Early Adolescence Research Articles

“I wish I knew more than my 15-year-old”: Mother and early adolescent reflections on information communication technologies

ABSTRACT This qualitative exploratory study used thematic and dyadic analyses to examine the perceptions of nine White mother-early adolescent dyads regarding information communication technology (ICT) use. Using a general thematic analysis, three major themes presented in the data. Mother and early adolescents focused on ideas for good use of ICT, suggestions for parent education, and ideas about safety including a request for trust from early adolescent participants. Data were also analyzed using a dyadic technique to examine overlaps and differences in mother-early adolescent perceptions. The discussion is presented using a symbolic interactionist lens to explore shared and differing meanings related to ICT use between mothers and early adolescents. Suggestions for community and family life educators are included.

Exposomic and polygenic contributions to allostatic load in early adolescence

Exposomic and polygenic contributions to allostatic load in early adolescence

Differences in the Development of Mathematics Motivation within and across Socioeconomic Status: Do Early Adolescents' Failure Beliefs Matter?

Interest in socioeconomic differences in academic motivation has been longstanding. However, previous research has often treated both low- and high-SES students as homogenous groups. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the developmental trajectory profiles of mathematics motivation during early adolescence, with a focus on variations within and across SES groups. Multigroup latent class growth analysis was used on a sample of 3718 early adolescents in China (initial Mage was 9.40 ± 0.52 years; 48.0% girls) across 2 years from grades 4 through 6. The analysis identified three distinct self-determined mathematics motivation trajectory profiles within each SES group: a good-quality profile (i.e., initially high autonomous but low controlled), a high-quantity profile (i.e., initially high both autonomous and controlled), and a low-quantity profile (i.e., initially low both autonomous and controlled). A greater proportion of low-SES students were observed within the low-quantity profile than within the good-quality profile. The study found that the failure-is-enhancing view was a protective factor against two relatively maladaptive motivational trajectory profiles (i.e., high-quantity profile and low-quantity profile), irrespective of socioeconomic background. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing motivational interventions for early adolescents that consider both structural factors (e.g., socioeconomic backgrounds) and psychological factors (e.g., failure beliefs), to foster students' academic development.

Autosomal Dominant Hereditary Spherocytosis In An Elderly Patient

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is an autosomal dominant inherited hemolytic anemia that usually manifests in early adolescence. A very small proportion (5%) may undergo de novo mutations and present at an elderly age without any positive family history. The disease is characterized by anemia, jaundice, splenomegaly, and the presence of spherocytes in peripheral blood, which are osmotically fragile. A 55-year-old elderly male presented with generalized weakness and a history of repeated blood transfusions for 5 months. He had recurrent jaundice for 8 years. There was no relevant family or drug history. He was anemic, icteric, and had mild splenomegaly. Investigation revealed persistently low Hb with normal red cell indices. There were a lot of spherocytes with polychromasia on the peripheral blood film. There was also evidence of hemolysis with a high reticulocyte count and higher levels of total and indirect bilirubin. Autoimmune hemolysis was excluded by negative direct and indirect Coomb’s tests, and Hb defect was excluded by normal Hb electrophoresis. We also ruled out other infectious causes. The ultrasound confirmed splenomegaly. The osmotic fragility test showed increased osmotic fragility of the patient’s red cells. History, symptoms, and test results strongly point to autosomal dominant hereditary spherocytosis with new mutations. An eosin-5-Maleimide binding test was advised, along with family screening of the patient. Bangladesh J Medicine 2024; 35: 110-113

RESEARCH OF MECHANISMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

The purpose of the work is to present the results of a theoretical and empirical study of the formation of mechanisms of psychological protection of the adolescent girls in the context of their professional training for the work of psychologists. Methodology. Sample: 54 students majoring in "Psychology", aged 17-20. All of the were female. Among them, 52% are 1st year students and 48% are 2nd year students. Methods: The Plutchik-Kellerman-Conte "Life Style Index" questionnaire (Life Style Index, LSI) was used as a diagnostic tool, which allows you to determine the severity of eight main mechanisms of psychological protection and their general tension. Results. Theoretical approaches to the definition and classification of EDs were considered, as well as an empirical study was conducted on EDs that are most characteristic of female psychology students in the first and second years of study. According to the results of the survey, data were obtained on the degree of severity of each MPZ. It was found that there was a difference between the MPZs inherent in female students in different courses of study. Very primitive protection mechanisms are more common among the first-year students than among the second-year students. During early adolescence, higher psychological defenses are just beginning to form and are not typical for this age. Starting from the age of 18, higher defense mechanisms, as dominant, are observed more often in psychology students

The mediation role of emotion regulation strategies on the relationship between mindfulness effects, psychological well-being and distress among youths: findings from a randomized controlled trial

AbstractThe Gaia program is a 12-week mindfulness intervention based on cultivating body, emotional, and ecological self-awareness, which has been shown to be effective in reducing children’s and adolescents’ internalizing problems, and improving psychological well-being, and psychological distress in early adolescents. To clarify the psychological processes underlying mindfulness effects on mental health among adolescents, the present study aimed to examine whether emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) may be considered as key processes linking the Gaia program effects to improvements in psychological distress and well-being. A total of 361 adolescents (mean age 14 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the Gaia program (i.e., experimental group; N = 210) and waiting list (i.e., control group; N = 151). Measures were administered at three time points, approximately every three months: one week before treatment, one week after treatment, and three months after treatment. Using a structural equation model (SEM), we found that the Gaia Program had a positive and significant indirect effect on psychological well-being only via cognitive reappraisal as measured at follow-up [B = 0.181, 95% C.I. (0.012; 0.395)], whereas no significant indirect effects were found on psychological distress through cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Findings from this study provide evidence of key emotional processes underlying the effects of a mindfulness intervention on positive but not negative psychological outcomes.

Adolescent Morbidity Pattern in Nigeria: Is the Pattern Changing?

Background: Adolescents make up a large and growing percentage of populations in the world, especially in the developing nations. They have peculiar health needs which are often neglected due to paucity of data from our health institutions and non-implementation of existing adolescent health policies. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the morbidity pattern among adolescents attending the Paediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary health facility. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 10-17 years seen at the Paediatric Outpatient Clinic (POPC) from first of July to 31st of December 2022. Consent was obtained from parents/caregivers and assent from the adolescents. The socio-demographic data obtained from them as well as the clinical details and diagnoses made by attending physicians were recorded in the study proforma. Data was analyzed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 and data presented in tables and charts. Results: A total of 136 adolescents were enrolled in the study with a male: female ratio of 1:1.6. Most 90 (66.2%) were early adolescents, attended private secondary schools and belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. The commonest presenting complaints were body pains 24 (17.6%), convulsion 22 (16.2%) and cough 17 (12.5%). The three commonest diagnoses made were epilepsy 25(18.4%), respiratory tract infections 15 (11%), and sickle cell disease (9.6%). Non-communicable diseases (61%) were more prevalent, but there was no statistical difference in its prevalence among their socio-demographic characteristics. Eleven (8.1%) had surgical diagnoses such as appendicitis, inguino-scrotal hernia and ganglion. Conclusion: The morbidity pattern of adolescents in the study consisted of medical and surgical diagnoses. There appears to be a shift in morbidity pattern from communicable to non-communicable diseases among adolescents in the locality and this may be put into consideration in policy formulation for adolescents.

Exploring the changing association between parental and adolescent fruit and vegetable intakes, from age 10 to 30 years

BackgroundAdolescence is a pivotal developmental stage, where escalating rates of overweight and obesity have raised concerns about diet quality and its association with adverse health outcomes. Parents are known to have considerable influence on childhood diet, but how this influence changes as adolescents mature is unknown. This study investigates the association between parental fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and adolescent FV consumption, exploring how this changes across adolescence and when adolescents leave home.MethodsAdolescents aged 10–30 years (n = 12,805) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), and their parents, reported FV intakes every 2 years. Multilevel linear regression models were fitted to assess associations between parental and adolescent FV intakes, investigating interactions with age and living arrangement, and adjusting for sociodemographic covariates.ResultsParental FV intake was positively associated with adolescent FV intake (β = 0.20 [95%CI:0.19,0.22] portions/day), with the strength of this association lowest during early adolescence (10–14 years) and peaking at 17–18 years (β = 0.30 [95%CI: 0.27,0.33] portions/day). When adolescents no longer lived in the parental home, the association of parental FV intake with adolescent FV consumption decreased, but a positive association was maintained up to age 30 years.ConclusionsOur findings emphasise the enduring effect of parental FV consumption on adolescent FV consumption, highlighting the potential for interventions to promote increased FV intake, acknowledging the lasting influence of parental diet, even beyond the confines of the parental home.

Parental warmth buffers the negative impact of weaker fronto-striatal connectivity on early adolescents' academic achievement.

In past decades, the positive role of self-control in students' academic success has attracted plenty of scholarly attention. However, fewer studies have examined the link between adolescents' neural development of the inhibitory control system and their academic achievement, especially using a longitudinal approach. Moreover, less is known about the role of parents in this link. Using large-scale longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N = 9574; mean age = 9.94 years at baseline, SD = .63; 50% girls), the current study took an integrative biopsychosocial approach to explore the longitudinal link between early adolescents' fronto-striatal connectivity and their academic achievement, with attention to the moderating role of parental warmth. Results showed that weaker intrinsic connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the striatum was associated with early adolescents' worse academic achievement over 2 years during early adolescence. Notably, parental warmth moderated the association between fronto-striatal connectivity and academic achievement, such that weaker fronto-striatal connectivity was only predictive of worse academic achievement among early adolescents who experienced low levels of parental warmth. Taken together, the findings demonstrate weaker fronto-striatal connectivity as a risk factor for early adolescents' academic development and highlight parental warmth as a protective factor for academic development among those with weaker connectivity within the inhibitory control system.

Reorganization of dopamine circuitry in the anterior corpus callosum between early adolescence and adulthood in the mouse.

The maturation of forebrain dopamine circuitry occurs over multiple developmental periods, extending from early postnatal life until adulthood, with the precise timing of maturation defined by the target region. We recently demonstrated in the adult mouse brain that axon terminals arising from midbrain dopamine neurons innervate the anterior corpus callosum and that oligodendrocyte lineage cells in this white matter tract express dopamine receptor transcripts. Whether corpus callosal dopamine circuitry undergoes maturational changes between early adolescence and adulthood is unknown but may be relevant to understanding the dramatic micro- and macro-anatomical changes that occur in the corpus callosum of multiple species during early adolescence, including in the degree of myelination. Using quantitative neuroanatomy, we show that dopamine innervation in the forceps minor, but not the rostral genu, of the corpus callosum, is greater during early adolescence (P21) compared to adulthood (>P90) in wild-type mice. We further demonstrate with RNAscope that, as in the adult, Drd1 and Drd2 transcripts are expressed at higher levels in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and decline as these cells differentiate into oligodendrocytes. In addition, the number of OPCs that express Drd1 transcripts during early adolescence is double the number of those expressing the transcript during early adulthood. These data further implicate dopamine in axon myelination and myelin regulation. Moreover, because developmental (activity-independent) myelination peaks during early adolescence, with experience-dependent (activity-dependent) myelination greatest during early adulthood, our data suggest that potential roles of dopamine on callosal myelination shift between early adolescence and adulthood, from a developmental role to an experience-dependent role.

Overparenting and psychological wellbeing among Chinese adolescents: Findings based on latent growth modeling.

Although overparenting is a growing phenomenon across the globe, there is a severe lack of longitudinal studies examining the trajectory of overparenting and its effects on early adolescent development, particularly in non-Western contexts. The study collected three waves of longitudinal data from 1328 early Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong with an interval of 1 year to examine the stability and change of perceived paternal and maternal overparenting and their effects on adolescent psychological wellbeing. The results indicated that perceived paternal and maternal overparenting declined over time. Besides, adolescents reported lower anxiety and depressive symptoms when they perceived a steep decline in maternal overparenting. Adolescent anxiety at earlier time points also predicted a steeper decline in paternal and maternal overparenting trajectories respectively. Furthermore, we identified gender differences in the initial level of paternal overparenting and the trajectory of maternal overparenting, as well as the effects of rates of change of maternal overparenting on adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms. The findings give support for self-determination theory and the separation-individuation model, suggesting that changes of overparenting may hinder adolescents' desires for autonomy and self-direction, which may increase their psychological morbidity. The study contributes to theoretical development of contemporary Chinese socialization models and provides useful pointers for future studies of overparenting.

Multidimensional Scale to Assess Digital Security in Adolescents

The study examined the psychometric properties of a Digital Security Scale (DSS-A) in a sample of 868 adolescents (460 female, 408 male), made up of 424 early adolescents (M age = 11.84 years, SD = 0.36) and 444 middle adolescents (M age = 13.44, SD = 0.49). The sample was randomly split into two for validation (n = 434) and cross-validation (n = 434) purposes. The results confirmed the fit of a one second-order factor model with four first-order factors (personal data protection, safe relationships, healthy internet use, and self-disclosure). As expected, digital security dimensions were positively associated with parental mediation. Measurement invariance was found in this model by gender and stage of adolescence. Latent mean comparisons showed differences by gender and stage of adolescence. Overall, findings indicate that the measurement model is helpful for measuring adolescents’ digital security behaviors.

Activating Adolescent and Young Adult Involvement with Cancer Care Responsibilities: A Dyadic Qualitative Study with Caregivers.

Purpose: Empowering adolescents and young adult (AYA) patients to be involved in cancer responsibilities (e.g., remembering medications), as opposed to solely relying on caregivers, may have important short- and long-term benefits for development and disease management. This study explored perceptions of AYA engagement with cancer-related responsibilities and plans for transferring these responsibilities from caregivers to AYAs. Methods: A total of 30 AYA-caregiver dyads (including 11 early adolescents, 10 adolescents, and 9 young adults who were receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation) jointly completed a semi-structured interview. Interviews assessed the present allocation of cancer responsibilities within the family, how cancer responsibilities were divided this way, and prompted a dyadic discussion to draft a plan to transfer a responsibility to the AYA in the future. Directed content analysis techniques were used to identify and organize relevant themes. Results: Themes showed that (1) cancer responsibilities were initially assumed "naturally" by caregivers, without much formal discussion; (2) greater AYA involvement in cancer care reflected AYA (e.g., age, willingness) and caregiver factors (e.g., knowledge/skills, anxiety); (3) over time, dyads mutually prioritized AYA engagement with cancer care; and (4) the need for more proactive clinical support with transferring care tasks to AYAs. Discussion: Caregivers play a key role in managing cancer care with or for AYAs, with the allocation of these responsibilities being influenced by several factors that can shift over time. Dyads typically viewed the transfer process as important but desired more clinical support. This reflects a potential self-management care gap to address in future studies and dyadic interventions.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Unhealthy Lifestyle in Adolescence: Unforeseen Role of Allostatic Overload and Psychological Well-Being

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (ULBs) are common in early adolescence and could be worsened by Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as by specific psychosocial factors, such as stress and unbalanced (i.e., too high or low scores of) psychological well-being (PWB) dimensions. This multi-center study aimed to evaluate how interactions between ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors associated with ULBs (i.e., Allostatic Overload and multidimensional Psychological Well-Being), considered as moderators, could affect the adoption of ULBs during adolescence. A total of 440 fourteen-year-old adolescents were recruited from six upper secondary schools in Bologna and Rome (Italy) and completed self-report questionnaires on ULBs, ADHD, and psychosocial factors. Relations between ADHD symptomatology and specific ULBs (i.e., impaired sleep, problematic Internet use) were moderated by variables deemed as “negative” (i.e., Allostatic Overload) or “positive” (i.e., PWB dimensions of Self-Acceptance, Personal Growth, Positive Relations, Purpose in Life, Environmental Mastery): when the “negative” moderator is absent and the levels of the “positive” moderators are higher, ULBs decrease among students with lower ADHD symptomatology but increase among students with more severe ADHD. Based on ADHD severity, interventions should aim at promoting a state of euthymia, which consists in balanced PWB dimensions and reflects the optimal level of well-being to fulfill one’s own potential and self-realization.

Smaller subcortical volume relates to greater weight gain in girls with initially healthy weight.

Among 3614 youth who were 9 to 12 years old and initially did not have overweight or obesity (12% [n = 385] developed overweight or obesity), we examined the natural progression of weight gain and brain structure development during a 2-year period with a high risk for obesity (e.g., pre- and early adolescence) to determine the following: 1) whether variation in maturational trajectories of the brain regions contributes to weight gain; and/or 2) whether weight gain contributes to altered brain development. Data were gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Linear mixed-effects regression models controlled for puberty, caregiver education, handedness, and intracranial volume (random effects: magnetic resonance scanner [MRI] scanner and participant). Because pubertal development occurs earlier in girls, analyses were stratified by sex. For girls, but not boys, independent of puberty, greater increases in BMI were driven by smaller volumes over time in the bilateral accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus, right caudate and ventral diencephalon, and left pallidum (all p < 0.05). The results suggest a potential phenotype for identifying obesity risk because underlying differences among regions involved in food intake were related to greater weight gain in girls, but not in boys. Importantly, 2 years of weight gain may not be sufficient to alter brain development, highlighting early puberty as a critical time to prevent negative neurological outcomes.

The link between early adolescents' gender discrimination and gender attitudes about peers: Does gender similarity matter?

Gender is one of the most salient social identities, particularly during early adolescence. However, factors related to adolescents' gender attitudes remain underexamined. We examined links between adolescents' gender discrimination, felt-gender similarity, and intergroup gender attitudes. Participants were 270 adolescents in the United States (Mage = 12.95 years, SD = 1.33; 47.4% adolescent girls; 63.7% White, 12.2% Latinx, 10.7% Black, 4.1% Asian, 5.6% multiracial, and 3% indigenous). Path analyses showed that gender discrimination negatively predicted adolescents' attitudes towards own- and other-gender peers. Felt own-gender similarity positively predicted own-gender attitudes as expected, but other-gender similarity did not predict other-gender attitudes. Further, own- and other-gender similarity did not interact to predict adolescents' gender attitudes. However, adolescents' attitudes towards other-gender peers were more negatively impacted by gender discrimination for those who felt highly similar to own-gender peers than for those with average or low own-gender similarity. Findings inform potential strategies to improve adolescents' gender attitudes.

Predicting trajectories of vocational indecision from motivational profiles in early adolescence

Background, objective and hypothesesDuring emerging adulthood, vocational indecision (i.e., the inability to make coherent career choices) develops in a heterogeneous fashion, with three distinct patterns: low; decreasing (i.e., developmental or adaptative); high and stable or increasing (i.e., chronic or maladaptive). Among the determinants of vocational indecision that have been identified in past research, academic motivation is a crucial an excellent choice, since it is at school that students' vocational choices are validated or not. According to SDT, this motivation can vary both in quantity and quality, and students tend to experience more positive academic outcomes when their motivational profile is optimal (high quantity, high quality) as opposed to suboptimal (e.g., low quantity, low quality). Thus, the purpose of this longitudinal study was to verify if the patterns found with emerging adulthood students characterized vocational indecision in adolescent students, and if supported, to predict the belonging to the most problematic trajectory by using students’ academic motivational profiles. We expected several distinct trajectories of vocational indecision that would differ in shape and magnitude, and several motivational profiles that vary in quality as well as in quantity. We also expected students in high-quality or quantity motivational profiles to be less likely to follow a chronic indecision trajectory.Method and resultsUsing data from 384 students (56% female; Mage = 13.52 years; SD = .52 at Secondary 2) surveyed annually from Secondary 2 to 5, person-centered analyses enabled estimation of motivational profile in Secondary 2 and vocational indecision trajectories during the 4-year period. Results revealed four distinct patterns of vocational indecision during adolescence labelled Low and Stable, Moderate and Stable, Developmental and Chronic Intermittent. Four motivational profiles were also identified in Secondary 2, ranging from poor (Highly Amotivated) to moderate (Autonomous-Introjected) quality of self-determination level. Also, in reference to the most self-determined profile, students in the Mixed profile were at greatest risk of following Chronically-Intermittently Undecided trajectory. Finally, the most self-determined students were at greatest probability of following the Developmentally Undecided trajectory.ConclusionOverall, the findings suggest that the student motivational functioning in early secondary school years could be used to identify students at risk of experiencing the negative indecision patterns across secondary school. Several theoretical and practical implications are suggested.

Precancerous lesion determinants in women attending cervical cancer screening at public health facilities in North Shoa Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia: an unmatched case-control study

BackgroundPrecancerous cervical lesions develop in the transformation zone of the cervix and progress through stages known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 2, and 3. If untreated, CIN2 or CIN3 can lead to cervical cancer. The determinants of cervical precancerous lesions are not well documented in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to find the determinants of cervical precancerous lesions among women screened for cervical cancer at public health facilities.MethodsA study conducted from January to April 2020 involved 216 women, consisting of 54 cases (positive for VIA during cervical cancer screening) and 162 controls (negative for VIA). It focused on women aged 30 to 49 undergoing cervical cancer screening. Multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the link between precancerous lesions and different risk factors, considering a significance level of p < 0.05.ResultsWomen who used oral contraceptives for a duration exceeding five years showed a nearly fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing precancerous lesions (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.48, 15.30). Additionally, early age at first sexual intercourse (below 15 years) elevated the odds of developing precancerous lesions fourfold (AOR = 3.77; 95% CI: 1.46, 9.69). Furthermore, women with HIV seropositive results and a prior history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) had 3.4 times (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.29, 9.25) and 2.5 times (AOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.10, 6.09) higher odds of developing cervical precancerous lesions compared to their counterparts.ConclusionIn conclusion, women who have used oral contraceptives for over five years, started sexual activity before the age of 15 and have a history of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, are at higher risk of developing precancerous cervical lesions. Targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting behavioural change to prevent early sexual activity and STIs are crucial for avoiding cervical precancerous lesions. It is crucial to introduce life-course principles for female adolescents early on, acknowledging the potential to prevent and control precancerous lesions at critical stages in life, from early adolescence to adulthood, encompassing all developmental phases.

Trajectory of depressive symptoms over adolescence in autistic and neurotypical youth

BackgroundAdolescence coincides with a dramatic rise in the onset of psychiatric conditions including depression. Depression symptoms may be particularly prevalent and impairing for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While prior research suggests adolescence is associated with worsening depression symptoms for typically developing (TD) and autistic youth, it is unclear if they follow a similar course.MethodThe study examined the trajectory of depressive symptoms in autistic and neurotypical youth over a 4-year longitudinal study using linear and logistic mixed effects models. In youth with clinically relevant depressive scores (t-score > 65), moderating factors (i.e., diagnosis, age, puberty, sex) were explored. During Year 1, the sample included 244 youth 10-to-13 years: 140 in the ASD group (36 females) and 104 in the TD group (46 females).ResultsAutistic youth had elevated depression scores compared to TD peers (p < 0.001) and females were higher than males in both groups (p = 0.001). There was significant diagnosis by age (p < 0.001) and diagnosis by pubertal stage (p < 0.05) interactions. In the ASD group, elevated depressive scores presented in early adolescence and decreased during middle adolescence and puberty, whereas the TD group showed the opposite trend with an increase in depression symptoms with advancing development.LimitationsLimitations include an unequal sex distribution (fewer females), non-representative autistic sample (e.g., cognition and race/ethnicity), and potential confound of the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsAutistic youth present with higher rates of depressive symptoms early in development; yet, approaching middle adolescence and puberty, the symptom trajectory in the autistic youth declines coinciding with an increase in the TD youth. While group trajectories are divergent, they lead to similar levels of depression in late adolescence with higher symptoms in females. Findings suggest a period of quiescence in depressive symptomology influenced by biopsychosocial factors impacting affective profiles.

Racial–Ethnic Discrimination and Early Adolescents’ Behavioral Problems: The Protective Role of Parental Warmth

The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between discrimination by multiple sources (i.e., teachers, students, and other adults) and early adolescents' behavioral problems (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems), also considering the protective role of parental warmth in this association. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted with 3,245 early adolescents of color obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study at Year 1 follow-up (Y1), a large and diverse sample of US children (N = 11,876, Mage = 9.48 years). Racially-ethnically minoritized adolescents reported the source of discrimination, parental warmth, and symptoms of psychopathology. Regression with interaction terms was conducted to investigate the associations among sources of discrimination, parental warmth, and behavioral problems among racially-ethnically minority adolescents. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine (1) race/ethnicity and gender variations; (2) whether the associations between different sources of discrimination and behavioral problems are reliably different; (3) effects of discrimination, parental warmth, and their interplay at Y1 in predicting adolescents' behavioral problems at Year 2 follow-up. Early adolescents experiencing interpersonal racial-ethnic discrimination by multiple sources, including teachers, students, and other adults, reported higher levels of attention, internalizing, and externalizing problems. Parental warmth was protective for the association between interpersonal racial-ethnic discrimination and early adolescents' behavioral problems. Experiencing interpersonal racial-ethnic discrimination from teachers, peers, and other adults is related to heightened attention, internalizing and externalizing problems among racial-ethnic early adolescents. Parental warmth may reduce the risk of developing behavioral problems among early adolescents who experience interpersonal racial-ethnic discrimination from students, teachers, and other adults outside of school.