Mental Health Of Young People Research Articles

A qualitative exploration of online forums to support resilience of rural young people in Australia.

Prevention and early intervention are crucial strategies for improving young people's mental health and well-being. Building resilience is a key component of these strategies, especially among young individuals in rural areas who face well-documented mental health disparities. This study aimed to investigate how online mental health forums can contribute to enhancing individual resilience in young rural users. A sample of forum posts (n = 1,000) made by Australian rural users (18-25 years) on an online peer support mental health forum were qualitatively analyzed. The analysis was guided by themes derived from the literature on indicators of rural resilience. Analysis of forum posts showed evidence of rural resilience in forum users. Online peer support forums offered a virtual space for individuals to establish social connections, experience a sense of belonging, share information, acquire knowledge, and offer mutual support. There were indications of increased self-efficacy among forum users, as they demonstrated their ability to implement strategies for better managing their mental health. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of how online forums can enhance resilience factors that are beneficial for young people living in rural communities. In the context of prevention and early intervention, this study illustrates the intricate connections between forum design and user activity with resilience outcomes, providing valuable insights into the underlying causal mechanisms. Consequently, it emphasizes the importance of incorporating such digital interventions as integral components of mental health service ecosystems.

Teacher perspectives on enhancing wellbeing education through integrating arts‐based practices

AbstractWellbeing education (WE) is increasingly offered among secondary schools internationally to promote the physical, social, emotional and mental health of young people. Current and emerging evidence proposes that scope exists for the enhancement of universal WE, and that arts‐based approaches have significant potential for school programmes in enhancing the effectiveness of WE. This sits alongside a growing body of international literature that connects arts engagement with positive mental wellbeing across age groups. Existing research also shows that the evaluation of the goals, pedagogy and student engagement within WE from the perspectives of teachers is uncommon. To this end, this qualitative research investigated teacher perspectives on the potential for arts‐based WE. Through an asynchronous group interview, 10 Australian secondary school arts teachers with expertise in a variety of visual and performing arts education reflected on current WE in light of their arts teaching practice, exploring possibilities for enhancement through art‐based practices. Thematic analysis using a socio‐ecological framework reveals strong support for arts‐based WE, noting positive potential for arts engagement to facilitate increased teacher and student autonomy, relationship building, safe and inclusive environments, and enjoyable, embodied learning within WE.

Change, Adversity, and Adaptation: Young People's Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic Expressed through Artwork and Semi-Structured Interviews.

This study explores how young people's mental health was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic using artwork and semi-structured interviews. The mental health impacts of the pandemic are important to understand so that policy and practice professionals can support those affected, prepare and respond to future crises, and support young people who are isolated and restricted in other contexts. Co-designed participatory art workshops and interviews were conducted with 16-18-year-olds (n = 21, 62% female) from the London-based Longitudinal cohort Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP). Artworks and interview transcripts were qualitatively co-and analysed with young people. From interviews, six themes were identified: adaptation, restriction, change, challenges, overcoming adversity, and lockdown life. From the artwork, four themes were identified: trapped, negative mental wellbeing, positive emotions, and technology. Everyday factors such as home environment, social support, hobbies, habits, and online education were key determinants of how challenged and restricted participants felt, and their capacity to overcome this. This demonstrates the importance of wider (social and environmental) determinants and supports a systems-level public health approach to young people's mental health. For example, young people's mental health services should collaborate with other sectors to address such determinants in a holistic way. Clearer guidance and support with occupation, relationships, environment, routine and activities could mitigate the negative mental health impacts of major environmental changes on young people.

Trajectories of mental health across the primary to secondary school transition

AbstractBackgroundAdolescence is a period of profound developmental change during which the prevalence of mental health problems starts to increase. It also typically coincides with a school transition. Understanding mental health trajectories through school transition is important to inform interventions to support young people's mental health during this period.MethodsIn a longitudinal study with three assessment points spaced six months apart spanning the transition from primary (T1 = end of primary school [Year 6]) to secondary school (T2 = beginning of the first year secondary school [Year 7]; T3 = end of first year of secondary school [Year 7]) we carried out a latent class growth analysis of symptoms of common mental health problems. Young people (mean age at baseline of 11.2 years, standard deviation 0.29; 46.8% female; 53.2% male) from South East England (n = 1861) were included. We modelled emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems in parallel over the transition period. Individual‐level variables: socioeconomic status (SES), special educational need(s) (SEN), gender, negative life events (NLEs) and being worried about transition were tested as predictors of trajectory class membership using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsA model with four trajectory classes provided the best fit to the data: ‘persistently elevated’ mental health problems, ‘emotional and peer problems’, ‘hyperactivity and conduct problems’ and ‘persistently low’ mental health problems. Class membership was differentially predicted by the individual‐level variables.ConclusionsYoung people from low SES backgrounds, those with SEN and those who have experienced two or more NLEs are more likely to exhibit trajectories with elevated mental health difficulties through the transition to secondary school. Young people who were worried about transition were more likely to belong to a trajectory class characterised by elevated emotional problems.

Psychosocial Dynamics and Mental well-Being of Modern Youth

A comprehensive study of psychosocial factors affecting the mental well-being of modern youth is being conducted. Focusing on family support, social networks, stress management strategies, cultural influences, educational factors, and socioeconomic status, the authors provide a comprehensive analysis highlighting the influence of each of these aspects. The results highlight the key role of family relationships and social connections in the formation of emotional stability, and also highlight the importance of cultural factors and education in the perception and support of mental health. The generalized findings of the article provide the basis for the development of targeted strategies to support the mental health of young people, taking into account the diversity of sociocultural contexts.

Digital media use, depressive symptoms and support for violent radicalization among young Canadians: a latent profile analysis

BackgroundDespite the prominent role that digital media play in the lives and mental health of young people as well as in violent radicalization (VR) processes, empirical research aimed to investigate the association between Internet use, depressive symptoms and support for VR among young people is scant. We adopt a person-centered approach to investigate patterns of digital media use and their association with depressive symptoms and support for VR.MethodsA sample of 2,324 Canadian young people (Mage = 30.10; SDage = 5.44 ; 59% women) responded to an online questionnaire. We used latent profile analysis to identify patterns of digital media use and linear regression to estimate the associations between class membership, depressive symptoms and support for VR.ResultsWe identified four classes of individuals with regards to digital media use, namedAverage Internet Use/Institutional trust, Average internet use/Undifferentiated Trust, Limited Internet Use/Low Trust and Online Relational and Political Engagement/Social Media Trust. Linear regression indicated that individuals in the Online Relational and Political Engagement/Social Media Trust and Average Internet Use/Institutional trust profiles reported the highest and lowest scores of both depression and support for VR, respectively.ConclusionsIt is essential to tailor prevention and intervention efforts to mitigate risks of VR to the specific needs and experiences of different groups in society, within a socio-ecological perspective. Prevention should consider both strengths and risks of digital media use and simulteaneously target both online and offline experiences and networks, with a focus on the sociopolitical and relational/emotional components of Internet use.

Supporting the mental health of young people from ethnically diverse groups during the transition from primary to secondary school

Background: The transition from primary to secondary school is a pivotal period in young people’s lives and can significantly impact their mental health. However, the experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during this crucial period of physical, social and emotional development are under-researched, limiting the evidence base for meaningful support. Objectives: This study explored the experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during primary-secondary school transition and co-designed ideas for culturally sensitive support. It explicitly focused on the intersection between ethnic and cultural identity, primary-secondary transition and mental health. Methods: The study employed participatory design to collaborate with seven young people from ethnically diverse groups and a peer researcher. Four online workshops mapped participant experiences and ideas concerning the primary-secondary transition, identity and mental health. These were developed into implications for practice, policy and research. Results: Participants highlighted feeling unprepared for the transition, with some experiencing poor mental health and difficulty navigating their ethnic and cultural identity during this time. Participants’ ideas for future transition experiences included: supporting a longer transition period, schools promoting diversity among students and staff, enabling education on ethnicity and culture, breaking stereotypes, enabling mutual learning among staff and students and enabling an open and caring environment to support mental health. Conclusions: The study provides an in-depth understanding of experiences of young people from ethnically diverse groups during primary-secondary transition and suggests ways of supporting multi-faceted transitions and mental health, with a key focus on ethnic and cultural identity formation.

Barriers and facilitators of communitybased implementation of evidencebased interventions in the UK, for children and young people's mental health promotion, prevention and treatment: rapid scoping review - ERRATUM.

Barriers and facilitators of communitybased implementation of evidencebased interventions in the UK, for children and young people's mental health promotion, prevention and treatment: rapid scoping review - ERRATUM.

The contribution of school social work to climate change education and mental health support

ABSTRACT This narrative review outlines how school social workers, as part of multi-professional school teams, can be involved in climate change education and mental health support. Rapid climate change and extreme weather events pose an existential threat to children and adolescents, triggering a range of climate emotions such as worry, anxiety or anger. International research shows that current and future climate scenarios affect young people's mental health. In order to achieve good health and well-being, and to prevent serious mental health problems, it is essential to be aware of their climate emotions and distress. In the climate crisis, schools, as important social spaces for children and adolescents, are therefore challenged to provide appropriate educational responses and health promotion for students of all ages. School social workers can make a professional contribution by providing education and counselling aimed at promoting emotional regulation and coping, empowerment for climate action, building self-efficacy and resilience to climate change, and developing comprehensive climate and health literacy. Finally, new challenges and tasks that arise in this context and that require the professional development of school social work are highlighted.

"It's about how you take in things with your brain" - young people's perspectives on mental health and help seeking: an interview study.

Poor mental health in young people has become a growing problem globally over the past decades. However, young people have also been shown to underutilize available healthcare resources. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has formulated guidelines for youth-friendly health services (YFHSs) to increase youth participation in healthcare. Still, little is known about how young people using these services perceive mental health, indicating a knowledge gap concerning the subjective evaluation of their mental health. To investigate how young people visiting youth health clinics (YHC) perceive the concept of mental health and factors they view as central to maintaining mental health. In total 21 interviews were carried out, 16 in 2018, and 5 in 2023 to assure no changes in findings after the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects were recruited during visits to youth health clinics (YHCs) in mid-Sweden and were aged 15-23 years. Recruitment strived to achieve heterogeneity in the sample concerning gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and age. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings of the analysis revealed two themes, "Mental health is helped and hindered by the surroundings" and "Mental health is difficult to understand and difficult to achieve". The participants described their health as highly dependent on their social surroundings, and that these are important to maintaining health but may also affect health negatively. They described mixed experiences of the health care services and mentioned prerequisites for seeking care for mental health problems such as accessibility and respect for their integrity, including the right to turn down offered treatment. The informants also viewed mental health as an ongoing undertaking that one must work for, and that it is sometimes difficult to know what constitutes mental health. They also expressed a need from healthcare services to enquire about their health, and to show an active interest in how they are doing. Findings underline the need of young people's individual needs to be met in the healthcare system and their vulnerability to their social surroundings. Health status assessments in young people should consider social and individual factors to fully capture mental health.

Experiences of help-seeking from professional services for a child or young person's mental health concerns during the pandemic: A qualitative study.

The immediate response to the Covid-19 pandemic saw school closures and a shift in provision to online health services for children and young people experiencing mental health concerns. This study provides mental health and referral services with an insight into difficulties experienced as well as recommendations on potential improvements. Semi-structured interviews with 11 parents and six young people. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Parents and young people reported mixed experiences on accessing mental health support. Priorities and pressures on health services impacted the likelihood of choosing to seek and being able to obtain help. Parents and young people had varying expectations and experiences in help-seeking during the pandemic which were also impacted by others' experiences and views. For many, the relationship with the professional they were in contact with impacted their mental health treatment. Provision was sometimes accessed via private services due to long waiting lists or problems that did not "meet threshold". Understanding the experiences of seeking mental healthcare during the pandemic can inform improvements to access to services at a time when people are most vulnerable. Accessible provision other than private services needs to be made for those on waiting lists. For those who do not meet service threshold, intermediary support needs to be secured to prevent unnecessary exacerbation of symptoms and prolonged problems. If schools are to remain the hub for children and young people's mental health services, they should be considered essential services at all times.

Pragmatic controlled trial of a school-based emotion literacy program for 8- to 10-year-old children: study protocol

BackgroundMental disorders are common in childhood, but many young people do not receive adequate professional support. Help-seeking interventions may bridge this treatment gap, however, there is limited research on interventions for primary-school children. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an emotion literacy program at increasing literacy, reducing stigma, and promoting help-seeking in children aged 8–10 years.Methods and analysisA two-arm pragmatic cluster-controlled trial will compare Thriving Minds, an emotion literacy program for middle primary school children, to a wait-list control condition. Children aged 8–10 years will be recruited from approximately 12 schools (6 intervention schools/6 wait-list control) to participate in Thriving Minds via direct invitation by the program delivery service. Allocation to the intervention condition will be pragmatically, by school. Children will receive the intervention over two 50-minute sessions, across two weeks. Using story books and interactive discussion, the program aims to develop children’s knowledge of their own and other’s emotional experiences and emotion regulation strategies (self-care and help-seeking). The primary outcome is help-seeking intentions. Secondary outcomes include help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, emotion knowledge and attitudes, and stigma. Children will complete surveys at pre-intervention, post-intervention (one week after the program) and 12-week follow-up. Additional satisfaction data will be collected from teachers in intervention schools via surveys (post-intervention and 3-month follow-up) and semi-structured interviews (after follow-up), and selected children via focus groups (12-week follow-up). Analyses will compare changes in help-seeking intentions relative to the waitlist control condition using mixed-model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools.DiscussionWith demonstrated effectiveness, this universal emotion literacy program for promoting help-seeking for mental health could be more widely delivered in Australian primary schools, providing a valuable new resource, contributing to the mental health of young people by improving help-seeking for early mental health difficulties.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12623000910606 Registered on 24 August 2023.

OPENING SPEECH THE 1ST CONFERENCE ON PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES “Mental Health in Young People in the Modernization Era”

CV. Doki Course and Training sebagai lembaga resmi yang fokus pada pengembangan ilmu di bidang pendidikan dan penelitian merasa perlu menyelenggarakan konferensi ini. CV. Doki Course & Training juga mengadakan Call Paper, mengundang para penulis untuk berkontribusi nyata dalam bentuk pemikiran untuk dituangkan dalam tulisan dalam kaitannya dengan mental health. Setidaknya ada 3 subtema yang ditetapkan oleh tim, yaitu Social Behaviour of Young People in the Modernization Era (Perilaku Sosial Anak Muda di Era Modernisasi), Youth, Social Media, and Internet in the Modernization Era (Pemuda, Media Sosial, dan Internet di Era Modernisasi), Deviations in Young People in the Modernization Era (Penyimpangan Anak Muda di Era Modernisasi). Dan Alhamdulillah, melalui proses seleksi, nantinya akan ada 12 artikel yang akan dipublikasikan dalam bentuk Prosiding ISSN dan E-ISSN, yang dapat dibaca oleh semua orang.

Child-first coaching to support young people's mental health

Child-first coaching to support young people's mental health

Examining the mental health impacts of climate change on young people in Canada: a national cross-sectional survey

BackgroundClimate change poses a substantial threat to the mental wellbeing of young people. Population-level research is urgently needed to help inform policies and interventions to ensure that young people are not burdened by long-term mental health impacts from climate change. We sought to identify the prevalence, distribution, and factors associated with climate change-related mental and emotional health outcomes among young people (aged 13–34 years) in Canada. MethodsThis study is part of a larger cross-sectional survey, which examined mental and emotional health responses to climate change among individuals aged 13 years or older from across Canada. We used a multi-stage, multi-stratified random probability sampling procedure. Participants were randomly recruited through either an addressed letter or a telephone call. Online and telephone questionnaires were used to interview individuals in English, French, or Inuktitut between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. Data were weighted by age and province using population estimates from Statistics Canada and analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analyses, and multivariable regression analyses. FindingsThe full survey included 2476 participants, with a subgroup of 409 young people. Of the 401 respondents who provided their gender identity, 215 (54%) identified as cisgender women, 167 (42%) identified as cisgender men, and 19 (5%) identified as non-binary. Preliminary results suggest that young people in Canada experience a wide range of climate-related emotional and mental health outcomes. More than 70% of respondents in the young people subgroup reported having at least mild levels of sadness, anger, worry, anxiety, concern, helplessness, hopelessness, or powerlessness related to climate change. The severity of climate-related emotional responses differed by gender, with non-binary respondents and cisgender women reporting higher average levels of distress than cisgender men. Regional differences were also observed, with northern regions and urban locations reporting more severe reactions. InterpretationThis study builds on the understanding of the burden of climate change on the mental health of young people. If unaddressed, the impact of this burden could have long-standing and wide-reaching public health and related socioeconomic effects. FundingCanadian Institutes of Health Research, ArcticNet, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship, Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, and Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship.

Gaining consensus on emotional wellbeing themes and preferences for digital intervention type and content to support the mental health of young people with long-term health conditions: A Delphi study.

Young people (YP) with long-term conditions (LTCs) are at greater risk of psychological distress than those without LTCs. Despite this, there is a scarcity of quality digital interventions designed to help improve mental wellbeing in this population. The aim of this study was to determine what YP, parents and health professionals preferred for future interventions. Twenty-six YP with asthma, diabetes and/or epilepsy (the three most common LTCs in YP), 23 parents of YP with LTCs and 10 health professionals mainly in paediatric specialisms (total n = 59) took part in an online Delphi study to gain consensus (set at 75% agreement) on four questions across three rounds. Participants ordered psychological themes that may be experienced by YP with LTCs by importance and ranked digital intervention types and delivery modes by importance or usefulness. The most common results were reported if no consensus was reached by round 3. Participants preferred a mobile phone app (73% agreement) and a mixture of one-on-one and group support for an intervention (75% agreement). The two highest ranked psychological themes were anxiety (44%) and wanting to appear 'normal' (38%), and the top intervention type was 'general counselling' (54% agreement). There was a clear desire for an app to help with the psychological aspects of living with LTCs and for a combination of one-to-one and group intervention elements. Anxiety and wanting to appear 'normal' might be two closely linked psychological challenges that could be addressed by a single intervention. The results will be important to consider for a future intervention, although further consultation will be needed for app development. Two YP with a LTC provided feedback on the study protocol including the aims and procedures of the project. Another six YP with LTCs were consulted on an early draft of the study questionnaire (the four questions), which was subsequently revised. Once the project began, a patient and public involvement group consisting of two YP with LTCs and one parent of a YP with an LTC gave feedback on the research process, lay report of the results and dissemination plan.

Children and Young People's inpatient and PICU mental health services: transformation in an evidence vacuum

Children and Young People's inpatient and PICU mental health services: transformation in an evidence vacuum

Young people's mental health: facing revolution aggravated by new technologies

Young people are suffering from depression, anxiety, fatalism and may develop suicidal tendencies. The objective is to follow the paths defined by Dairymple, Lukianoff and Haidt regarding the reality of young people. The causes are not fully understood, however, the solution is to help children develop healthy trajectories to minimize mental disorders or suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We also know that schools are a source of tension and that they need to become healthier environments. We know that we are in the middle of a technological revolution, which, through Automation, affects employment and family income. And finally, the most important thing is the interest and commitment to improving communication and family support, family and community ties, as well as children's ties to school, so that they feel safe and connected.

Fitness-yoga – as an effective means of improving the physical and mental health of children and youth

Fitness-yoga is a popular form of health-improving physical activity. It has become a huge trend all over the world, as it provides all participants with a lifestyle training technique combined with physical activity. Yoga practice includes physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation, and meditation. Fitness-yoga is a safe, simple, and cost-effective way to practice for health. It has been proven to bring numerous benefits to physical and mental health. Fitness-yoga classes reduce stress and promote a healthy lifestyle while strengthening the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improving well-being, improving weight control and body composition, and contributing to overall disease relief. In addition, it has been found to promote healthier eating and increased physical activity. Fitness-yoga can be used as a means not only to increase the amount of healthy physical activity, but also to achieve social, emotional, and personal balance of the younger generation. The use of fitness-yoga in educational institutions improves mental health and cognition, can improve self-perception, subjective sense of well-being, academic performance, and attention.
 Fitness-yoga as a direction of mental fitness can be a cost-effective and inclusive tool used in educational institutions to solve both physical and mental health problems among children and youth. The practice of fitness-yoga develops in students and schoolchildren a series of strategies and techniques that will help to improve both academically and socially. There is a growing need to integrate fitness-yoga into educational institutions so that students can practice it throughout their studies. Fitness-yoga yoga is an effective long-term means of improving health.
 The methodological basis of the research is a complex of approaches (task, activity, result), principles (scientific, connection between theory and practice, activity), methods (general scientific research methods, in particular analysis and synthesis, are applied). This contributes the purpose of the article - analyzing the effects of fitness-yoga on physical and mental health. Consideration of the effectiveness of the use of fitness-yoga to improve the physical and mental health of young people determined the novelty of this work. It was concluded that fitness-yoga can have a positive effect on mental and physical health. The inclusion of fitness yoga in the educational system would have an important positive impact on the future of young people.

Unravelling the Longitudinal Relations Between Developmental Milestones, General Psychopathology, and Personality Functioning in a Youth Clinical Sample.

Personality functioning, general psychopathology, and developmental milestones achievement are critical domains in the field of young people's mental health; however, no prior research has considered these variables jointly or examined the temporal dynamics between them. To fill these gaps, the present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations between the above constructs in a clinical sample of Dutch youth. 525 outpatients (72.5% women; age range: 12-26 years, M = 18.8 ± 2.83) diagnosed with different psychological difficulties were recruited from specialized mental health care services in The Netherlands. They completed self-report measures assessing personality functioning, psychopathological symptoms, and the achievement of youth-specific developmental milestones. Data were collected on three occasions within a year and modelled using a Cross-Lagged Panel Model approach. The levels of personality dysfunction, general psychopathology, and developmental milestones achievement were found to fluctuate from one wave to the other. Personality dysfunction and general psychopathology were positively interrelated at each time point, while both constructs were negatively associated with developmental milestones achievement. Importantly, difficulties achieving developmental milestones predicted a worsening in personality functioning 6 months later. This result would suggest that the achievement of developmental milestones precedes personality functioning, supporting the importance of interventions promoting age-adequate functioning in youth.