolescents also have to cope with many technological changes and increasing societal instabilities. Most of the existing research has examined the extent to which increasing uncertainties might impact expression of psychopathology and its magnitude. Emerging from a developmental psychopathology perspective, we are looking first for a better understanding of the meaning that adolescents give to these changes, which in turn is likely to affect their behavior. We are also looking for better understanding the importance of the role parents, and other societal systems/institutions (such as peers) play in ameliorating or enhancing the likelihood of maladaptive adolescent behavior under these circumstances.