Youth Mental Health Research Articles

Unmasking The Digital Dilemma: Investigating the Cognitive, Socio-emotional, and Psychological Dimensions of Social Media Influence on Young Minds

Purpose: This research investigates the complex influence of social media on the cognitive, socioemotional, and psychological development of youth in the digital era. Titled "Unmasking the Digital Dilemma," the study aims to (1) understand how social media impacts cognitive and socioemotional growth, (2) expose its negative effects, (3) explore the underlying psychological mechanisms, and (4) identify coping strategies and resilience-building practices that can support young people in navigating digital challenges. Methodology: The study employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines literature review, psychological assessment tools, and qualitative analysis. It systematically analyzes patterns in social media usage and their correlation with developmental markers among youth. Key themes explored include cyberbullying, social comparison, self-worth, and online identity formation. Comparative analysis and classification methods are used to quantify social media's impact on youth wellbeing and mental health. Findings: The research reveals a significant association between excessive social media use and disruptions in cognitive and socioemotional development. Detrimental effects such as heightened anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and identity distortion are prevalent. Instances of cyberbullying and social comparison are found to exacerbate these issues. However, the study also identifies effective coping strategies, such as digital detoxing, peer support, and guided resilience-building activities, which can mitigate these negative effects and promote healthier online engagement among youth. "Unmasking The Digital Dilemma" essentially seeks to add to the larger conversation about how social media affects young minds by giving readers a thorough grasp of the complex dynamics that shape the digital environment and insights that could help develop tactics for encouraging youth to have positive digital experiences.

Measuring irritability across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood: an investigation of measurement invariance by age, sex, and informant.

Irritability is a transdiagnostic phenomenon, frequently present in youth mental health services, and associated with multiple adverse outcomes. Irritability research suggests developmental, sex, and informant differences, but robust assessment requires comparison of the same or equivalent measures. Studies on irritability measurement invariance (equivalence) across age, sex, and informant remain limited. This research investigated measurement invariance across age, sex, and informant (parent/self), in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Primary analyses assessed age (N = 9,809) and sex (N = 9,803) invariance in irritability measured using the parent-rated Development And Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) at ages 7-25, and informant invariance (parent- versus self-report) was tested at age 25, separately for males (N = 2,494) and females (N = 3,408). We did not find evidence of even weak (metric) invariance across age, indicating that the DAWBA-measured irritability may not be developmentally comparable. Findings by sex were mixed, with strict invariance suggested at age 13, strong at age 7, weak at age 25, and not even weak at ages 10 and 15, suggesting that the DAWBA may not always capture the same irritability construct across sex. Informant invariance levels were measure- specific. The DAWBA demonstrated strict invariance across informants for both males and females, suggesting equivalent interpretation of irritability items and similar residuals at age 25 for self- and parent-reports. However secondary informant analyses, assessed separately for males (N = 2,505) and females (N = 3,415) in the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI) at age 25, did not support even weak invariance for males, but found evidence of strict invariance for females. Our findings suggest that for the DAWBA, comparisons of mean irritability scores are likely valid across parent-/self-reports at age 25, but incomparable across age and sex; for the ARI, parent-/self-reports may be comparable at age 25 for females, but not males.

Barriers to Mental Health Awareness and Service Access Among Youth in Southern Punjab: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mental health challenges among youth have emerged as a pressing public health issue globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. Despite the growing burden, awareness and access to mental health services remain limited due to stigma, cultural misconceptions, and inadequate institutional support. Bahawalpur, being a semi-urban region in Southern Punjab, lacks localized data on the awareness and barriers faced by its youth in seeking mental health care. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of awareness, attitudes, and perceived barriers toward mental health among youth residing in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 70 young individuals aged between 15 and above 30 years from both rural and urban areas of Bahawalpur. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. A convenient sampling technique was used to choose the participants, and IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0.1 was used for analysis after a close ended questionnaire was used to gather data. Among the 70 participants, 52.9% were female and 47.1% were male. The majority of respondents (55.7%) were aged 19–22 years, with 64.3% having completed bachelor’s level education. Most participants (81.4%) lived in urban areas, and 80% identified as students. An overwhelming 97.1% reported having heard the term “mental health,” and 57.1% had received mental health information at school, college, or work. However, only 35.7% knew of any local mental health services. Attitudinally, 77.2% agreed or strongly agreed that people with mental illness are dangerous, while 71.4% agreed that mental health issues should be treated like physical conditions. Common barriers identified included stigma, lack of awareness, and religious misconceptions. Notably, 68.6% believed mental health issues were a sign of personal weakness. This study highlights both promising levels of awareness and persistent barriers surrounding mental health among youth in Bahawalpur. While most participants recognize the importance of mental health, misconceptions and lack of service accessibility limit help-seeking behavior. These findings underscore the urgent need for community-based awareness campaigns, school-level mental health education, and culturally appropriate interventions to reduce stigma and improve access to youth mental health services.

Caregiver emotional support and youth mental health after sexual abuse.

Emotional support from a caregiver is theorized to benefit adolescents after sexual abuse, yet the empirical evidence for this is inconsistent. The present study examines the cross-sectional relation between caregiver emotional support and youth mental health symptoms after sexual abuse, addressing several methodological factors that may explain why previous studies failed to find the relation (sample size, approach to measurement). Participants were 460 youth between 11 and 17 (Mage = 13.78, SD = 1.77; 92.4% female; 56.3% Hispanic/Latino/a) who presented at a child advocacy center after disclosing sexual abuse, along with their nonoffending caregiver (Mage = 39.65, SD = 8.52). Youth and caregivers completed measures of caregiver emotional support and youth mental health. Results of multivariate multilevel modeling indicated that youth reports of caregiver emotional support were associated with youth mental health symptoms regardless of the informant of the symptoms (caregiver reports of youth mental health symptoms: B = -0.11, p = .006, d = .25; youth reports of mental health symptoms: B = -0.21, p < .001, d = .50). Caregiver reports of their emotional support were not associated with youth mental health symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of obtaining youth reports of caregiver emotional support in attempts to understand and address youth mental health symptoms following sexual abuse. The sample size and approach to measurement in this study bolster confidence in the findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Commentary: Suggestions for guidance by academics who collaborate with digital companies - a commentary on Bourgaize etal. (2025).

Our collective article argues for the development of a clear, shared guidance to support responsible collaborations between academic researchers and digital technology companies, particularly in the fields of education and youth mental health. Drawing on longstanding experience in edtech research, we argue that effective academia-industry collaboration requires clearer institutional support, with explicit guidance at both the contractual and community engagement levels to ensure transparency, fair reporting and the inclusion of all stakeholders. We highlight the challenges researchers face, such as limited legal support and difficulties in publishing negative results, and the need for strong contractual safeguards that protect against the suppression of negative results, define data ownership and set transparent terms for data use, publication timelines and study termination. We also advocate for formalized data-sharing protocols and a centralized, anonymized data repository governed by shared principles, enabling more rigorous cross-study analyses and supporting funders, researchers and policymakers in making evidence-based decisions.

Development and Validation of the Turkish Spiritual Amnesia Scale (TSAS): Measuring Spiritual Disengagement Among Youth.

The present study introduces the Turkish Spiritual Amnesia Scale (TSAS), a recently developed psychometric instrument intended to assess spiritual disengagement among Turkish youth. The theoretical framework underpinning the TSAS is predicated on the conceptualisation of spiritual amnesia as the progressive weakening of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural ties to spiritual beliefs and practices. This phenomenon is frequently precipitated by modernisation, digitalisation, and individualisation. The scale development process was guided by theoretical foundations such as Pargament's spiritual coping theory and Fowler's faith development theory. The process involved item generation, expert review, pilot testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability assessments. A total of 296 emerging adults participated in the EFA and 242 in the CFA. Additionally, criterion validity was assessed using a separate sample of 54 individuals. The findings obtained supported a unidimensional structure that explained 61.17% of the variance, with acceptable model fit indices (CFI = 0.911, RMSEA = 0.08). The TSAS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.964) and robust test-retest reliability (r = 0.84, p < 0.001). The criterion validity of the scale was confirmed through a positive correlation with the Spiritual Contradiction Scale (r = 0.448, p < 0.001). The TSAS is a culturally grounded, theoretically sound, and psychometrically reliable instrument for the assessment of spiritual disengagement. Its application in psychological, spiritual, and sociocultural research has the potential to contribute to understanding contemporary forms of spiritual detachment in secularising contexts. Furthermore, the scale offers practical value for professionals working in youth counselling, spiritual assessment, and mental health services.

Associations between digital media use behaviours, screen time and positive mental health in youth: results from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth

BackgroundLimited research has examined associations between a range of digital media use (DMU) behaviours and screen time measures with positive mental health (PMH) outcomes among Canadian adolescents. This study examined these associations among a large sample of Canadian youth.MethodsWe used self-reported data from youth aged 12–17 years in the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (N = 10,695). DMU behaviours included frequency of using social media, video/instant messaging and online gaming. Screen time included estimated hours spent watching content, playing video games and overall sedentary electronic device usage in the past week. PMH outcomes included self-rated mental health (SRMH), life satisfaction, happiness, autonomy, competence and relatedness. We conducted gender-stratified adjusted logistic regression analyses.ResultsGirls reporting using social media constantly (vs. never or less than weekly) were less likely to report high SRMH, life satisfaction, happiness, autonomy and competence, while their video/instant messaging frequency was unrelated to PMH outcomes. Social media use and video/instant messaging frequency tended to be unrelated to PMH outcomes among boys (or positively associated at moderate levels in a few exceptions). Boys and girls reporting online gaming constantly (vs. never or less than weekly) were less likely to report high happiness, autonomy, competence and relatedness. Boys watching content for 14+ (vs. < 3) hours in the past week had lower odds of high SRMH, life satisfaction and happiness, while girls watching 7+ (vs. < 3) hours had lower odds of all PMH outcomes. Boys and girls reporting 21+ (vs. < 3) hours of overall sedentary electronic device use in the past week had lower odds of all PMH outcomes.ConclusionsThis study provides support for a link between some DMU behaviours and screen time measures with lower PMH among Canadian youth. Findings can assist in the promotion of public health strategies targeted towards promoting reduced and/or non-problematic DMU and screen time, and improved well-being, as well as the continued surveillance of DMU, screen time and PMH outcomes among Canadian youth.

Involving young people with lived experience in advancing mental health science: an exploratory qualitative study from Pakistan and India

BackgroundMeaningful involvement of young People with Lived Experience (PWLE) in co-designing youth mental health interventions has been much emphasized globally. However, there is a scarcity of evidence on involving PWLE of mental health problems in designing, implementing and evaluating mental health interventions, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The aim of the current study was to understand the perspectives of young PWLE from two South Asian countries, Pakistan and India, regarding “Active Ingredients” (AIs) for youth mental health (i.e., components or processes of mental health intervention(s) that make a difference to mental health outcomes), as part of the Wellcome Trust AI Commission.MethodsFor this exploratory qualitative study, we conducted 30 qualitative interviews via Zoom with young PWLE from Pakistan (n = 19, 14 females and 5 males) and India (n = 11, 8 females and 3 males) to explore their views about different AIs for youth anxiety and depression in South Asia. The qualitative data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach that moved through the phases of familiarization, generation of codes, searching, identification and review of themes and selection of illustrative quotes.ResultsThe results show that family and religion are integral to promoting positive youth mental health in the South Asian context. The AIs perceived to be most relevant for Pakistani and Indian young people were (i) improving social relationships; (ii) managing emotions; and (iii) relaxation techniques. Participants highlighted the need to explore the role of family support, personal space, spirituality/religion, schools, mental health literacy and stigma as potential AIs of mental health for young people in South Asia. The need for ease of access to mental health support and minimizing barriers to engagement with mental health services were highlighted as important contextual factors. Our findings highlight the need for culturally responsive youth mental health strategies that incorporate their preferred intervention components and address key challenges including stigma faced by South Asian youth.ConclusionsThe current study highlights specific intervention components and contextual considerations that are important to Indian and Pakistani young PWLE when designing and delivering mental health interventions. Our findings underscore the need to work with young PWLE and consider their context, culture, and resources when developing or evaluating mental health interventions. Given our sample likely represents a relatively advantaged group, future studies can use targeted sampling strategies to capture perspectives of young people from lower socio-economic strata.

Social determinants associated with mental health problems in youth with intellectual disability: a systematic literature review.

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) face a higher risk for developing mental health problems. Recent research emphasizes the relevance of social determinants of mental health (SDOMH) in relation to this risk. This review aims to synthesize evidence on the associations between SDOMH and mental health in youth with ID, focusing on risk and protective factors across demographic, economic, social, and neighborhood domains. A systematic search of multiple databases identified 51 relevant studies, including 36 cross-sectional and 15 longitudinal studies. Using a framework-led approach, the strongest evidence emerged from the social/cultural domain (n = 46), followed by economic (n = 17), demographic (n = 8), and neighborhood (n = 1). A key finding is the substantial variability and mixed results across studies, highlighting complex, context-dependent associations. Nonetheless, some patterns emerged within the social/cultural domain. Based on both cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence, the most consistent links were found between social and cultural stressors and mental health vulnerabilities. Specifically, in families where children with ID displayed more behavioral problems, 1) parents experienced high distress or internalizing problems; 2) parenting behaviors were more negative; and 3) children faced stressful life events. The review also reveals notable research gaps, including limited attention to broader environmental and neighborhood factors, few longitudinal and multivariate studies, and minimal focus on protective factors. Future research should adopt a systematic approach, prioritize underexplored environmental and protective factors, apply longitudinal and multivariate designs to examine causal pathways, incorporate qualitative methods, and standardize measures to enable consistent analysis across studies.

Youth-led mental health promotion in Pakistan informed by intergenerational resilience.

Interventions informed by intergenerational resilience have shown positive effects on youth mental health. In Majority World countries, however, mental health promotion remains constrained by stigmatizing beliefs and limited resources. This study explored multiple stakeholder perspectives of how intergenerational learning was incorporated in youth-led mental health promotion in Pakistan. Fourteen youth peer educators co-designed a mental health promotion programme with family advisers and facilitated 11 workshops in two disadvantaged areas of Karachi. Of the 304 workshops participants, a sub-sample of 63 youth, mothers, teachers and peer educators attended 11 focus groups. Established themes related to the process that enabled intergenerational learning, notably participatory activities, and how such learning could be transferred to resilience-enabling systems by mobilizing communities. A multidimensional resilience framework that draws upon intergenerational experiences can usefully inform youth mental health promotion, especially in resource-constrained settings. Co-production with holders of local knowledge can engage and empower communities.

Lost in the net? Broadband internet and youth mental health

Lost in the net? Broadband internet and youth mental health

Determinants that impact the use of social media for mental health promotion amongst young people: A scoping review protocol

Background Adolescence is a period of transition in which young people undergo physical, psychological and social changes. While most move through this transition with few problems, others experience greater difficulties, which may lead to an increased risk of becoming vulnerable to mental health issues. Social media use amongst young people is high; an abundance of literature identifies the deleterious impact of its use on mental health. However, its positive influence on youth well-being is also reported. Ireland’s mental health policy recommends harnessing the positive role social media can play in the promotion of youth mental health. However, an evidence gap exists as to how this can be implemented. This scoping review aims to identify the barriers and enablers to the use of social media as a youth mental health promotion tool, to inform the implementation of policy recommendations. Methods The search strategy, screening, extraction and synthesis will be informed by the JBI guidelines. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research will guide the identification and mapping of implementation determinants. The review outcomes will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Primary studies focused on young people and key stakeholders, such as teachers and parents, identifying barriers and enablers to the use of social media for youth mental health promotion will be included. A librarian-developed search strategy will be applied to the Web of Science Core Collection, Medline (EBSCO), Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. A narrative synthesis of the results guided by CFIR framework will be presented. Conclusion The review extends the work of previous reviews by adopting an Implementation Science approach focusing on the identification and mapping of implementation barriers and enablers to the use of social media as a youth mental health promotion tool. Registration Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/T5YF7M)

YOUTH CLIMATE ANXIETY: EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON YOUNG PEOPLE

Climate change has evolved into a pressing psychological challenge for today’s youth, beyond its well-known environmental implications. This research investigates the prevalence and intensity of climate anxiety among young individuals in Bangalore, India. Using a structured questionnaire distributed to 384 respondents, the study analyzes emotional responses, cognitive patterns, and the effect of climate anxiety on daily functioning and well-being. The findings reveal that youth experience considerable emotional and cognitive distress linked to climate change, impacting sleep, academic performance, and social engagement. These results emphasize the need for holistic mental health interventions and youth-focused climate education. Keywords: Climate anxiety, Youth mental health, Environmental psychology, Climate change, Mental Stress.

The mental health and wellbeing outcomes for young people involved in drama and theatre practice: the effects of self-efficacy

ABSTRACT Objective: In Australia, suicide is the leading cause of death in young people and thus experiences that could prevent mental ill-health are vital to understand. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of participation in a drama workshop over 4–5 days on the mental health, wellbeing, self-esteem and self-efficacy of Australian young people aged 12-17. Method: A pre–post intervention design was employed to measure changes in psychological outcomes following involvement in a school-holiday drama workshop. Twenty-four young people participated in the study, they completed assessments before and after the intervention. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale for Youth, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale and the Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children were used to assess the outcomes. Results: Findings indicate significant improvements in mental health, wellbeing and self-efficacy post-workshop, although self-esteem showed no significant change. Improvements in self-efficacy were associated with improvements in mental health and wellbeing. Discussion: This research highlights the potential of drama workshops as effective, non-stigmatising interventions that can foster mental health and personal growth in young people. The results advocate integrating creative arts into youth mental health strategies, reflecting a growing recognition of holistic proactive mental health care approaches in preventive mental health care.

Are the growing levels of neurotoxic and neuro-disruptive chemicals in our food and drink contributing to the youth mental health crisis? A narrative review

Are the growing levels of neurotoxic and neuro-disruptive chemicals in our food and drink contributing to the youth mental health crisis? A narrative review

Exposure to childhood parental bereavement and risk of school bullying victimization.

Exposure to childhood parental bereavement and risk of school bullying victimization.

Beyond problematic social media use and the brain: A public health and policy perspective.

Growing concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental health have been a topic of particular interest. However, maladaptive patterns of use, such as problematic social media use (PSMU), do not currently have official diagnostic recognition as a possible behavioral addiction. This commentary discusses PSMU within a framework of addictive behavior and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. In addition, opportunities to prevent and mitigate PSMU in public health policy and practice are explored, including health protection, preventive interventions, assessment and surveillance, and health promotion. This comprehensive approach incorporates learning from existing public health frameworks and parallels to behavioral and substance use addictions.

Stress Factors in Adolescent Exposed to Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic Based on the Ecological Model: A Secondary Data Analysis

Purpose: This study identifies the factors affecting stress among adolescents exposed to violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an ecological model. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to analyze secondary data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey conducted in 2020 and 2021. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine the prevalence of general and health-related characteristics among participants, while a complex sample logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with their stress levels. Results: A total of 1,494 adolescents received hospital treatment for violence. Among them, 44.3% (n=662) reported experiencing little stress, while 55.7% (n=832) reported feeling a high level of stress. Stress was significantly associated with individual factors (lack of physical activity, skipping breakfast, dissatisfaction with sleep, and feelings of loneliness), family factors (living with family), and school factors (lower academic achievement). Conclusion: The pandemic heightened stress levels among adolescents, underscoring the need for greater attention and support. This emphasizes the importance of a multifaceted youth mental health policy grounded in an ecological model, encouraging regular stress management and the maintenance of physical, mental, and social well-being. This equips them to cope effectively with unexpected challenges.

Beyond capacity limits: can social cohesion offset the impact of service constraints on youth mental health?

Rates of youth anxiety, depression, and self-harm have increased substantially in recent years. Expansion of clinical service capacity is constrained by workforce shortages and system fragmentation, and even substantial investment may not achieve the scale of growth required to address unmet need. Preventive strategies - such as strengthening social cohesion - are therefore essential to alleviate mounting pressures on the mental health system, yet their potential to compensate for these constraints remains unquantified. This study employed a system dynamics model to explore the interplay between service capacity and social cohesion on youth mental health outcomes. The model was developed for a population catchment characterized by a mix of urban, suburban, and rural communities. Primary outcomes were prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders, and incidence of mental health-related emergency department (ED) presentations among young people aged 15-24 years, projected over a 10-year time horizon. Two-way sensitivity analyses of services capacity and social cohesion were conducted. Changes to specialized mental health services capacity growth had the greatest projected impact on youth mental health outcomes. Heatmaps revealed thresholds where improvements in social cohesion could offset negative impacts of constrained service capacity. For example, if services capacity growth was sustained at only 80% of baseline, improving social cohesion could still reduce years lived with symptomatic disorder by 6.3%. To achieve a similar scale of improvement without improvements in social cohesion, the current growth rate in services capacity would need to be more than double. Combining a doubling of service capacity growth with reversing the decline in social cohesion could reduce ED presentations by 25.6% and years with symptomatic mental disorder by 19.2%. A doubling of specialized, headspace, and GP services capacity growth could prevent 24,060 years lived with symptomatic mental disorder among youth aged 15-24. This study provides a quantitative framework for understanding how social cohesion improvements can help mitigate workforce constraints in mental health systems, demonstrating the value of integrating service expansion with social cohesion enhancement strategies.

Meeting of minds: imagining the future of child and youth mental health research from an early career perspective.

Child and youth mental health is an international public health and research priority. We are an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral network of UK-based early career researchers (ECRs) with an interest in child and youth mental health research. In this paper, we reflect on ongoing challenges and areas for growth, offering recommendations for key stakeholders in our field, including researchers, institutions and funders. We present a vision from an ECR perspective of what future child and youth mental health research could look like and we explore how the research infrastructure can support ECRs and the wider research field in making this vision a reality. We focus specifically on: (a) embracing complexity; (b) centring diverse voices; and (c) facilitating sustainable research environments and funding systems. We present recommendations for all key partners to consider alongside their local contexts and communities to actively and collaboratively drive progress and transformative change.