Adolescent Problems Research Articles

Machiavellianism and family functioning in the link between peer attachment insecurity and adolescent problem behaviors: insights from a multi-method three-study design

Machiavellianism and family functioning in the link between peer attachment insecurity and adolescent problem behaviors: insights from a multi-method three-study design

Sensory Processing Sensitivity in Adolescence

The main aim of this review article is to describe the current state of scientific knowledge on the characteristics of the sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) trait in adolescence. The SPS trait stands for an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system and is associated with a tendency to process stimuli more deeply. People with this trait are highly sensitive people. Previous research has shown that there is a link between this trait and poorer quality of mental health. In addition, ado- lescence itself is a particularly challenging phase of life for most young people, as numerous changes take place during this developmental phase. For these reasons, highly sensitive adolescents represent a particularly vulnerable group for the development of various types of mental health problems. How- ever, previous research has shown that the development of various problems in adolescents with the SPS trait is largely de- pendent on environmental factors. This knowledge is essential for professionals (psychologists and psychiatrists) who need to be aware of the main characteristics of highly sensitive ado- lescents in order to help this group of young people.

Socio-psychological problems in adolescents with uncontrolled bronchial asthma

Socio-psychological problems in adolescents with uncontrolled bronchial asthma

Aggression and patterns of co-occurrence mental health problems in Chinese adolescents: a latent class analysis

BackgroundMental health is an important aspect of adolescents’ development and well-being. Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt, are recognized to be interconnected and to occur often. Research has found that aggression is connected to a variety of mental health problems. However, there’s limited knowledge about the patterns of how depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt co-occur, and only few studies describe their association with aggression and sex differences.MethodsA cross-sectional study that involved 18,555 Chinese adolescents was performed to explore the mental health latent classes and the relationship with aggression.ResultsThe results showed four latent classes of mental health problems: low-symptom class (70.8%), self-harm class (9.1%), emotional symptom class (13.4%), and high-symptom class (6.7%). A significant co-occurrence between depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt was found in the high-symptom class. Notably, higher levels of adolescent aggression were associated with comorbid moderate to high mental health problems. Similar four latent classes and associations were found across sexes.ConclusionsThe present study emphasized the heterogeneity of mental health problems and revealed their co-occurrence patterns. Aggression levels are associated with the latent classes in adolescents, with the most pronounced association observed in the high-symptom class. Preventing aggression could contribute to reducing the severity and co-occurring patterns of mental health problems among adolescents.

Post-Traumatic Symptoms and Sleep Problems in Children and Adolescents after Twin Earthquakes in Turkey.

Earthquakes cause great destruction due to their suddenness and intensity. Although all people are affected by earthquakes, children are among those most affected. Every year, millions of children and young people are exposed to many natural disasters and are affected differently. Earthquakes can cause physical, mental, and sleep disorders in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the post-traumatic response and its effects on sleep on child and adolescent earthquake survivors living in the earthquake zone in Turkey. This research was carried out between June and August 2023 as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. A total of 230 earthquake survivor children from Adıyaman were included in the study. Personal information forms, the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) were used to collect data. It was determined that the scale scores of the children who were financially affected by the earthquake, who were injured, and who were under the rubble were higher (P < 0.05). It was observed that more than half of the children had severe trauma and had sleep disorders. Children who experience trauma from an earthquake have more sleep disorders. For this reason, in addition to emergency aid and interventions in earthquakes, arrangements should be made for the mental health of children and social and psychological support should be provided.

What Are the Barriers, Facilitators and Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking Behaviours for Common Mental Health Problems in Adolescents? A Systematic Review.

Increasing rates of mental health problems among adolescents are of concern. Teens who are most in need of mental health attention are reluctant to seek help. A better understanding of the help-seeking in this population is needed to overcome this gap. Five databases were searched to identify the principal barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking for common mental health problems in adolescents aged 10-19 years. The search was performed in June 2018 and updated in April 2019. Two independent screening processes were made using the eligibility criteria. Quality assessment of each study was performed, and findings summarised using a narrative synthesis. Ninety studies meet the inclusion criteria for this review for barrier and facilitators (n = 54) and interventions (n = 36). Stigma and negative beliefs towards mental health services and professionals were the most cited barriers. Facilitators included previous positive experience with health services and mental health literacy. Most interventions were based on psychoeducation, which focused on general mental health knowledge, suicide and self-harm, stigma and depression. Other types of interventions included the use of multimedia and online tools, peer training and outreach initiatives. Overall, the quality of studies was low to medium and there was no general agreement regarding help-seeking definition and measurements. Most of the interventions took place in an educational setting however, it is important to consider adolescents outside the educational system. Encouraging help-seeking should come with the increased availability of mental health support for all adolescents in need, but this is still a major challenge for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. There is also a need to develop shared definitions, theoretical frameworks and higher methodological standards in research regarding help-seeking behaviours in adolescents. This will allow more consistency and generalisability of findings, improving the development of help-seeking interventions and ensuring timely access to mental health treatments.Appeared originally in BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:293.

Stress reactivity moderates the association between early experiences of unpredictability and emotional problems in adolescents.

Researchers have documented that exposure to different kinds of psychosocial stressors can lead to emotional difficulties and, further, that heightened reactivity to stress can moderate these associations. Recently, investigators have distinguished among threat, deprivation, and unpredictability as different dimensions of early life stress (ELS). It is not clear, however, whether reactivity in specific stress response systems functions as a diathesis to lead to emotional difficulties following exposure to these dimensions of ELS. In this study (N=154) we examined whether stress reactivity, assessed across different psychobiological systems during the Trier Social Stress Test, is a unitary or multidimensional construct, and if reactivity differentially moderates the associations between ELS dimensions and adolescents' susceptibility to emotional and behavioral problems two years later. A factor analysis conducted on stress reactivity measures yielded two factors: one composed of reactivity in heart rate, heart rate variability, and cortisol, and one composed of reactivity in skin conductance and self-reported mood. These two factors independently moderated the associations between early unpredictability and subsequent emotional problems. For each factor, the combination of higher unpredictability and higher stress reactivity predicted higher emotional problems; stress reactivity factors were not significant moderators of the effects of threat and deprivation. Our findings suggest that increased stress reactivity, assessed across several domains of functioning, functions as a diathesis that interacts with ELS characterized by unpredictability to predict subsequent mental health difficulties in adolescents and, further, that low stress reactivity buffers against mental health difficulties in adolescents who have experienced unpredictability early in life.

To study the adolescent related problems in teenage girls among the rural areas: A case study of village Panzalla Rafiabad

To study the adolescent related problems in teenage girls among the rural areas: A case study of village Panzalla Rafiabad

다문화 청소년이 지각한 어머니의 감독과 사회적 지지가 학교적응에 미치는 영향에 관한 종단적 연구: 심리적 문제의 매개효과를 중심으로

Objectives The purpose of this study is to longitudinally analyze how mothers' monitoring and social support, as perceived by multicultural adolescents, affect school adjustment through the mediation of psychological problems. Methods The study utilized data from the 4th (2014), 5th (2015), and 6th (2016) waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, involving 1,217 multicultural adolescents and their foreign mothers. The relationships between mothers' monitoring, social support, psychological problems, and school adjustment were analyzed longitudinally using SPSS and AMOS through correlation and structural equation modeling. Results First, higher levels of mothers' monitoring and social support, as perceived by multicultural adolescents in 1st grade of middle school, were associated with lower levels of psychological problems in 2nd grade. Second, adolescents who perceived higher levels of mothers' monitoring and social support in 1st grade showed improved school adjustment by 3rd grade. Third, the more severe the psychological problems in 2nd grade, the lower the school adjustment level in 3rd grade. Fourth, the mediating effect of psychological problems was verified. Over time, mothers' monitoring and social support in 1st grade directly influenced school adjustment in 3rd grade and indirectly through psychological problems in 2nd grade. Conclusions The study examined the impact of mothers' monitoring and social support on multicultural adolescents' psychological problems and school adjustment. It also identified the mediating effects of psychological problems and explored causal relationships and developmental trends over time. Based on these findings, practical recommendations were proposed to support the development of multicultural families and enhance school adjustment and reduce psychological problems in multicultural adolescents.

Online social activity time predicts ADHD problems in youth from late childhood to early adolescence in the ABCD study.

Online social interactions increase into adolescence. Although cross-sectional studies have positively associated online social activity (OSA) time and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems, the directionality remains unclear. Therefore, we examined longitudinal associations between OSA time and ADHD problems using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Four waves of ABCD data from 11,819 youth participants (52.1% boys; Baseline: Mage = 9.92 years, SDage = 0.62) were utilized. Random-intercepts cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) adjusting for potential confounds were employed to estimate longitudinal bidirectional associations. Multiple-group RI-CLPM analyses examined potential moderation effects of OSA content type and child's sex. The results revealed that greater OSA time was associated with more ADHD problems in early adolescence, while more ADHD problems did not predict greater OSA time. In moderation analyses, the cross-lagged effects of OSA time on ADHD problems were only significant for girls, and boys showed an inverse relation between ADHD problems and subsequent OSA time. No moderation effect of OSA content type was observed. These findings highlight the potential detrimental effect of OSA time on the development of attentional processes, especially for girls, thereby offering insights that could guide the development and targeting of interventions to mitigate future risks for ADHD problems during adolescence.

Perceived Parenting Style and the Mental Health of Adolescents in North Macedonia’s Albanian Community

The family factor (i.e., parenting style) is among the most important factors affecting adolescents’ development, in particular their mental health. This study investigates the relationship between perceived parenting styles and mental health among adolescents, through the mediating effects of gender, age, child order, family type, income and religious attachment. It then quantitatively evaluates perceptions regarding the prevalence of mental health disorders among adolescents in seven Albanian community secondary schools in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. The results showed that authoritative parenting was the most common perceived style, followed by authoritarian and permissive parenting, and that mental health among adolescents was generally poor. Further, correlations were found between different parenting styles and particular aspects of mental health among Albanian adolescents in North Macedonia. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide targeted guidance for the prevention of adolescent mental health problems.

Sosyal medya bağımlılığı, depresyon düzeyi ve Türk ergenlerde benlik algısı: Pandemi sonrası sonuçlar

As a result of the rapid development of technology and easier access, social media addiction has become the biggest problem for adolescents of this age. This research aimed to examine the effects of self-perception, depression, and social media addiction on adolescents. The research was conducted using a relational survey design with 475 adolescents. The participants comprised 266 (56%) girls and 209 (44%) boys attending various middle and high schools. They are studying at different grade levels in Turkey. The data were collected face-to-face in 2023-2024 when the pandemic restrictions were lifted. Within the scope of the research, the Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher, the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents (SMAAS), the Self-Perception Scale for Adolescents, and the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS) were used as data collection tools to determine the personal information of the participants. After testing the proposed model using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), it was revealed that depression and self-perception have a significant effect on social media addiction. According to the results of the study, it was determined that the level of depression predicted social media addiction (SMA). In addition, it was found that the indirect effect of adolescents' depression levels on social media addiction through their self-perception was statistically significant.

Neural markers of error processing relate to task performance, but not to substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Detecting errors and adapting behavior accordingly constitutes an integral aspect of cognition. Previous studies have linked neural correlates of error processing (e.g., error-related negativity (ERN) and error-related positivity (Pe)) to task performance and broader behavioral constructs, but few studies examined how these associations manifest in adolescence. In this study, we examined neural error processing markers and their behavioral associations in an adolescent/emerging adult sample (N = 143, Mage = 18.0 years, range 11-25 years), employing a stop-signal task. Linear regressions were conducted using bootstrap resampling to explore associations between ERN/Pe peak amplitudes and latencies, stop accuracy, stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), and post-error slowing, as well as self-reported substance-related risks and problems and externalizing problems. After adjusting for age and sex, smaller frontocentral Pe amplitude and later Pe latency were associated with longer SSRT, and later Pe latency was associated with lower stop accuracy. This might indicate that the Pe, which is thought to reflect conscious error processing, reflects task performance on a response inhibition task better than the ERN, which reflects subconscious error processing. After correcting for multiple testing, there were no associations between ERN/Pe parameters and substance-related or externalizing problems, and no age interactions for these associations were detected.

A study on behavior problems of adolescents among college students in ongkharak district

This study examined the behavioral problems of adolescents among college students in Ongkharak District. A normative survey method was adopted, with 100 college students randomly selected from the district as participants. The research instrument used for data collection was the Behavioral Problems Questionnaire, developed by Dr. Joseph Israel, and validated at a 0.05 level of significance.The findings revealed that 2% of adolescents exhibited a low level of behavioral problems, 22% demonstrated a high level, and 76% were found to have a moderate level of behavioral problems. These results suggest that the behavioral problems of adolescents in this sample are predominantly moderate in nature.The study underscores the need for interventions aimed at addressing the moderate to high levels of behavioral issues among adolescents. It also highlights the importance of further research to explore underlying causes and contributing factors, such as family environment, peer influence, and academic stress, to develop effective strategies for behavioral improvement and support.

Transforming family dynamics: unexpected positive effects of treatment for adolescent gaming problems on family relationships

IntroductionWhile parenting is important for the development of adolescent problem gaming, it is unknown whether treatment of such problems in adolescents has a bearing on parenting. This study aims to explore the effects of individual relapse prevention (RP) treatment for adolescent problematic gaming on parenting practices and family dynamics.MethodsA total of 72 adolescents (74% male; Mage = 14.5 SD = 1.4), participated in the study, with n = 39 in the intervention group and n = 33 in the control group. Pre- and post-treatment data were collected on parenting practices (e.g., monitoring and communication) and family dynamics. Changes in parenting measures were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Svensson's method of change analysis.ResultsAdolescents in the intervention group reported reduced family conflict and changes in specific parenting practices, including less inquiry, fewer rules and intrusion regarding gaming post-treatment. In contrast, the control group reported a decline in family cohesion at post-treatment assessment.DiscussionThe results highlight adolescents' active role in shaping family dynamics and underscore the positive spillover effects of treating adolescent problematic gaming on parenting practices and family relationships. These findings are relevant to clinical practice and deepen our understanding of the relationship between adolescent gaming, parent-child interactions, and treatment spillover effects.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05506384, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05506384.

Comparison between clinician and machine learning prediction in a randomized controlled trial for nonsuicidal self-injury

BackgroundNonsuicidal self-injury is a common health problem in adolescents and associated with future suicidal behavior. Predicting who will benefit from treatment is an urgent and a critical first step towards personalized treatment approaches. Machine-learning algorithms have been proposed as techniques that might outperform clinicians’ judgment. The aim of this study was to explore clinician predictions of which adolescents would abstain from nonsuicidal self-injury after treatment as well as how these predictions match machine-learning algorithm predictions.MethodsData from a recent trial evaluating an internet-delivered emotion regulation therapy for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury was used. Clinician predictions of which patients would abstain from nonsuicidal self-injury (measured using the youth version of Deliberate Self-harm Inventory) were compared to a random forest model trained on the same available data from baseline assessments.ResultsBoth clinician (accuracy = 0.63) and model-based (accuracy = 0.67) predictions achieved significantly better accuracy than a model that classified all patients as reaching NSSI remission (accuracy = 0.49 [95% CI 0.41 to 0.58]), however there was no statistically significant difference between them. Adding clinician predictions to the random forest model did not improve accuracy. Emotion dysregulation was identified as the most important predictor of nonsuicidal self-injury absence.ConclusionsPreliminary findings indicate comparable prediction accuracy between clinicians and a machine-learning algorithm in the psychological treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury in youth. As both prediction approaches achieved modest accuracy, the current results indicate the need for further research to enhance the predictive power of machine-learning algorithms. Machine learning model indicated that emotion dysregulation may be of importance in treatment planning, information that was not available from clinician predictions.Trial RegistrationNCT03353961||https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/, registered 2017–11-21.Preregistration at Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/vym96/.

Reciprocal associations between child disclosure, parental solicitation, and behavior problems during middle childhood

Parental knowledge is often the result of parents soliciting information from their child and their child’s disclosure of that information. Although child disclosure is most closely (and negatively) associated with behavior problems in adolescence, it is not yet known whether this is also the case in childhood. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations between child disclosure, parental solicitation, and behavior problems in Grades 1 to 4 in a Canadian sample, taking into account intra-individual stability, the child’s gender, and socioeconomic status. The mothers and teachers of 911 children (62.7% boys) completed questionnaires in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) showed that behavior problems in Grade 2 predicted an increase in parental solicitation in Grade 3. In contrast, behavior problems in Grade 3 predicted a decrease in parental solicitation in Grade 4. No cross-lagged association with child disclosure was observed. Although these results differ from those reported in adolescence, they suggest that middle childhood is a sensitive period for parent–child communication and behavior problems.

Influence of Gender, Parental Control, Academic Performance and Physical Activity Level on the Characteristics of Video Game Use and Associated Psychosocial Problems in Adolescents.

Previous research has determined the relevance of video games for adolescents; however, it has not been possible to establish differences in usage patterns and certain psychological variables according to gender, parental control, academic performance, physical activity level or game type, nor the relationship between these variables. For this reason, the aims of this research were as follows: (a) to determine the differences in the gaming variables and the psychological variables related to video games according to gender, the closest environment, the academic performance and the level of physical activity; and (b) to determine which gaming variables and behavioral variables influence psychological variables in adolescents. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out involving 2567 adolescents (mean age: 15.06 ± 2.81 years). Participants completed eight questionnaires on the study variables. The results showed that males play more video games than females; play different types of games and on different platforms; and have more psychological problems than females. Having separated parents and having a greater parental control over video game use is associated with more time spent playing video games. Poorer academic performance is related to playing shooters and open-world games, as well as with a more negative emotional response. However, playing shooters and sport and racing games is related to more physical activity. Playing online games, mainly with strangers, is related to higher addictive and problematic uses. In addition, the times of use during the week and on weekends, especially on weekends, stand out as predictors of most psychological variables related to video games in adolescents. This study provides further scientific evidence on the role of certain behavioral and game-related variables in the relationship between video games and well-being. In addition, it highlights the importance of analyzing in the future those video game players who do not have a problematic or addictive use of video games, but who play frequently without any associated problem. From a practical perspective, the promotion of video games with social and cooperative components, or those that promote physical activity, could be related to social and psychological benefits.

Testing a Family Conflict Intervention for Parents and Typically Developing Adolescent Siblings of Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.

Parents and typically developing (TD) youth siblings of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) often experience greater caregiving burden, stress, and hardships in family functioning. They are at increased risk of family conflict and youth adjustment problems when TD siblings are adolescents since they need to balance caregiving responsibilities and various changes that naturally occur during adolescence. However, there is a lack of intervention research on parents and TD adolescent siblings that focuses on family conflict and family-wide participation. This study analyzed whether participating in a brief family intervention could improve families' knowledge of marital and family-wide conflict and TD adolescents' adjustment problems. We found that mothers and fathers significantly improved their knowledge of marital conflict and that TD adolescents significantly improved their knowledge of family-wide conflict. We also found that fathers reported significant reductions in internalizing and externalizing problems in TD adolescents. The findings support the impact of even brief evidence-based interventions targeting family-level improvements for families with both TD adolescent siblings and individuals with IDD. The findings also accentuate the significance of involving both mothers and fathers in family intervention research, suggesting that different caregivers may experience both shared and unique benefits from participating.

A meta-analytic review of cognitive behavior therapy and motivational interviewing for adolescent and young adult sleep concerns.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidenced-based treatment for sleep concerns but may be insufficient on its own to resolve adolescent sleep problems - combining this treatment with motivational interviewing may result in more robust improvements to sleep in adolescents and young adults (AYA). This study aimed to conduct the first meta-analysis of integrated CBT and motivational interviewing (MI) for AYA sleep concerns. Following PRISMA guidelines, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched through January 2024. Cohen's d was computed for effect sizes. Eligible articles included AYA utilized an integration of CBT and MI, reported quantitative outcomes related to sleep, and were published in peer-reviewed journals and available in English. Four studies were eligible for the meta-analysis (N = 435). Results showed a small-medium effect size for reduced daytime sleepiness (d = 0.39, p = .001) and increased total sleep time (d = 0.25, p = .008) following integrated CBT and MI. Risk of bias was assessed using CMA. The findings suggest integrated CBT and MI is beneficial for AYA daytime sleepiness and sleep duration, more effective than CBT alone and other control groups. These findings contribute to the understanding of effective interventions for AYA sleep concerns, offer practical insights for practitioners, and highlight the need for further investigation into the integration of CBT and MI.