Health Of Young People Research Articles

Understanding and Defining Young People's Involvement and Under-Representation in Mental Health Research: A Delphi Study.

The mental health of young people (aged 16-25 years) is a growing public health concern in the United Kingdom due to the increasing numbers of young people experiencing mental health difficulties, with many not in contact with mental health services. To design services that meet the needs of all young people, a diversity of young people must be involved in mental health research, beyond being participants. This Delphi study aimed to identify different types of 'involvement' and to define and describe 'under-representation' in young people's involvement in mental health research. Twenty-seven experts in young people's mental health research completed a series of online questionnaires. The experts were academic researchers, patient and public involvement (PPI) professionals and young 'experts by experience'. Round 1 generated panellists' views on 'involvement' and 'under-representation'. Round 2 summarised panellists' responses from Round 1 and sought consensus (minimum 70% agreement) in nine question areas. Round 3 validated the findings of the previous rounds. Consensus was achieved in eight out of nine areas, resulting in a matrix (with definitions) of the different types of young people's involvement in mental health research, from being advisors to involvement ambassadors. The findings generated an agreed-upon definition of under-representation, an identification of when in the research process there is under-representation and the characteristics of the young people who are under-represented. Experts further agreed on demographic data that should be collected to improve reporting on involvement. This study adds to our understanding of involvement and under-representation in the context of young people's mental health research through expert consensus. It provides a practical resource for researchers considering involving young people in the research process and suggests the data that should be collected to improve reporting on the diversity of the young people involved. A research oversight group of five young people advised on this study. They contributed throughout the project-from endorsing the research question to commenting on the findings and dissemination. Two of the group reviewed all participant materials and piloted the initial questionnaire.

Re-energizing health literacy in Wales: a testbed for health, education and prosperity for all.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of enhancing health literacy for improved health outcomes, self-reported health, lower health services use and disease prevention. Importantly, improving health literacy has great potential to reduce health inequities and inequalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified health literacy as a global priority, viewing it as a right and a fundamental competency necessary to function within modern society. Building health literacy foundations should begin in early childhood, including focus within educational frameworks and school curricula. The WHO advocate for governments to embed it as an explicit goal. In response, it has received significant international policy and strategy focus, in addition to the development of country-level action plans. In Wales, UK, it was identified as a priority in 2010, but despite wider developments spanning health and social care, well-being, economy and education policy, growth in health literacy has stalled since. Optimizing health literacy would act as an indirect enabler to a range of Welsh policies and strategies. A promising avenue for strengthening the health literacy of current and future generations is through ongoing significant national education reforms and the introduction of the new Curriculum for Wales. One of four overarching purposes of this curriculum is healthy, confident individuals, and health and well-being constitutes one of six statutory curriculum areas. Tracking the impact of this on children and young people's health literacy offers opportunities for Wales to model and gain traction as a national-scale health literacy policy testbed. This requires re-energizing health literacy as a national priority.

Emotional responses and psychological health among young people amid climate change, Fukushima's radioactive water release, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the mediating roles of media exposure and nature connectedness: a cross-national analysis

New global crises are emerging, while existing global crises remain unabated. Coping with climate change, the radioactive water released into the Pacific Ocean subsequent to the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East (hereafter referred to as the wars) as individual crises can negatively affect the psychological health of young people, but little is known about the compounded impact of multiple crises. We aimed to examine: (1) the emotional responses of young people towards each individual crisis, (2) how aggregate levels of emotional engagement in global crises might pose different potential trajectories in psychological health, and (3) the protective or exacerbating role of media exposure and nature connectedness as mediators on psychological health outcomes of young people. We conducted a cross-national online survey among young people (aged 18-29 years) from China, Portugal, South Africa, the USA, and the UK. We adopted stratified purposive sampling and distributed the survey using online platforms (www.wenjuan.com and www.prolific.com). Individuals were eligible for inclusion in our analysis if they were literate in Chinese or English and had no mental disorders diagnosed within the past 12 months. Participants were asked questions on their demographic characteristics and time spent on social media, including proportion of time exposed to media pertaining to global crises of interest, and they completed surveys based on validated scales that measure depression, anxiety, stress, and wellbeing, as well as emotional responses to each global crisis and nature relatedness. We assessed the survey results using descriptive statistics, ANOVA tests, cluster analysis for individual emotional responses, and structural equation modelling for the aggregate measure of emotional engagement towards individual global crises. Between Oct 20 and Nov 3, 2023, 2579 individuals participated in the survey, of whom 400 participants from each country (200 male and 200 female participants) were included in our analysis (mean age 24·36 years [SD 2·86]). The mean emotional engagement varied between the global crises of interest (on a scale from 0 to 68, where 0 indicates no emotional response and 68 indicates strong emotional responses across 17 different emotions; wars: 32·42 [SD 14·57]; climate change: 28·79 [14·17]; radioactive water: 21·26 [16·08]), and emotional engagement also varied by country; for instance, for respondents from China, mean emotional engagement in radioactive water was relatively high (39·15 [10·72]) compared with the other countries, and for respondents from the USA, engagement with the wars was relatively low (29·45 [15·78]). We found significant variations in the level of emotional engagement between different crises, with distinct emotional profiles observed among individual countries. To assess the role of media exposure and nature connectedness on psychological outcomes, using structural equation modelling, we constructed a multi-country model comprising Portugal, South Africa, the USA, and the UK, and a standalone model for China. These models elucidated associations between emotional engagement and psychological distress and wellbeing, explaining substantial portions of the variance in both. Notably, while greater emotional engagement in the ecological crises (ie, climate change and radioactive water) generally predicted worse psychological health outcomes, we found the direction of effect for war crises to have positive outcomes for mental health in the standalone China model. Additionally, we found that media exposure mediated the negative effect of wars on psychological distress in the multi-country model, and positive psychological wellbeing in the standalone China model. Moreover, nature connectedness emerged as a potent mediator, effectively mitigating the adverse mental health effects of emotional engagement with some crises, such as radioactive water and climate change. Our findings offer valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of emotional engagement in global crises and its implications for mental health outcomes among young people across diverse global contexts. Further research is needed to understand the contribution of ongoing and new global crises towards a compounded negative future outlook on young people's mental health to identify effective communication and intervention strategies that can mitigate the effect of this global challenge. Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, China.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

The impact of COVID-19 on young people's mental health, wellbeing and routine from a European perspective: A co-produced qualitative systematic review.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people's (YP) mental health has been mixed. Systematic reviews to date have focused predominantly on quantitative studies and lacked involvement from YP with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Therefore, our primary aim was to conduct a qualitative systematic review to examine the perceived impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on YP's (aged 10-24) mental health and wellbeing across Europe. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, MEDRXIV, OSF preprints, Google, and voluntary sector websites for studies published from 1st January 2020 to 15th November 2022. European studies were included if they reported qualitative data that could be extracted on YP's (aged 10-24) own perspectives of their experiences of Covid-19 and related disruptions to their mental health and wellbeing. Screening, data extraction and appraisal was conducted independently in duplicate by researchers and YP with lived experience of mental health difficulties (co-researchers). Confidence was assessed using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) approach. We co-produced an adapted narrative thematic synthesis with co-researchers. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021251578. We found 82 publications and included 77 unique studies in our narrative synthesis. Most studies were from the UK (n = 50; 65%); and generated data during the first Covid-19 wave (March-May 2020; n = 33; 43%). Across the 79,491 participants, views, and experiences of YP minoritised by ethnicity and sexual orientation, and from marginalised or vulnerable YP were limited. Five synthesised themes were identified: negative impact of pandemic information and restrictions on wellbeing; education and learning on wellbeing; social connection to prevent loneliness and disconnection; emotional, lifestyle and behavioural changes; and mental health support. YP's mental health and wellbeing across Europe were reported to have fluctuated during the pandemic. Challenges were similar but coping strategies to manage the impact of these challenges on mental health varied across person, study, and country. Short-term impacts were related to the consequences of changing restrictions on social connection, day-to-day lifestyle, and education set-up. However, YP identified potential issues in these areas going forward, and therefore stressed the importance of ongoing long-term support in education, learning and mental health post-Covid-19. Our findings map onto the complex picture seen from quantitative systematic reviews regarding the impact of Covid-19 on YP's mental health. The comparatively little qualitative data found in our review means there is an urgent need for more high-quality qualitative research outside of the UK and/or about the experiences of minoritised groups to ensure all voices are heard and everyone is getting the support they need following the pandemic. YP's voices need to be prioritised in decision-making processes on education, self-care strategies, and mental health and wellbeing, to drive impactful, meaningful policy changes in anticipation of a future systemic crisis.

The Prosperous Short Video Environment: Hidden Threats to Young People's Mental Health

Abundant online media fill people's lives, especially the prosperity of short videos, which provide a convenient way of entertainment for young people's busy lives. However, many studies have found that while it brings people fun, it also brings many psychological problems. This study aims to address the psychological problems that occur in young people and propose ways to reduce the impact of the problems. By reading existing literature, combined with network data and the current network environment, this article finds out the psychological problems that young people will have after using short video platforms, such as blurring the boundaries between reality and virtual behavior, one-sided videos increasing psychological anxiety. After analyzing the problems, this paper found that the main causes of these problems came from social pressure and the platform's regulatory capabilities. Hence, young people can reshape their understanding of the short video virtual environment and improve their ability to resist the psychological problems caused by exploring new interests.

Russian young people's subjective health evaluations, self-care practices, and therapeutic networks.

This study investigates the relationship between young people's subjective health evaluations, self-care practices, and therapeutic networks using semi-structured interviews and the computerized qualitative thematic analysis capabilities of the MAXQDA software. In the summer of 2022, 41 Russian youths, ages 16 to 25, took part in this investigation. The major findings demonstrate that young people who had low health evaluations were more likely to conduct self-care with the intention of enhancing their health and to have mothers and other medical experts in their therapeutic networks. Furthermore, individuals who claimed that their health was inadequate engaged in more sports and took care of themselves even when they were ill. There was no association between the objectives of self-care practices, members of the therapeutic network, and self-care activities in terms of the type of health evaluation. Overall, it is possible to suggest that the practices and the structure of therapeutic networks are related to self-evaluated health, but quantitative study is needed to verify the causal relationship.

"What Works" to Support LGBTQ+ Young People's Mental Health: An Intersectional Youth Rights Approach.

Despite overwhelming international evidence of elevated rates of poor mental health in LGBTQ+ youth compared to their cis-heterosexual peers, we know relatively little about effective mental health services for this population group. This study aims to produce the first early intervention model of "what works" to support LGBTQ+ youth with emerging mental health problems. Utilizing a mixed method case study, we collected data across 12 UK mental health service case study sites that involved: (a) interviews with young people, parents, and mental health practitioners (n = 93); (b) documentary analysis; (c) nonparticipant observation. The data analysis strategy was theoretical using the "explanation-building" analytical technique. Our analysis suggests an intersectional youth rights approach with 13 principles that must be enacted to provide good mental health services as advocated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and World Health Organization. This approach should address the multiple forms of marginalization and stigmatization that LGBTQ+ youth may experience, enable informed independent decision-making, and uphold the right to freedom of safe self-expression. A rights-based approach to mental health services for LGBTQ+ young people is not prominent. This needs to change if we are to tackle this mental health inequality and improve the mental well-being of LGBTQ+ youth worldwide.

Socio-sexual norms and young people's sexual health in urban Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan: A qualitative scoping review.

In South Asia, young people face myriad challenges and opportunities regarding their sexual lives relating to varied experiences of norms and restrictions; gender norms and socio-sexual taboos limit communication around sexual health which in turn can affect sexual health outcomes. In this article we focus on norms affecting young people's sexual health experiences in urban settings in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We conducted a scoping review of peer reviewed empirical studies based on qualitative data pertaining to young people's experiences of sexuality and sexual health in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We searched four electronic databases for articles published (2010-2022), using terms relating to sexual health, young people, and South Asia. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria with sample size ranging from 9 to 180. The authors followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines for the design and analysis of this study. We synthesised the included articles using thematic analysis. The studies covered topics such as sexual health services and contraceptive use; sexuality education and communication; and gender and sexual violence. Recurring findings included: parental and societal expectations around premarital 'sexual purity' through abstinence; limited communication around sexuality between young people and parents/adults; gender norms limiting young women's sexual and reproductive decision making; and an absence of research on experiences of sexual and gender minorities. We identified common themes as well as prominent gaps which must be addressed if we are to capture diverse experiences and build a better evidence base to improve sexual health services for young people in the region. The body of research fails to include experiences of young people with diverse gender, sexual orientation, and sex characteristics.

Generation Pep - study protocol for an intersectoral community-wide physical activity and healthy eating habits initiative for children and young people in Sweden.

There is overwhelming evidence for the preventive effects of regular physical activity and healthy eating habits on the risk for developing a non-communicable disease (NCD). Increasing attention has been paid to community-wide approaches in the battle against NCDs. Communities can create supportive policies, modify physical environments, and foster local stakeholder engagement through intersectoral collaboration to encourage communities to support healthy lifestyles. The Pep initiative is based on intersectoral community-wide collaboration among Sweden's municipalities. Primary targets are municipality professionals who work with children and young people as well as parents of children <18 years. The goal is to spread knowledge and create commitment to children's and young people's health with a special focus on physical activity and healthy eating habits to facilitate and support a healthy lifestyle. The overarching aim of the research project described in this study protocol is to investigate factors that influence the implementation of the Pep initiative in Sweden, to inform tailored implementation strategies addressing the needs and local prerequisites of the different municipalities. The project includes a qualitative and a quantitative study and is framed by a theoretical model involving four complementary forms of knowledge, explicitly recognized in the Pep initiative: knowledge about the issue; knowledge about interventions; knowledge about the context; and knowledge about implementation. Study 1 is a focus group study exploring barriers and facilitators for implementing the Pep initiative. The study will be carried out in six municipalities, selected purposively to provide wide variation in municipality characteristics, including population size and geographical location. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. Study 2 is a cross-sectional web-based survey investigating the implementability of the Pep initiative in Sweden's 290 municipalities. Conditions for implementing different areas of the Pep initiative will be examined in terms of the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility, three predictors of implementation success. Data will be analyzed using non-parametric statistics. The findings of the two studies will increase understanding of the prerequisites for implementing the Pep initiative in Swedish municipalities, which will provide valuable input into how implementation of the Pep initiative can best be facilitated in the different municipality settings.

Barriers to and facilitators of user engagement with web-based mental health interventions in young people: a systematic review.

Many young people (YP) are diagnosed with mental illnesses and require support. Web-based mental health interventions (W-MHIs) have been increasingly utilized by YP, healthcare providers, and parents due to reasons including convenience and anonymity. W-MHIs are effective in improving mental health in YP. However, real-world engagement with W-MHIs remains low. Therefore, understanding barriers/facilitators of user engagement with W-MHIs is necessary to promote W-MHIs and help users gain optimal benefits through higher engagement. This review aims to identify barriers/facilitators of user engagement with W-MHIs in YP aged 10-24years. A systematic search of five databases for English language, peer-reviewed publications was conducted between January 2010 and February 2023. Studies examining factors influencing user engagement with W-MHIs, described as barriers or facilitators, were included. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was performed. Of 4088 articles identified, 69 studies were included. Barriers/facilitators were reported by young people (63 studies), providers (17 studies), and parents/caregivers (8 studies). YP perceived that usefulness and connectedness were the most common facilitators, whereas low-perceived need was the most reported barrier. Both providers and parents reported that perceived usefulness for YP was the most common facilitator, whereas concerns about program effectiveness and privacy were noted as barriers. This review found that program- and individual-related factors were important determinants of engagement with W-MHIs. This review provides guidance on the future design and development of new interventions, narrowing the gap between existing W-MHIs and unmet needs of users.

Alcohol and illicit drugs: prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use and their predictors in young people from Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile and Romania

BackgroundAlcohol and illicit drugs (AID) continue to be a major global health concern. Although preventable, AID is linked to millions of deaths annually worldwide. The situation is particularly grave for young people, with AID being a major direct risk factor for disability-adjusted youth life-years lost and death. It further contributes to assaults, road crashes, accidental poisoning, and suicide, leading to long-term issues and public health concerns. ObjectiveThis study aimed at disclosing current AID prevalence data for Argentinian, Bulgarian, Chilean and Romanian youth. It shed light on the predictors of AID in young people from those countries. MethodThe study used an online survey to gather data from people aged 18 to 25 (n = 1,297). The survey was underpinned by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Predictors were investigated separately for drinking alcohol and using illicit drugs. ResultsOur data revealed that across the four target countries, 49% to 90% of the participants drank alcohol, and 8% to 35% used illicit drugs in the past three months. Between 20% and 91% of them intended to drink, and between 8% and 31% intended to use illicit drugs in the following three months. Our TPB model predicted statistically significant (P < 0.001) amounts of variance in drinking alcohol (between 61% and 72%) and using illicit drugs (between 20.3% and 74.4%). Intention was consistent in significantly predicting both behaviours. Evidence around the predictive validity of self-efficacy, age and gender was mixed across the investigated countries. ConclusionThis research provided an update on the scarce AID epidemiological data. It also supplied evidence about what theoretically-informed measures might be useful targets of interventions in the case of Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile and Romania. This new knowledge of understanding substance abuse determinants and prevalence may help researchers and practitioners better meet young people's health prevention needs.