Adolescent Stress Research Articles

Analysis of the Impact of Multidimensional Stressors on Adolescent Mental Health

Adolescence represents a pivotal developmental phase, marked by substantial physiological, psychological, and social changes that may result in various stressors that can profoundly affect mental health. As such, a comprehensive understanding of major stressors experienced by adolescents and their impact on mental health is essential for the formulation of effective intervention strategies and policies. The paper explores the main sources of stress for adolescents, which includes social interactions, familial expectations, academic pressures, and socioeconomic difficulties, and analyzes how these stressors contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life. Furthermore, it synthesizes relevant literature, and integrates quantitative data from longitudinal surveys and qualitative data from interviews with adolescents aged 12 to 18, including participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The results indicate that academic stress is the most prevalent, followed by stress from interpersonal relationships and family, with socioeconomic factors also having a notable impact. However, despite the variation in individual responses to stress, its impact on mental health is particularly pronounced during adolescence, which is a key period for emotional and psychological development. The paper concludes with recommendations for targeted interventions and emphasizes the need for policies to help adolescents manage stress and thereby improve mental health outcomes.

Development and validation of the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Minority Stress (TASS-MS).

This study aimed to create and validate a novel measure of gender-related minority stress in transgender and non-binary adolescents (TNBA). TNBA face higher risks of varied behavioral health concerns compared to their cisgender peers, a disparity often attributed to the presence of minority stress due to discrimination. To date, no comprehensive measures of gender-related minority stress exist for use with TNBA. The present study recruited a U.S. national sample (N = 444, aged 12-17; 65.5% White, 9.5% Black, 9.5% Latine, 15.5% other ethnicity; 34.7% transmasculine, 17.3% transfeminine, 38.3% non-binary, 9.5% agender) of TNBA. An initial item pool was developed from life history calendars, a modified Delphi process, and cognitive interviews with TNBA. Analytic methods including principal components analysis, item response theory, measurement invariance testing, and reliability analyses were conducted to establish the final scale. Concurrent validity was established across behavioral outcomes (mental health, suicidal thoughts and behavior, substance use), and convergent and divergent validity compared the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Minority Stress (TASS-MS) to existing measures of gender-related minority stress. The TASS-MS and its subscales (disaffirmation, visibility and internalized transnegativity, family) were significantly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, suicidal behaviors, non-suicidal self-injury, marijuana, and prescription drug use. The TASS-MS was moderately and weakly correlated with convergent and divergent measures, respectively, indicating specificity to minority stress. The TASS-MS is a reliable and valid measure for future research with TNBA. It is inclusive and usable by all gender minority adolescents, uses a standard simple scoring system, and assesses adolescent-specific stressors.

Decreased Social Functioning and Increased Perception of Stress in Adolescents with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.

There is a relative lack of research on the association of mental health problems and menstrual-related concerns in adolescents. The objective of the current study was to compare anxiety, depression, quality of life, and perceived stress between adolescents with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) and control patients. We performed a cross-sectional study in which participants were recruited from a tertiary training and research hospital. Adolescents aged 12-18 years with a first diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding and healthy controls evaluated in adolescent, pediatric endocrinology and general pediatrics departments were included in the study. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to assess mood, quality of life and perceived stress. Fifty-six participants from the AUB group and fifty participants from the control group were included in the study. Except for social functioning scores which were lower in the AUB group versus controls (86.42∓14.03 vs. 92.4∓10.41, p<0.05), there was no significant differences in PedsQL scores between groups. There was a significant difference between the Perceived Stress Scale total scores of the AUB and control groups (32.07 ∓ 6.49; 28.98 ∓ 5.55, p<0.05), but no difference between the RCADS scores. In our study, we found that abnormal uterine bleeding in adolescents was associated with reduced social functioning and increased perceived stress. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Coping Strategies Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Cultural Exploration

PurposeTo identify the patterns of stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents living in different cultural settings and to explore how adolescents cope with such stressors, particularly by type of stressor, site, and gender. MethodsThe study was based on focus group discussion data from 9 urban poor communities in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Blantyre (Malawi), Shanghai (China), Semarang and Denpasar (Indonesia), New Orleans (USA), Ghent (Belgium), São Paulo (Brazil), and Santiago (Chile). Translated transcripts from the focus group discussions were uploaded into ATLAS.ti (Version 9.1) and analyzed using an inductive thematic analytical approach to code and identify themes related to the primary objectives. ResultsAdolescents in Blantyre and Kinshasa reported stressors primarily related to economic constraints and hardships, whereas adolescents in other sites were more likely to report stressors related to school lockdowns. Patterns of coping strategies also loosely aligned with these differences, as adolescents in Blantyre and Kinshasa were also more likely to report using religious coping strategies compared to any other site. Still, the most common coping mechanism mentioned across sites was obtaining social support, with support from friends and family being the most dominant. DiscussionA comprehensive understanding of adolescent stressors and coping mechanisms is valuable for promoting internal resources and positive outcomes for adolescents. Given that adolescents’ stressors and types of coping strategies varied primarily by socioeconomic factors, interventions that aim to bolster positive coping among adolescents need to consider the local context and available resources.

Exploring Digital Stress of Finnish Adolescents and Their Parents

Background/Objectives: The way people communicate has significantly changed due to technological advances and penetration of cell phones and broadband connection into everyday activities. Nowadays, individuals are constantly connected through the Internet. This influences social experiences, self and social identity, and can cause digital stress, which often leads to negative emotions, psychosomatic outcomes, and diseases. It is a matter of concern for the adolescents and their families. This paper investigates how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and social media influence adolescents’ and parents’ digital stress and anxiety. Methods: Based on two digital stressors scales, a 30-item questionnaire was created. A quantitative analysis of data deriving from 164 Finnish adolescents and 53 of their parents regarding digital stress was conducted. Results: “Privacy Intrusion”, “Availability stress/Online vigilance”, and “Usefulness” were the most essential stressor factors for both students and parents. Additionally, the most significant stressor factors for students were the “Fear of Missing Out/FoMO” and “Approval Anxiety” factors while for parents were the “Safety/Security” and “Technical Support” factors. No significant differences were observed between the overall digital stress of adolescents and parents. In contrast to the existing literature, no connection between “Connection (Information) Overload” and digital stress was found. Conclusions: This paper contributes to debates regarding the effects of the use of digital resources, ICTs, and social media on processes at school, at work, and at home. The findings of our study confirm and further validate those of previous studies with the exception of “Connection (Information) Overload”, which needs to be further investigated to understand the reasons behind it.

Adaptation of the Problem Areas in Diabetes-Teen Scale into Turkish and examination of its psychometric properties: a validity and reliability study.

Management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is quite challenging for both adolescents and their families. In this study, we aimed to translate the 14-item Problem Areas in Diabetes-Teen (PAID-T) scale, which measures variables that influence diabetes distress, to Turkish and investigate the Turkish version's reliability and validity. One hundred and ninety-four adolescents with T1DM participated in the study. PAID-T and forms for sociodemographic and diabetes characteristics were used for data collection. The scale's content validity was checked using the Davis technique. Cronbach's α was used to analyze the scale's internal reliability and the test-retest for the scale's reliability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to examine the factor structure. The fit of the scale was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Of the participants, 54.6% (n=106) were girls. The content validity index values of the scale items ranged between 0.86 and 1.0. The PAID-T scores of girls and boys were similar. No significant difference was found between PAID-T scores with sociodemographic data and diabetes characteristics (p>0.05). The test-retest correlation coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.952. The three-factor (emotional burden, family and friend distress, and regimen-specific distress) model identified in EFA explained 61.8% of the common variance. Fit analysis was performed using CFA for the three-factor model, which did not show adequate fit (x2/df = 2.402, GFI = 0.822, CFI = 0.815, NFI = 0.727, NNFI = 0.772, RMSEA = 0.118). The Cronbach α value of the scale was 0.864. The Turkish version of the 14-item PAID-T showed moderate validity and strong reliability. Accordingly, it can be used as a reliable measurement tool to assess diabetes stress in adolescents with T1DM.

Determination of selected oxysterol levels, oxidative stress, and macrophage activation indicators in children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia

AimElevated levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream, also referred to as hypercholesterolemia, pose a significant risk for the onset of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Oxysterols, cholesterol-derived oxidized compounds that form enzymatically or non-enzymatically, contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. This study aimed to examine the critical oxysterol levels in children and adolescents with hypercholesterolemia and explore the correlation between these levels, oxidative stress, and atherosclerosis progression.Materials and methodsThe study included 20 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and 20 healthy individuals aged between 6 and 18 years. Participants were categorized into children (6–9 years) and adolescents (10–18 years). Pediatric and adolescent patients were selected from among subjects with LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL and diagnosed with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) based on the presence of mutations in the LDL receptor (LDL-R) gene. Patients with HeFH who were receiving regular atorvastatin therapy were included in the study.ResultsThere were no notable differences in catalase and paraoxonase (PON1) activities among the groups. However, the patient group displayed substantially higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P = 0.0108) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P = 0.0103). Compared to the healthy control group, serum chitotriosidase (CHITO) activity (P = 0.037) and chitinase 3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) levels (P = 0.0027) were significantly elevated in the patient group. Furthermore, the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements of the patient group were significantly greater than those of the healthy group (**P < 0.0001****). The patient group exhibited significantly elevated levels of 5,6-α-epoxycholesterol, Cholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol (C-triol), and 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC), whereas 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC) was significantly more abundant in the healthy group. On the other hand, while 27-OHC/Total cholesterol (Total-C) levels were significantly higher in healthy individuals, the C-Triol/Total-C ratio was significantly higher in patients. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of 7-KC/Total-C and 5,6-α-epoxycholesterol/Total-C levels.ConclusionThis study highlights the key roles of oxysterols, oxidative stress, and macrophage activation in the development of atherosclerosis in pediatric and adolescent patients with FH. Elevated C-Triol levels in FH patients, alongside increased CIMT, point to early vascular changes despite atorvastatin therapy. In contrast, higher 27-OHC levels in healthy controls suggest differential oxysterol regulation due to cholesterol-lowering treatments in FH patients. C-Triol and 27-OHC/Total-C ratios showed potential as biomarkers to distinguish patients with FH. These findings emphasize the need for therapies targeting oxidative stress and macrophage activation in addition to cholesterol-lowering interventions.

Covid, financial stress and mental wellbeing of Finnish adolescents

This article investigates the link between perceptions of financial stress and the mental well-being of Finnish adolescents during the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Did adolescents perceive an increase in financial stress and a deterioration of their mental wellbeing during the beginning of the pandemic? Moreover, to what extent can perceptions of increased financial strain explain experiences of mental wellbeing, and what protecting factors mitigate this association? We use unique national survey data collected among Finnish 12–17-year-olds in 2021 (N=1102) for answering our research questions. We found only a moderate increase in financial stress but a considerable deterioration in perceived mental wellbeing. Moreover, financial stress and mental wellbeing were negatively correlated, even if this correlation was moderated by social, psychological as well as school-related factors.

Impact of Stress and Depression on the Mental Health of in-school Adolescents’ in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study therefore investigated the impact of stress and depression on the mental health of in-school adolescents in Ondo State. Nigeria. A total of 400 in-school adolescents were selected from public secondary schools using a multistage sampling technique. A self-designed questionnaire titled Assessment of the Impact of Stress and Depression on Mental Health of in-school Adolescents Scale (AISDMHAS) was used to elicit information from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result showed that the adolescents had moderate levels of stress and depression which affected their mental health. There was a relationship between stress, depression, and mental health of the in-school adolescents. Based on the findings, it was recommended that school counselors and non-governmental organizations should organize seminars and programs to create adequate awareness on the issue of stress, and depression as it affect the mental health of adolescents.

A Comprehensive Investigation of Social Anxiety and Social Evaluative Stress in Autistic Children and Adolescents and Specific Learning Disorders.

The aim was to investigate trait social anxiety and social evaluative stress in autistic children and adolescents and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). This was done by evaluating behavioral, subjective, and autonomic responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Study 1 included 280 children and adolescents: 60 autistic without intellectual disability (ID), 70 SLD, and 150 non-diagnosed (ND) peers. Study 2 involved 55 participants: 15 autistic without ID, 15 SLD, and 20 ND. The sample was predominantly male. In Study 1, behavioral (quality of public speech) and subjective (valence, arousal, perceived competence, and worries) aspects of social stress were examined. Study 2 expands upon the first study, as physiological responses to social stress were also measured. Trait social anxiety was investigated using both parents' and children's reports in the two studies. Parents of autistic participants and with SLD reported higher trait social anxiety in their children than the parents of ND. No differences emerged from the participants' self-reports, though those autistic and with SLD were assigned lower scores in the public speech quality than ND. Autistic children and adolescents reported lower arousal and higher perceived competence than ND, while those with SLD reported a lower perception of competence. Autistic participants had a decreased cardiac reactivity across the TSST when compared to SLD and ND. Our findings show unique patterns of responses within each group, confirming that the combined investigation of trait anxiety and social stress responses could be a valuable insight in research and clinical practice.

The Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Perceived Stress in Adolescents.

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between social media addiction and perceived stress in adolescents. The study was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional design between September and December 2022 in secondary education institutions of the Provincial Directorate of National Education in a city center in eastern Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 716 adolescents who were studying in the ninth grade (145), 10th grade (198), 11th grade (216), and 12th grade (157) who met the inclusion criteria of the study at the time the study was conducted. The sample comprised individuals with diverse sociodemographic characteristics, including ages, genders, school success levels, parents' education levels, parents' job status, socioeconomic status, time spent on daily social media, and purposes of social media use of the adolescents. The "Sociodemographic Characteristics Form," "Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents (SMASA)," and "Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)" were used as the data collection tools. Ethical principles were fulfilled in the study. It was found that the average age of the adolescents who participated in the study was 15.71 ± 1.22, 58.1% were females, 41.1% had good school success, 90.5% had a mobile phone, 90.2% used WhatsApp, 56.8% said that their daily social media use time was between 1 and 3 h, and 64% said that their purpose of using social media was for entertainment and leisure. The mean SMASA score was 18.49 ± 6.98, and the mean PSS score was 42.11 ± 7.54. It was found in the study that the mother's employment status, phone ownership status, use of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn accounts, daily social media use, time and purposes of using social media affected the mean SMASA score. Age, gender, school success, use of Instagram and Snapchat accounts, daily social media use time, and purposes of using social media affected the mean PSS score (p < 0.05). As a result of the study, a positive and low-level significant relationship was detected between social media addiction and perceived stress levels (p < 0.01). As the levels of social media addiction increase in adolescents, the perceived stress levels also increase. It was also found that some variables affected the social media addiction and perceived stress levels of adolescents.

Smartphone addiction, depression, distress, eustress, loneliness, and sleep deprivation in adolescents: a latent profile and network analysis approach

BackgroundPrevious research on adolescent smartphone addiction has tended to focus on general populations that are assumed to be homogeneous, overlooking latent profiles. Furthermore, previous research has not focused on potentially important differences in the latent profiles of adolescent smartphone addiction in networks. The present study aimed to reveal the latent profiles of smartphone addiction, depression, stress, eustress, loneliness, and sleep deprivation in adolescents, and general and latent profiles were examined in the network.MethodsThe study group consisted of 436 (222 boys and 214 girls) adolescents, aged between 13 and 18 years. The findings of the present study were provided using Pearson correlation, ANOVA, latent profile analysis and network analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS, JASP, and Mplus.ResultsThe results of the study showed solutions with three latent profiles. The non-addicted group constituted 20.87%, the addicted group covered 29.82% and the risky group included 49.31% of the study group. Although the general profile and the addicted latent group had similar characteristics, the differences in the risky and non-addicted groups contributed to the current literature by providing a further and remarkable perspective on smartphone addiction, depression, distress, eustress, loneliness, and sleep deprivation in adolescents.ConclusionsThe theoretical and practical implications of the present results will provide contributions to researchers and practitioners in understanding smartphone addiction.

Chronic unpredictable stress during adolescence exerts sex-specific effects on depressive-like behavior and neural activation triggered by tail suspension test

During adolescence, acute stress can modify neuronal excitability in various brain regions, leading to negative behavioral outcomes. However, the impact of chronic stress during adolescence on neuronal responses to acute stimuli remains unclear. To address this, we subjected adolescent mice to 12 days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Anxiety and depressive behaviors were evaluated, along with changes in c-Fos expression, which is one of the most widely used markers of neuronal activation. By comparing c-Fos immunoreactivity between the CUS and control groups both before and after the tail suspension test (TST), we found that adolescent CUS induced depressive behaviors in male mice, but not in female mice. Adolescent CUS primarily affected the excitability of neurons in the infralimbic cortex (IL), the dorsomedial and dorsolateral area of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the ventral hippocampus CA3. TST exerted a significant main effect on the density of c-Fos+ neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PL), infralimbic cortex (IL), cingulate areas 1 and 2 (Cg1, Cg2), the lateral septum (LS), BNST, and lateral habenular (LHb). Furthermore, the excitability of neurons in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) was impacted by sex. These data suggest that adolescent CUS elicits region- and sex-specific modifications in TST-induced c-Fos expression, establishing a theoretical basis for understanding the pathophysiological alterations in mood disorders following adolescent stress.

Lasting effects of adolescent social instability stress on dendritic morphology in the nucleus accumbens in female and male Long Evans rats

Social instability stress (SS) in adolescence in rats leads to long-lasting changes in social behaviour and reward-related behaviour relative to control rats. Given the role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in such behaviours, we investigated the morphology of medium spiny neurons (MSNs), which are most neurons in the NAc, in adult female and male rats exposed to SS in adolescence. Irrespective of sex, SS rats had increased number of dendritic spines in both the core and shell regions of the NAc (2.3 % and 18.1 % increase, respectively). In the core, SS rats had a 16 % reduction in the total dendritic lengths of MSNs, whereas in the shell, SS rats had a greater dendritic length closer to the soma, and particularly in SS female rats, whereas the opposite was found farther from the soma (SS 10.6 % > CTL overall). Although the extent to which such structural changes may underlie the enduring effects of SS in adolescence requires investigation, the results add to evidence that changes to the social environment in adolescence can determine adult neuronal structural.

Determination of thiol-disulphide homeostasis in premenstrual syndrome during adolescence.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) characterized by cyclic symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, presents an uncertain etiology in adolescents involving hormonal fluctuations and serotonin-related neurotransmitters with a limited existing literature on the impact of oxidative stress. This study aimed to explore the potential association between PMS and oxidative stress in adolescents. In a cross-sectional study conducted at a university hospital, involving 45 adolescent girls aged 12 to 18, participants were categorized based on the presence or absence of PMS using the cut-off point of 110 on the PMS Scale developed by Gençdoğan. Oxidative stress was assessed through dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis. The shift from the balance towards disulfide form is associated with oxidative stress, whereas towards thiol it shows a greater antioxidant capacity. Thirty out of the forty-five participants were found to have PMS with a mean age of 15.5 years. The PMS group demonstrated a significant increase in antioxidant markers, specifically elevated native (631.6±57.55 vs 598.2±41.08, p=0.048) and total thiol levels (675.15±3.4 vs 639.3±44.9, p=0.031). Despite a significant increase in thiol, thiol to disulfide ratio was not found to be significant (p=0.849). Contradictory to other studies in adults, we have demonstrated an increase in the antioxidant markers in adolescents with PMS. Elevated antioxidant status in adolescents with PMS may be an adaptive response to acute cyclic inflammation in the adolescent period, which might decrease with the progression of age. Further research is needed to investigate the complex interaction between oxidative stress and PMS across different age groups.

Effectiveness of 8-Week Exercise Programs in Improving Menstrual Characteristics in Female Adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 8-week exercise programs (aerobic, stretching, and aerobic plus stretching) in improving menstrual characteristics in female adolescents in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, seventy-eight healthy female adolescents aged 12-18 from secondary and high schools in Riyadh participated. Participants were divided into three groups and subjected to different types of exercises (aerobic, stretching, and aerobic plus stretching) for 20-30 min, three times a week. Menstrual pain, stress, and attitudes were assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale, Adolescent Stress Questionnaire Short Version, and Adolescent Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire, respectively. Assessments were conducted before the intervention and after the third menstrual period post-intervention. Results: The aerobic exercise group experienced a significant reduction in the mean length of the menstrual cycle (p = 0.025). The aerobic plus stretching group had the most significant reduction in mean menstrual pain scores (p < 0.0001). Stress scores were significantly reduced in the stretching group (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: We conclude that combining aerobic and stretching exercises significantly reduces menstrual pain, while aerobic exercise decreases menstrual cycle length and pain.

Adolescent resilience in the face of COVID-19 stressors: the role of trauma and protective factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unique stressors that posed significant threats to adolescent mental health. However, limited research has examined the impact of trauma exposure on vulnerability to subsequent stressor-related mental health outcomes in adolescents. Furthermore, it is unclear whether there are protective factors that promote resilience against the negative impacts of COVID-19 stressors in adolescents with prior trauma exposure. This preregistered study aimed to investigate the impact of trauma on COVID-19 stressor-related mental health difficulties in adolescents, in addition to the role of protective factors. Aims were investigated in a sample of 9696 adolescents (mean age 12.85 ± 0.88 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to examine (a) the associations of early trauma exposure (exposed v. non-exposed), COVID-19 stressors, and perceived stress, sadness, and positive affect levels during the pandemic period in the US, and (b) the role of protective factors (physical activity, parental support, and improvements in family and peer relationships) in these associations. There was a positive association between COVID-19 stressors and sadness, which was enhanced in trauma-exposed adolescents. Improvements in family and peer relationships mitigated the association between COVID-19 stressors and poor mental health outcomes, regardless of prior traumatic experience. These findings support the hypothesis that prior trauma elevates risk of mental health difficulties in the face of future stressors. Results underscore the protective role of enhanced social relationships as targets for early prevention and intervention in those experiencing acute stressors, regardless of prior traumatic experiences.

Factors Affecting School Commute-Related Perceived Stress in Adolescents in Colombia

Factors Affecting School Commute-Related Perceived Stress in Adolescents in Colombia

Exploring Arterial Health, Perceived Stress And Sleep Patterns In Adolescents

Exploring Arterial Health, Perceived Stress And Sleep Patterns In Adolescents

Oxidative Stress in Children and Adolescents with Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract Background The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) involves multiple factors, and the exact mechanisms remain uncertain. Thus, the aim of the current study is to assess the oxidant/ antioxidant status among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes(T1D) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods A comparative cross-sectional study including 100 patients with T1D; equally divided into 2 groups according to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER). Both groups of T1D were compared with age and gender matched healthy controls. To assess oxidant/ antioxidant status, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed using colorimetric method. Results The MDA levels were significantly higher in patients with DN (9.24 nmol/ml) compared with patients with normoalbuminuria (1.99 nmol/ml) and healthy controls (0.78 nmol/ml) (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Unlike MDA, TAC levels were significantly lower in patients with T1D compared to healthy subjects. Among participants with T1D, TAC levels were significantly higher among patients with DN (P &amp;lt; 0.001). A significant negative correlation was found between MDA and TAC levels (r=-0.655, P &amp;lt; 0.01). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was elicited between MDA and both HbA1C (r = 0.5, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and UAER (r = 0.7, P &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion T1D is associated with heightened levels of oxidative stress compared to those without the condition, with higher level of oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in DN. This suggests that oxidative stress could potentially serve as a significant factor in the development DN.