Individual Protective Factors Research Articles

Childhood Adversity and Life Satisfaction in Adults with Alternative Care Experience in 12 Low- and Middle-Income Nations: The Mediating Roles of Individual and Relational Protective Factors and Resilience

Adults with care experience have elevated rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and a greater likelihood of poor outcomes. Some research has examined how protective factors and resilience impact outcomes among care leavers, but few studies include those from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Further, little work has examined the interactive impact of protective factors and resilience in this population. We investigated (a) the prevalence of ACEs among care leavers from LMICs, the mediating roles of (b) resilience and (c) individual and relational protective factors on the relationship between ACEs and life satisfaction, and (d) whether mediation was occurring both in parallel and sequentially. Five hundred forty-two care leavers from twelve LMICs completed an online survey. Participants completed the Brief Resilience Scale, ACEs Questionnaire, and open-ended questions regarding care experiences. Open-ended questions were coded for protective factors. There was a high prevalence of ACEs among care leavers. The relationship between ACEs and life satisfaction was partially mediated by resilience. Individual and relational protective factors partially mediated the relationship between ACEs and life satisfaction. Finally, resilience and protective factors partially mediated the relationship between ACEs and life satisfaction in both parallel and sequential mediation among care leavers from LMICs. Protective factors operate interactively to influence resilience, increasing life satisfaction among care leavers from LMICs.

Systematic Review of Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors in Children Reported from Developmental Criminology.

Evidence indicates that persistent transgressive behaviors often begin early in development and increase around age twelve, and warns that children who exhibit transgressive behaviors in childhood or early adolescence tend to develop criminal behaviors in adulthood which makes childhood a critical unit of analysis for timely intervention. The study examines risk and protective factors in childhood related to illegal behavior, through the perspective of developmental criminology. The observation of risk and protective factors in early stages allows us to design interventions that prevent social adjustment problems in children from becoming more complex by maintaining the transgression of social norms over time. Factors identified by developmental criminology can be organized according to ecological systems theory and discussed in relation to previous criminological studies. Using a systematic review based on the PRISMA method, the study identifies 24 updated developmental criminology articles that study early protective factors between birth and age twelve. Risk factors at the individual level include biological, socioemotional, behavioral, symptomatic aspects and adverse life experiences. Individual protective factors include cognitive, socioemotional, and personality development aspects. Risk factors at an interpersonal and contextual level are related to family, school, peers, socioeconomic situation and governance. This review highlights the importance of recognizing risk and protective factors in child development, contemplating interventions at multiple levels where an articulation between the various institutions involved in child care is possible.

Factors Influencing Adolescent Resilience and Human Immunodeficiency Virus-acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Prevention Behavior: A Cross-sectional Study of Adolescents in DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia

Background The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains high in Indonesia. Therefore, HIV-AIDS prevention and control programs have been established for adolescents aged 15–24 years based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Internal risk factors related to risky sexual behavior and external risk factors associated with exposure to pornography through the media are major hurdles that need to be overcome in efforts to prevent HIV-AIDS among adolescents. Meanwhile, individual protective factors through self-control and adolescent resilience strongly impact the enhancement of HIV-AIDS prevention behavior. This study aimed to determine whether internal and external risk factors and individual and sociocultural protective factors exert influences on adolescent resilience and HIV-AIDS prevention behavior among adolescents. Methods This research employed a descriptive quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach. The population consisted of high school students aged 15–19 years in Jakarta, and a sample of 619 students was taken through proportional stratified random sampling. Inferential analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results The data analysis revealed that adolescent resilience (β-value = 0.423; t = 12.129), internal risk factors (β-value = 0.292; t = 10.903), and external risk factors (β-value = -0.088; t = 6.127) most significantly influenced HIV-AIDS prevention behavior, with significant negative impacts. The sub-variable that most strongly determined the presence of HIV-AIDS prevention behavior (Y2) was self-control (λ = 0.983), and the one that did so most weakly was negative cognition (λ = 0.875). Conclusion Adolescent resilience is a crucial factor in enhancing HIV-AIDS prevention behavior among adolescents as it influences adolescents’ beliefs, boosts their self-confidence, fosters emotional insight, and develops social skills and empathy toward others. Thus, enhancing it through HIV-AIDS prevention programs is essential.

A dual pathway for understanding the relation between wellbeing and resilience

This study investigates the intricate connections between relational wellbeing and individual resilience, through family and community protective factors. As such, we aim to bridge an existing gap in resilience literature by examining the elements that contribute to individual resilience from a relational perspective through a random sample of slum dwellers in Indonesia. To address this research gap, we adopted White’s conceptualisation of relational wellbeing and integrated Benard’s perspective on individual resilience and applied them using established measures to assess the general population living in slum areas across three Indonesian cities: Bima, Manado and Pontianak. Rigorous confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to establish the validity and reliability of all employed measures. The results of the mediated-path analysis underscore the significance of family protective factors in most relationships between dimensions of relational wellbeing and individual resilience. Notably, the two mediators exhibited distinct effects: the former positively mediated the relation, while the latter demonstrated an inverted mediation effect. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the nuanced interplay between wellbeing and resilience, particularly regarding the impact of familial and community support on individuals’ ability to cope with daily life challenges, especially in disaster-prone areas.

Preventing Online Addictive Behaviors Promoting Active Online Use: Preliminary Findings in Italian Early Adolescents

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Information and Communication Technologies (i.e., ICT) are fundamental in everyone’s daily lives, especially for youths who integrate them into their routines as instruments for academic, relational, and entertainment purposes (Oka et al., 2021). Thus, it becomes crucial to differentiate positive or proactive online behaviors, which motivate people to interact directly with others and are positively associated with well-being, from negative or addictive online behaviors, which increase emotional, behavioral, or work-related and academic problems (Alimoradi et al., 2019; Gjoneska et al., 2022; Oka et al., 2021). Social and clinical policies are mostly focused on negative and addictive online behaviors in youths, due to their huge effects on mental health, which also significantly impact social and health costs to deal with these problems (Cañas & Estévez, 2021; Lopez-Fernandez & Kuss, 2020). To our knowledge, promotive policies and interventions in this field are still lacking, because they mostly focus only on the reduction of problematic behaviors rather than promoting individual or contextual protective factors (Cañas & Estévez, 2021; Li et al., 2020). Contrary to this trend, considering the potentiality of ICTs for youths, research is now highlighting the importance of considering both preventive and promotive components in online behaviors. According to the Positive Youth Development perspective (Lerner et al., 2018), which emphasized the importance of focusing on individuals’ resources and protective factors, a preventive-promotive intervention was developed and implemented in an Italian Junior High School, that aimed to contrast negative online behaviors, while promoting positive ones (La Rose et al., 2010). <strong>Aims of this Study:</strong> Thus, the present study preliminary investigated the effectiveness of this intervention, by analyzing longitudinal mean differences of two negative (i.e., problematic use of social network and smartphones) and two positive (i.e., searching for social support online, offering social support online) internet-related behaviors in youths. <strong>Method and Results:</strong> 358 youths (35% females; Mage=15.35, S.D.=.63) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (Monacis et al., 2017), the Smartphone Addiction Scale (Kwon et al., 2013), and the Active and Passive Use of Social Networking Sites Scale (Remondi et al., 2023) in the pre-and-post intervention assessments. Repeated Analysis of Variances showed that smartphone and SNS addictions significantly decreased from pre-to-post assessments. In addition, offering and searching for social support on SN significantly increased across the two time points. <strong>Discussion:</strong> Our findings showed that addictive smartphone and SNS use significantly decreased in a short time period, while relational activities engaged with SNS significantly increased across the intervention. These results could suggest the short-term efficacy of the project and could be considered in the implementation of other school-based interventions, and in the implementation of more effective socioeconomic strategies to contrast internet-related addictive behaviors (Andreassen et al., 2017).

Suicide-Related Outcomes Among Adults in Custody: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Literature Reviews

We conducted a comprehensive umbrella review including all published meta-analyses and systematic reviews on suicide-related outcomes among adults in custody. Eligible studies were searched for in major scientific databases following the PRISMA method up to February 2023. The quality of each study was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 protocol. Twenty studies were included, consisting of 11 meta-analyses and nine systematic reviews. Factors associated with suicide outcomes among individuals in custody were categorized into five domains: clinical status, historical, custodial, criminological, and prevention. However, all systematic studies reported considerable heterogeneity (I2 > 50%–85%). Most systematic literature reviews and/or meta-analyses showed moderate quality based on AMSTAR-2. This umbrella review highlights individual factors (in the clinical status and historical domain), contextual factors (in the custodial and criminological domains), and protective factors (in the prevention domain) to provide a clearer understanding of the prison-related domains involved in the development and maintenance of suicide-related outcomes.

Resilience in residential care: A qualitative study based on the voices of adolescents

Young people placed in residential care are at an increased risk of a wide range of emotional and behavioral difficulties. Some of them deteriorate in psychological outcomes, some show no changes, and some show healthy psychological outcomes. Recent research has identified protective factors of adolescents’ psychological health outcomes in residential care, framed on the Resilience Portfolio Model. However, to the best of our knowledge, studies using qualitative designs are scarce.This qualitative study aimed to identify adolescents’ perspectives on the concept of resilience and identify their perspectives on protective factors for psychological health. Nineteen adolescents (12–17 years old;M = 14.21; 57.9 % male) from three non-specialized residential care settings in Portugal participated in this study, answering to a semi-structured interview. Data were analyzed using content analysis, and the results revealed that our participants identified specific factors in residential care (e.g., staff and peer support) and out-of-care (e.g., family) contexts that are relevant to their resilience outcomes. The childcare system should consider adolescents’ resilience portfolios by fostering individual assets and contextual protective factors to promote positive outcomes.

Cultural considerations for substance use and substance use disorders among Black men.

There are complex cultural considerations for understanding, assessing, and treating substance use disorders (SUD) among Black men, from the initiation of substance use through SUD-related outcomes. This narrative review provides insight into some of these factors, including the individual, interpersonal, and community-level risk and protective factors (e.g., family and social roles, religiosity, racism and discrimination, exposure to trauma and adversity) underlying relative risk for substance use and disparities in SUD-related outcomes. This article also highlights the ways that public attitudes and policies related to substance use have contributed to ongoing inequities in SUD treatment access for Black men. Recommendations for clinical research and practice include increasing focus on measurement equivalence, creating pathways for access to community-based and specialty treatment, and providing services that are culturally affirming, relevant, and appropriate. Comprehensive efforts are needed to reduce SUD-related inequities and promote positive well-being among Black men and their communities.

The Influence of Psychosocial Factors on the Successful Formal Education Trajectories of Young Spanish People in Vulnerable Situations.

Young people in vulnerable situations tend to have more difficulties realizing successful formal education trajectories. It is extremely important to conduct studies that explore the key dimensions that can help young people overcome the conditioning of vulnerable situations, assisting in the achievement of academic success. According to the existing literature, one of these key dimensions is psychosocial well-being. Thus, this qualitative research aims to identify and analyze psychosocial factors that favor successful school pathways among young people in vulnerable situations. Through a case study approach, 12 in-depth interviews were carried out with 12 young Spanish people who not only have a vulnerable background but also successful formal education trajectories. The data were explored through qualitative content analysis-NVivo11. The results revealed that young people generally associate their successful educational trajectory with the positive impact of psychosocial factors, such as the following: positive caregivers' valuation of formal education and positive school experiences and support networks. Young people also point to many negative school experiences that have been overcome via positive attitudes and individual protective factors. The youngsters suggest changes in the educational system and teachers' skills in order to improve the levels of psychosocial support in formal education contexts. The study's implications and limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The effectiveness of Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy in the treatment of juvenile antisocial behavior: A study protocol of a Multiple Case Experimental Design.

Juvenile antisocial behavior can have long-lasting and devastating effects for juveniles themselves, victims, and society. Evidence-based treatment is vital. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles showing severe antisocial behavior including aggression, (domestic) violence, and delinquent behavior. FAST has a flexible intensity and length, addresses individual and systemic risk and protective factors, and is responsive to the abilities of the client (system), intervention characteristics all considered crucial for effective treatment. The current study will investigate whether FAST is effective in reducing aggression of the juvenile, reaching client formulated subgoals, and improving family functioning. Processes of change will be examined, as well as mediation by reaching client formulated subgoals and improved family functioning. A Multiple Case Experimental Design (MCED) with an ABC design will be performed (A = baseline, B = intervention, and C = follow-up). Juveniles with primary aggression and/or anger problems (N = 15) and their caregiver(s) will be recruited. Data collection will consist of self-report questionnaires and case file analysis. Participants fill out frequent short self-report questionnaires (twice a week during phase A, every other week during phase B, and every week during phase C) and two main questionnaires at the start of the intervention and immediately after intervention end, thereby covering a period of 5 to 11 months. Both visual and statistical analyses will be performed. This study will generate robust knowledge and inform clinical practice on the effectiveness, processes of change, and mediating mechanisms of FAST, aiming to improve the treatment of future families within youth forensic care. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 28/08/2023, protocol ID 60-63600-98-1138a.

A social problem analysis of the 1993 Brady Act and the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

In June 2022, the U.S. federal government passed its first major firearm policy since the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). Summative content analysis was used to explore how the social problem of firearm violence was outlined in both policies, with the goal of extracting the social issue's definition from the policies' approaches to solving it. Both policies do not outline the various types of firearm violence, nor the disproportionate effect of firearm violence on certain populations. This work informs the role of federal policy in defining and monitoring firearm violence as a public health issue, identifying both individual and structural risk and protective factors from an asset-based lens, and allocating preventative efforts in communities that are most affected.

Protective factors for adverse childhood experiences: Scoping review and evidence gap map.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) negatively impact mental, physical, and behavioral health of adults. To develop empirically supported interventions to reduce the impact of ACES, we need to have a strong empirical base of research on modifiable protective factors that reduce the link between ACES and health outcomes. The current review is focused on assessing the state of the literature on modifiable protective factors on the ACE-health outcome relationship in adults. We conducted a scoping review in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A systematic search for peer-reviewed literature published in English was conducted in Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from inception of the databases to January 5, 2023. We then constructed an evidence gap map to provide an innovative, visual approach to guide research prioritization. Seventy-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that the majority focused on mental health outcomes (59%), and investigated individual (52%) and general social support (23%) protective factors. Also, the majority of the work was done in North America (65%) with predominantly female samples. Future studies should focus on addressing gaps in our understanding of what factors may buffer the influence of ACES on physical health outcomes and risky health behaviors and our understanding of family and nonfamily relationships and community and cultural protective factors on the ACE-health outcome relationship in adults. Additionally, research is needed that focuses on samples that are more gender diverse and from countries outside of North America. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The relationship between ostracism and negative risk-taking behavior: the role of ego depletion and physical exercise.

As a major public health problem globally, negative risk-taking behavior of college students may be related to their ostracism experience, but the reason for this association is unclear. Based on the limited resource theory, combined with the integrative model of athletic performance, we tested a moderated mediation model in which ego depletion mediated the association between ostracism and risk-taking, and physical exercise moderated the mediation process to examine the mechanisms underlying the association between ostracism and negative risk-taking behavior. One thousand three hundred seven students (43% female) from four universities in China were recruited using cluster random sampling. The experience of being ostracized, ego depletion, physical exercise level, and negative risk-taking behavior were measured through an anonymous online questionnaire in "www.sojump.com." After controlling for gender and grade in college, ostracism was positively related to negative risk-taking behavior; ego depletion mediated this relationship; and physical exercise level attenuated these direct and indirect relationships. The results highlight individual risk and protective factors associated with negative risk-taking behavior, and provide new perspectives on ways to prevent and reduce college students' negative risk-taking behavior.

Social, family context, and prevention of mosquito-borne diseases in developing countries: A case of dengue in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan population has been exposed to the dengue virus for years and dengue contraction has emerged as a serious public health concern in recent years. The purpose of this study was to bring an understanding of the individual, familial, and contextual risk and protective factors associated with dengue infection in Sri Lanka from a social epidemiological perspective. The current study uses path analysis in a structural equation modeling framework to analyze data from 313 residents living in 25 villages in Eastern Sri Lanka. The findings showed that spatial, community, family and individual characteristics uniquely contributed to dengue contraction in Sri Lanka, particularly emphasizing the direct role of social and family resiliency factors such as familism and collectivism. The findings also elucidate the mediating roles of individual agency, knowledge, and preventive behaviors linking distal socioeconomic factors and dengue contraction. Additionally, findings yield that physical/spatial characteristics, such as rurality of communities, housing density/clustering and the proximity to stagnant water, contribute to dengue contraction. The identification of specific social, family and intra-individual processes, as well as structural characteristics of communities can be useful for the formulation and implementation of dengue prevention programs.

Recentering the individual in context using the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory: Applications for higher education

AbstractStudent development theory has been an important guide in practice; however, few theories focus on both the individual and the influence of the environment. Spencer's (1997) Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) examines the individual, the environment, and the role of environmental feedback on self‐perceptions, with a specific focus on how this feedback influences student experiences and outcomes. PVEST allows for assessing the processes by which an individual can develop strategies to resist negative feedback from oppressive environments, as well as how individuals use different coping mechanisms. In this chapter, we apply PVEST to individual student‐level exemplars, as well as examples within counseling and classroom microcontexts to demonstrate the importance of environmental influence as well as phenomenological individual differences in interpretations and self‐perception. Ultimately, we demonstrate how PVEST is a theoretical mechanism to focus on both the person and their phenomenological experiences (PEs), and offer larger implications for use in higher education contexts.Practical Takeaways While critical for student affairs (SA) and higher education (HE) practitioners to consider the influence of the environment on college student development, experiences, and outcomes, there can still be individual, subjective phenomenological differences across individuals who might share similar identities and be in similar contexts. We encourage practitioners to utilize PVEST—which examines the individual and the environment—with a specific focus on the role of environmental feedback on self‐perceptions, and how these self‐perceptions can impact student experiences and outcomes. PVEST is useful for understanding an individual's risk and protective factors, their available sources of challenge and support, and the coping mechanisms they use. Ultimately, PVEST can help a SA/HE practitioner assess processes by which the student can develop strategies to resist negative feedback from oppressive environments.

Burnout, employee engagement, and changing organizational contexts in VA primary care during the early COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic involved a rapid change to the working conditions of all healthcare workers (HCW), including those in primary care. Organizational responses to the pandemic, including a shift to virtual care, changes in staffing, and reassignments to testing-related work, may have shifted more burden to these HCWs, increasing their burnout and turnover intent, despite their engagement to their organization. Our objectives were (1) to examine changes in burnout and intent to leave rates in VA primary care from 2017–2020 (before and during the pandemic), and (2) to analyze how individual protective factors and organizational context affected burnout and turnover intent among VA primary care HCWs during the early months of the pandemic.MethodsWe analyzed individual- and healthcare system-level data from 19,894 primary care HCWs in 139 healthcare systems in 2020. We modeled potential relationships between individual-level burnout and turnover intent as outcomes, and individual-level employee engagement, perceptions of workload, leadership, and workgroups. At healthcare system-level, we assessed prior-year levels of burnout and turnover intent, COVID-19 burden (number of tests and deaths), and the extent of virtual care use as potential determinants. We conducted multivariable analyses using logistic regression with standard errors clustered by healthcare system controlled for individual-level demographics and healthcare system complexity.ResultsIn 2020, 37% of primary care HCWs reported burnout, and 31% reported turnover intent. Highly engaged employees were less burned out (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.52–0.63) and had lower turnover intent (OR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.57–0.68). Pre-pandemic healthcare system-level burnout was a major predictor of individual-level pandemic burnout (p = 0.014). Perceptions of reasonable workload, trustworthy leadership, and strong workgroups were also related to lower burnout and turnover intent (p < 0.05 for all). COVID-19 burden, virtual care use, and prior year turnover were not associated with either outcome.ConclusionsEmployee engagement was associated with a lower likelihood of primary care HCW burnout and turnover intent during the pandemic, suggesting it may have a protective effect during stressful times. COVID-19 burden and virtual care use were not related to either outcome. Future research should focus on understanding the relationship between engagement and burnout and improving well-being in primary care.

Pushed Out and Drawn In: Exclusionary Discipline, Mental Health, and Protective Factors Among Youth in Public Schools.

Exclusionary discipline (ED) has long been an educational equity concern, but its relationship with student health and protective factors is less understood. Using population-based public school student data (N = 82,216), we examined associations between past-month ED and positive depression and anxiety screening instrument results. We also assessed whether each of 9 potential protective factors moderated the ED-mental health relationship by testing interaction effects. Over 1 in 10 youth experienced past-month ED, with variation by sex, gender identity, special education status, poverty, region, race/ethnicity, and adverse childhood experiences. Net of sociodemographic factors, youth who experienced ED had higher likelihood for current depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.55, 1.73) and anxiety (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.41, 1.58) symptoms. Significant associations were robust across 5 racial/ethnic groups, except for anxiety among American Indian/Alaska Native youth. Individual, interpersonal, and school-level protective factors appeared to mitigate depression and anxiety regardless of disciplinary experience. Our findings document ED disproportionality and possible ramifications for emotional well-being. In concert with structural efforts to reduce reliance on ED, strategies that bolster protective factors may support youth already impacted by ED and/or mental health problems.

Social Support as A Protective Factor for Widows’ Resilience: A Systematic Literatur Review

The most difficult loss is the loss of a life partner. The death of a spouse is not easily accepted by individuals, especially by women, because they have to bear all the stressors. After the death of a spouse, widows make adjustments in carrying out multiple roles, facing negative stigma from society related to their widowhood. Resilience is needed by individuals to be able to survive in difficult circumstances. The ability of resilience in individuals depends on how much social support is obtained as an individual protective factor in dealing with pressure. This study aims to determine resilience in widows after the death of their spouse based on social support. This study uses a systematic literature review method by reviewing research articles published from 2013-2023, using online databases including Science Direct, Scopus, ResearchGate, Academia, SAGE Pub. Based on review, we have found 10 articles are strongly selected to be reviewed. The keywords used to search for articles were "Resilience Widows" and "Social Support” and “Widowhood". The purpose of this study is was to determine the social support received by widows. The research design uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The criteria for articles reviewed are international based articles, using qualitative, quantitative and mix method with widow participants. The results found that the social support that widows need is social support that comes from family and relatives with the availability of sympathy, worry and attention to helps widows get through the grieving process and reduce the negative consequence of loss. Therefore, social support has an important role as a protective factor for widows' resilience in managing stressors and helping the proactive coping process.

Protective factors of suicidal behaviors in children and adolescents/young adults: A literature review

BackgroundSuicidal behaviors present a public health challenge in children and adolescents. Although the risk factors have long been well documented, protective factors have only been documented for a few years, and there has not been a literature review concerning the suicidal behaviors of children and adolescents since 2006. MethodsRelevant articles were collected using the Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases. Studies meeting the following inclusion criteria were included: age of participants from 6 to 19 years, qualitative and quantitative cohort or case–control studies, multivariate analysis studies, and studies with significant results for at least one protective factor. The methodology used in this review is based on the PRISMA criteria. ResultsA total of 26 studies were included in this review, which highlights various individual and environmental protective factors. The results were too heterogeneous to perform a meta-analysis, and therefore the discussion is in the form of a narrative summary. High-quality relationships with family and in the school environment were the most frequently found protective factors. The presence of positive links with peers, with other adults, and with the culture of origin was also noted. On an individual level, self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and particular coping abilities were found to be the most important protective factors. ConclusionThere are numerous important protective factors for suicidal behaviors in children and adolescents and also for adapting care to their needs. A future challenge will be to determine the best protective factors to be consolidated or strengthened using self-assessment tools that are already in use or being developed.

The curative effect of schools: A longitudinal study of the impact of school climate, school identification, and resilience on adolescent mental health.

Mental illness in adolescents is on the rise, thus it is vital to study factors that can improve youth mental health. The extant theory and research have identified both social (school climate; school identification) and individual (resilience) constructs as protectors of mental health. However, these protective factors remain in silo and require further integration. To address this issue, the present study proposed and investigated an integrative model in which social factors (i.e., school climate, school identification) nurture individual (i.e., resilience) protective factors, which in turn impact adolescent mental health. Using three-wave longitudinal data (2017-2019) from school students (Grades 7-8; N = 1,357), we found evidence supporting the integrated model examining five dimensions of mental health: anxiety, depression, happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect. Greater Wave 1 school climate predicted greater identification 1 year later, which in turn predicted greater resilience. Furthermore, greater resilience predicted lower depression and anxiety, and greater happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect 1 year later. These results support efforts to strengthen the school climate and reconceptualize resilience as an outcome of social processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).