How digital health technologies promote healthy life in the Post-COVID-19 Era: evidences from national survey on Chinese adolescents and youngsters.

The rapid development of intelligent technologies coupled with the stay-at-home trends in the Post-COVID-19 Era has significantly changed youth's health behavior as well as reshaped their lifestyles. Digital health technologies (DHTs) have been more and more used for health management among youngsters. However, little was known about the use of DHTs among youths and its consequences on their health, especially in developing countries like China. Inspired by behavior intervention technology (BIT) model, this study examined the underlying mechanisms of use and social interactions of DHTs on Chinese adolescents' and youngsters' healthy lifestyles and mental health, using a representatively national survey among high school and freshman students in China (N = 2,297). It found that use of DHTs had a significantly positive effect on Chinese youths' healthy lifestyles and mental health, with behavioral regulation as a mediator. However, social interactions of DHTs were negatively associated with their mental health. The findings contribute to a better guidance on health promotion, as well as the enhanced design of DHTs' products.

Chinese adolescents' depression, anxiety, and family mutuality before and after COVID-19 lockdowns: Longitudinal cross-lagged relations.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal cross-lagged association between family mutuality, depression, and anxiety among Chinese adolescents before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Background: Limited attention has been paid to the longitudinal links between family mutuality, depression, and anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We used self-administered questionnaires to collect data from three high schools and two middle schools in Chengdu City at two time points: Time 1 (T1), December 23, 2019-January 13, 2020; Time 2 (T2), June 16-July 8, 2020. The sample consisted of 7,958 participants who completed two wave surveys before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. We analyzed the data using cross-lagged structural equation modeling. Results: The longitudinal cross-lagged model showed family mutuality at T1 significantly predicted depression, anxiety, and family mutuality at T2. We observed a decreasing prevalence of depression and anxiety after the COVID-19 lockdown. Conclusion: Family mutuality plays an important role in mitigating long-term mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. More family-centered psychological interventions could be developed to alleviate mental health disorders during lockdowns. Implications: Improving family mutuality (e.g., mutual support, interaction, and caring among family members) could be beneficial for reducing mental health disorders among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

School resources, self-control and problem behaviors in Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal study in the post-pandemic era.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought many challenges to youth development. During this specific period, adolescents have suffered from numerous behavioral problems, which will lead to more maladaptive consequences. It is necessary to explore several protective factors to prevent or reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in adolescence. The current study combined school resources and self-control to evaluate the multiple protective effects on adolescents' problematic behaviors in a two-wave longitudinal study. A sample of 789 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.00 years, SD = 2.05, 418 boys) were recruited via the random cluster sampling method to participate in the survey. The results confirmed the assumptions about the multiple protective effects of school resources and self-control on adolescents' problem behaviors. Specifically, school resources could negatively predict IGD and victimization, and self-control mediated these associations. Moreover, one problematic behavior could also mediate the associations between self-control and another problematic behavior. This is the first study to focus on the multiple protective effects of positive factors on adolescents' problem behaviors during the post-pandemic period, which has made several contributions to the literature and practice.

Maternal Anxiety Symptoms and Chinese Adolescents' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Adolescents' Self-Compassion.

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered dramatic changes to family life. Parents, especially mothers, were found to experience more psychological distress during the pandemic, which may have had an impact on their children's mental health. The primary goal of this study was to examine the potential protective role of adolescents' self-compassion in the relationship between maternal anxiety and adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 5,720 adolescents (48.9% girls; M age = 11.60, SD age = 1.36) and their mothers from Zhengzhou city, Henan province, in Mainland China. Adolescents reported their level of self-compassion, PTSD symptoms, and negative affect during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers reported their own anxiety symptoms and their children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Results indicated that older female adolescents reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and negative affect and lower levels of self-compassion than their counterparts. Maternal anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic was consistently positively associated with adolescents' psychological maladjustment. These associations were buffered by adolescents' self-compassion. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of self-compassion were found to be less psychologically affected by their mothers' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlighted the possibility of improving adolescents' mental health through fostering their self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of psychosocial stressors on emotional and behavioral problems in Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 period: the explanatory value of loneliness.

BACKGROUND: Chinese adolescents experienced a variety of stressors during the COVID-19 home confinement period. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) among adolescents during the COVID-19 period. The study also examined the relationships between psychosocial stressors and adolescents' EBPs, and explored the potential explanatory value of loneliness for any associations observed. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study which included 6,587 adolescents in Taizhou, China between April 16 and May 14, 2020. Adolescents' EBPs were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), while subjective feelings of loneliness were assessed using one item from the Children's Depression Inventory. We applied structural equation modelling to assess direct and indirect associations (explained by loneliness) between psychosocial stressors (study problems, parent-child relationship, and family or friends with COVID-19) and the total difficulties and prosocial scores. RESULTS: The prevalence of EBPs in the sample was 31.6% for total difficulties and 37.5% for prosocial problems. After adjustment for a range of covariates, the presence of study problems, poor parent-child relationship and family or friends with COVID-19 were significantly associated with a higher SDQ total difficulties score (ß=6.20, 21.46, 5.21; P<0.01) and a lower prosocial score (ß=-0.79, -4.35, -1.65; P<0.01). There was an explanatory effect of loneliness on these associations, which explained 27-37% of the total effect on the total difficulties score and 11-37% on the prosocial score. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of psychosocial stressors during the home confinement period was related to higher EBPs in adolescents, and the relationship was partially explained by loneliness. Targeted psychosocial interventions towards loneliness and COVID-19 related stressors may improve adolescents' psychological health.