Mental health concerns and help-seeking behaviors among adolescents in high socioeconomic status groups: A scoping review

There is growing evidence that adolescents in high socioeconomic status groups may be at increased risk for some mental health concerns. This scoping review aims to synthesize empirical literature from 2010 to 2021 on mental health concerns and help-seeking behaviors among this adolescent group. Six comprehensive electronic databases yielded 1316 studies that were systematically reviewed in Covidence to identify relevant research. PRISMA-ScR analysis was used. Eighty-three studies met the eligibility requirements. NVivo was employed for coding, data extraction, and analysis. Key findings suggest substance use, in particular, alcohol, is the main mental health concern among adolescents in high socioeconomic status groups. Other main mental health concerns were externalizing and risk behaviors, bullying, depression, anxiety and stress. These concerns were shown to be influenced by parents, peers, school, and neighborhood contextual factors. Three emerging subgroups were identified as being at higher risk of mental health concerns among adolescents in high socioeconomic status groups. Specifically, adolescents residing in boarding schools, those with high subjective social status (e.g., popular) or low academic performance. Being pressured by parents to perform well academically was identified as a risk-factor for substance use, depression and anxiety. Albeit limited, areas explored for help-seeking behaviors centered on formal, semi-formal and informal support. Further research examining multi-level socioeconomic status factors and mental health concerns and help-seeking behaviors are urgently needed to inform appropriate interventions for this under-represented group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Alcohol consumption among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, ConVid Adolescents - Behavior Research

Objective: To describe the prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the factors associated with this behavior during the period of social distancing among Brazilian adolescents. Method(s): Cross-sectional study using data from the ConVid Adolescents survey, carried out via the Internet between June and September 2020. The prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the pandemic, as well as association with sociodemographic variables, mental health, and lifestyle were estimated. A logistic regression model was used to assess associated factors. Result(s): 9,470 adolescents were evaluated. Alcohol consumption decreased from 17.70% (95%CI 16.64-18.85) before the pandemic to 12.80% (95%CI 11.85-13.76) during the pandemic. Alcohol consumption was associated with the age group of 16 and 17 years (OR=2.9;95%CI 1.08-1.53), place of residence in the South (OR=1.82;95%CI 1.46-2.27) and Southeast regions (OR=1.33;95%CI 1.05-1.69), having three or more close friends (OR=1.78;95%CI 1.25-2.53), reporting worsening sleep problems during the pandemic (OR=1.59;95%CI 1.20-2.11), feeling sad sometimes (OR=1,83;95%CI 1,40-2,38) and always (OR=2.27;95%CI 1.70-3.05), feeling always irritated (OR=1,60;95%CI 1,14-2,25), being a smoker (OR=13,74;95%CI 8.63-21.87) and a passive smoker (OR=1.76;95%CI 1.42-2.19). Strict adherence to social distancing was associated with lower alcohol consumption (OR=0.40;95%CI 0.32-0.49). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in consumption of alcoholic beverages by Brazilian adolescents, which was influenced by sociodemographic and mental health factors, adherence to social restriction measures and lifestyle in this period. Managers, educators, family and the society must be involved in the articulation of Public Policies to prevent alcohol consumption.Copyright © 2023 A Epidemio e uma publicacao da Associacao Brasileira de Saude Coletiva-ABRASCO.

Bereavement & mental health: The generational consequences of a grandparent's death

The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of children and adolescents grieving the sudden death of a grandparent. Yet, we lack knowledge of the mental health implications of a grandparent's death for youth. This study uses longitudinal data to examine if the loss of a grandparent increases adolescent grandchildren's likelihood of experiencing their mothers' major depressive disorder, and of having depressive symptoms themselves. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a population-based cohort study of children born in 20 U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000, we estimate associations between the death of a maternal grandparent in mid-childhood and adolescents', and their mothers', depressive outcomes when the adolescent is roughly age 15 (in 2014-17), net of a robust set of covariates, including pre-bereavement depression. Adjusted regression models show no elevated depression risk associated with a grandfather's death-neither for adolescents nor their mothers. A grandmother's death within the previous seven years is associated with a higher likelihood of adolescents having a depressed mother compared to both non-bereaved adolescents (odds ratio (OR) = 2.42;95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17, 5.01) and those whose grandmother died more than seven years ago (OR = 3.78;95% CI = 1.54, 9.31). Furthermore, adolescent boys have a 50% increase in their depressive symptoms following a grandmother's death relative to their non-bereaved peers-an increase that operates independently from the influence of the death on their mother. Together, the results show the death of a grandmother is an underappreciated, persistent risk factor for adolescents experiencing maternal major depressive disorder, and for adolescent boys experiencing depressive symptoms personally.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Changing cannabis policies and social work: Implications for students, families, and schools

State laws governing recreational and medicinal cannabis use are trending toward legalization, which has implications for school social workers and the students, families, and communities they serve. The patchwork of policies and conflicting public opinion sends mixed messages to youth and families who may lack sufficient information regarding risks of adolescent cannabis use. This article will explore topics relevant to legalization of cannabis including medical versus recreational use, racial overtones in marijuana policy, effects on student cognitive development and mental health, child welfare involvement, disparities in school discipline, criminal record expungement, and school-based cannabis prevention programs. The article will conclude with a summary of recommendations for schools. This article is a product of the research conducted by the Health Education and Leadership Scholars planning team at the University of Illinois for a policy-practice conference that was cancelled due to COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

EPPOC (Ecrans en Pedopsychiatrie en Occitanie au temps du COVID): A survey in July 2020 of screen use by children of child psychiatry services in Occitania before and during French lockdown (March 17-May 11): Parent answers

(French) Introduction: L'enquete EPPOC (enquete flash en juillet 2020 dans les services ambulatoires et hospitaliers de pedopsychiatrie de secteur d'Occitanie) a permis de documenter la vision des parents et des adolescents sur les habitudes d'utilisation des ecrans et l'impact du premier confinement (mars a mai 2020) sur ces habitudes en population pedopsychiatrique. A notre connaissance, il n'existe pas de telle etude. Resultats: 106 parents ont repondu pour leur enfant (3 a 18 ans, moyenne 11,2 ans). Leurs reponses ont ete segmentees en 3 groupes d'ages (45,3 % en maternelle-primaire, 30,2 % au college, et 24,5 % au lycee). Les enfants utilisent surtout la television (93,8 %) et le telephone portable (81,3 %). Le tiers des enfants utilise leurs ecrans plus de 4 h par jour le week-end, 11,7 % en semaine : cette derniere proportion augmente a 48,6 % pendant le confinement. Le tiers des enfants ont au moins un type d'ecran dans leur chambre : cette donnee est liee a une augmentation du temps d'utilisation des ecrans, notamment le week-end. Les lyceens passent la plupart du temps sur les videos (91,3 %), les reseaux sociaux (82,6 %) et l'ecoute usicale (73,9 %). Les plus petits jouent essentiellement (72,5 %) et regardent des videos (70,7 %). L'utilisation des ecrans pose probleme a 37,3 % des parents avant confinement ;ces derniers limitent surtout l'utilisation des ecrans pour les plus petits, ce qui semble avoir des consequences positives sur la diminution du temps passe par l'enfant sur l'ecran. Conclusion: Dans cette etude, la population pedopsychiatrique de nos services de soins ne montre pas un profil different d'utilisation des ecrans que la population generale dans la perception parentale. Les elements principaux aggravant le temps passe sur les ecrans dans notre etude sont le fait d'avoir un ecran dans sa chambre, l'absence de limitation du temps passe sur les ecrans par les parents, et le confinement a domicile. Cependant, il convient de redefinir l'usage << intensif des ecrans dans la plupart des etudes, d'une part en fonction de la tranche d'age, d'autre part en fonction du type d'utilisation au sens large (type des ecrans, type d'activite, activite partagee ou non etc.), du retentissement sur la vie quotidienne de l'usager et du degre d'addiction. Le nombre d'heures etudie seul est un parametre insuffisant pour caracteriser la consommation d'ecrans et son eventuel caractere inquietant ;il faut l'enrichir de la notion des moments d'utilisation dans la journee et du type de pratique ainsi que d'un score de dependance qui aidera a determiner le degre de retentissement au quotidien et d'envahissement psychique des ecrans. De plus, la diffusion de ces parametres d'etude permettrait au clinicien d'avoir une trame utile d'echanges avec le patient en consultation quotidienne. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Retrospective Self-Reports of How Adolescent Substance Use Changed with the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The final year of high school is a challenging phase of adolescents' lives and substance use can play an important role. We examined changes in the frequency and quantity of alcohol and cannabis use, and demographic correlates among Grade 12 students of 2020. Students (N = 844) from nine schools retrospectively self-reported changes in substance use after the easing of COVID-19 lockdowns (back to school), compared to before the pandemic. Changes in use were examined with age, gender, Aboriginal or Torres Islander, parental and family characteristics, and truancy. Thirty-one percent of students reported that they used alcohol less frequently, and 24% reported that they used it more frequently compared to pre-COVID-19. Most students (46%) reported that they used cannabis less, while a subset reported using more frequently (22%). A history of truancy was associated with an increased frequency (OR = 2.13 [1.18-3.83]) of cannabis use. A substantial minority of adolescents used more alcohol and cannabis after the initial COVID-19 lockdown period. Students in their final year who reported increased use may benefit from increased support to manage their substance use.

Sedentary lifestyle may contribute to the risk of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Social exclusion usually contributes to an increased vulnerability to mental health problems and risky health behaviors. This study aims to identify the role of health behavior in the increased risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents during the coronavirus pandemic in Hungary. Methods: A total of 705 high school students participated in our study (M = 15.9 years;SD = 1.19). The self-administered questionnaire included items about sociodemographics, eating habits, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and substance use. Depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the Child Depression Inventory. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze our results. Results: Daily fruit and vegetable consumption was reported by 21.7% and 22.4% of respondents, respectively. The proportion of the respondents reporting daily sweets consumption stood at 13.2%, daily soft drinks consumption was 12.3%, and daily energy drink consumption tallied to 4.5%. More than one-third of the sample (35.5%) reported having breakfast every school day, which rose to 68.1% of the sample reporting breakfast on both weekend days. The rate of students engaged in daily physical activity was 6.5%, while 86.1% of them reported more than four hours screen time in a day. In addition, despite the mandatory confinement, a notable percentage of adolescents engaged in substance use. Consistent with previous studies, girls had a higher risk of depression. Low levels of physical activity and high levels of screen time-as well as alcohol and drug use-were associated with a high risk of depression. Conclusions: We believe our study provided useful information on adolescent health behaviors that can lead to adolescents' depression, and that maintaining physical activity can prevent it even in these unusual circumstances. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Decision making in adolescence and early adulthood

Adolescence and early adulthood are marked by elevated levels of risk taking, particularly in domains related to public health. The decision of some college-aged individuals to follow through with spring break travel plans during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic provides a current example of such behavior. Models of risky decision making explain why this might be the case. This chapter reviews these and other factors that influence decision making in adolescents and young adults. Because real-world decision making involves multiple confounded factors, the chapter argues that it is critical to examine distinct features of decision making in the laboratory to understand real-world behavior. It begins by discussing why adolescents behave the way they do-theory-followed by major factors in decision making: ambiguity, time, risk, and reward. The chapter also discusses what commonly used tasks measure, draws connections to real-world examples of risk taking, and highlights areas for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A Psychometric Instrument for University Outreach Procedures in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The University Outreach Psychological Services for Art Schools is a project of the Centre for Higher Education Studies and Improvement, and the University Outreach Division, of the University of Havana. This project applies the Child and Adolescent Behavior Questionnaire (CABQ) to test psychological aptitudes of Cuban National Ballet School candidates. The CABQ asses typical childhood and adolescence behaviors based on parents or teachers reports. This work explains the potential CABQ relevance as a psychometric instrument for screening of COVID-19 pandemic psychological effects on children and adolescents. The results indicate that the University Outreach Procedures can fulfill the beneficiaries' specific demands while could also be generalized to search suitable solutions to macro-social problems. Overall, this effort brings attention on the need to systematically update University Outreach Procedures to achieve university social responsibility role.

P074 Diet Quality Trajectories During the Transition to Secondary School: Did COVID-19 Moderate these Changes?

The transition from elementary to secondary school is associated with deteriorating dietary habits among adolescents. Growing evidence suggests that COVID-19 has disrupted youth's dietary practices, but whether the pandemic moderated the impact of the transition on adolescents' diet remains unknown. This study examined how adolescents' diet changed as a result of the transition from elementary to secondary school, and explored whether the pandemic moderated these changes. This longitudinal study took place between 2018-2021. A total of 669 adolescents completed online 24-hour dietary recalls (ASA24) during elementary school (grade 7), and again in secondary school (grade 8). The first cohort (∼42% of the sample) had both grade 7 and 8 data collected prior to the start of the pandemic (hence, the pre-pandemic cohort). The second cohort had both grade 7 and 8 data collected during the pandemic (the pandemic cohort). The Total Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score (an indicator of overall dietary quality) and amounts of food groups (whole fruit, vegetables) were computed. Mixed effect models were used to evaluate transition and pandemic effects, including two-way interaction terms (pandemic X grade) to assess whether the pandemic moderated the impact of the transition on adolescents' diet. Dietary behavior deteriorated as a result of the transition to secondary school, with lower intakes of whole fruit (P = 0.005) and lower HEI scores (P = 0.023). We also found significant pandemic effects regardless of the adolescents' school year, with the pre-pandemic cohort reporting higher servings of both whole fruit (P = 0.012) and vegetables (P = 0.013) on weekdays compared to the pre-pandemic cohort. No significant interaction effects were found. The transition to secondary schools negatively affected adolescents' dietary behaviors regardless of whether it occurred during or prior to the pandemic. However, some dietary improvements were observed during the pandemic, which might be explained by greater availability of healthier foods at home. Future research should explore how environmental factors shape adolescents' diet during the school transition. Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Adolescent use of social media in Canada

Adolescents spend a significant and increasing amount of time online, especially on social media (SM) platforms. Replicating most of the questions from the 2018 PEW Teen Survey (Anderson & Jiang, 2018), this study provides a current understanding of how a sample of Canadian adolescents use SM, what perceived effects of SM they report, and whether there are noticeable differences in some of the responses, broken down by demographic variables. Results indicate that Canadian teens are plugged into SM platforms on a near constant basis and that Snapchat was the most popular platform used followed closely by TikTok. Connecting with friends was most often reported as a positive effect while feeling pressure to post content that makes them look good as well as experiencing unrealistic views of others' lives, were most often reported as negative effects. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall effects of SM use in relation to the demographic subgroups of age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. However, there were notable variances for other research variables such as posting behaviors and playing video games related to gender, whereby girls posted more selfies and felt more pressure to post content for likes while boys played more video games.Both the American and Canadian studies indicate declining popularity for the platform Facebook, with even fewer Canadian teens using it. Additionally, there are similarities in the posting behaviors of both teen populations. This study also reports on the effects of the Covid pandemic in relation to the frequency of SM use and future outlook. Canadian teens overwhelmingly reported an increase in SM use due to the pandemic and an overall pessimistic outlook for the future. Implications of this study include more strategic education and government initiatives based on the most current understanding of teen social media use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE RISK OF DEPRESSION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A Snapshot of Hungarian Adolescents

Background: Social exclusion usually contributes to an increased vulnerability to mental health problems and risky health behaviors. This study aims to identify the role of health behavior in the increased risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents during the coronavirus pandemic in Hungary. Methods: A total of 705 high school students participated in our study (M = 15.9 years;SD = 1.19). The self-administered questionnaire included items about sociodemographics, eating habits, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and substance use. Depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the Child Depression Inventory. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze our results. Results: Daily fruit and vegetable consumption was reported by 21.7% and 22.4% of respondents, respectively. The proportion of the respondents reporting daily sweets consumption stood at 13.2%, daily soft drinks consumption was 12.3%, and daily energy drink consumption tallied to 4.5%. More than one-third of the sample (35.5%) reported having breakfast every school day, which rose to 68.1% of the sample reporting breakfast on both weekend days. The rate of students engaged in daily physical activity was 6.5%, while 86.1% of them reported more than four hours screen time in a day. In addition, despite the mandatory confinement, a notable percentage of adolescents engaged in substance use. Consistent with previous studies, girls had a higher risk of depression. Low levels of physical activity and high levels of screen time - as well as alcohol and drug use - were associated with a high risk of depression. Conclusions: We believe our study provided useful information on adolescent health behaviors that can lead to adolescents' depression, and that maintaining physical activity can prevent it even in these unusual circumstances.

To ignore or not to ignore: The differential effect of coping mechanisms on depressive symptoms when facing adolescent cyberbullying

Cyberbullying among adolescents has negative consequences for their mental health, especially when it comes to depressive symptoms. Previous studies highlight individual protective factors such as coping strategies;however, there are no studies that examine the harmful effects of cyberbullying and the implications of different coping strategies on depressive symptoms in the context of a pandemic in diverse regional and national samples. We used two independent samples (the first consisted of 463 adolescents, 73.4% females, and the second had 694 adolescents, 85.45% females, all 15–19 years old). We ran moderation models through ordinary least squares regressions on depressive symptoms. Our results found that victims have higher levels of depression. Disconnecting from social media is associated with depressive symptoms when the frequency of cyberbullying is low. Ignoring the situation is associated with lower depressive symptoms when the cyberbullying frequency is low. Our study adds evidence of the importance and specificity of coping strategies while facing cyberbullying in a context of an adolescent's increased virtual interactions. • Disconnecting from social media is associated with more depressive symptoms when the frequency of cyberbullying is low. • Disconnecting from social media in a high frequency of cyberbullying predicted decreases in depressive symptoms. • Ignoring the situation was associated with less depressive symptoms when the frequency of cyberbullying was low. • Ignoring the situation was associated with higher depressive symptoms when the frequency of cyberbullying was high.

Self-determination theory, empathy, and a global audience: Understanding the personal motivations of youth as researchers to apply to the program

The spring of 2020 began with an event that would change lives in every corner of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic created a "public health emergency of international concern (World Health Organization, 2020a), and began to alter the social, economic, and political structures in nations big and small. With such change came many challenges and the need for communities to react to structural shifts being implemented in every country. Traditionally, the world's youth populations are often the population most impacted and most resilient to such changes. Young people aged 14 - 24 years old represent 16% of the worlds' population (United Nations, 2020), therefore engaging with them during the global pandemic is essential in determining ways to best support this resilient population. One such programmatic approach to engaging youth is the UNESCO Youth as Researchers program. The program is an international youth-led research program that engages young people in identifying, researching, and addressing youth-focused community action projects. In April of 2020, a UNESCO team initiated a COVID-19 iteration of the program, where young people from across the globe applied to participate in this youth participatory action research program. Why did young people, experiencing social, economic, and political challenges from the pandemic decide to apply to the program? What motivated them? Understanding this can enable future programmers with information on how to design and implement programs that are of interest to youth change makers, particularly in times of intense stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Through analyzing the relationship of self-determination theory's basic needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competency to Youth as Researcher applicant's personal motivation, this study aimed to understand the personal motivation of applicants. Furthermore, considering the intense strain and stress associated with the pandemic, this study also explored the relationship of the prosocial behavior of empathy and applicant's personal motivations. In the winter of 2020 a Feedback Survey was administered to all 5,581 Youth as Researchers applicants from over 90 different countries, aged 18-35 years, assessing applicants' personal motivation to join the program. In total, this study had response rate of 27% (1,546), representing 73 countries, and while not generalizable to a global youth audience, responses are indicative of a global youth audience. Through descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analysis, this study demonstrated the importance of programs providing youth choice, the capacity to feel competent and accomplished at tasks, and relevance of creating supportive environments for the perspective taking and empathetic concern domains of empathy when engaging with prospective program participants. Incorporating these elements into programmatic designs can encourage more young people to be intrinsically motivated to participate in youth-led programs creating youth and community level actionable change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Concurrent Associations between Parenting Dimensions, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Externalizing Behaviour Problems during Adolescence

Considering that externalising behaviour problems are one of the most prominent psychopathologies, it is important to investigate the interplay of individual and environmental factors that are associated with such behaviours. Although previous literature revealed associations between parenting dimensions, callous-unemotional traits, and externalising behaviour problems, only a few studies examined these simultaneously during adolescence. The current study investigated the association between parental warmth/coercion and aggression/rule-breaking behaviour, and to determine whether these associations are mediated by callous-unemotional trait dimensions. A sample of 462 adolescents completed a questionnaire assessing callous-unemotional traits and externalising behaviour problems, and their parents completed a parenting style questionnaire. A path model revealed that parental warmth had a negative direct effect on the dimensions callousness and uncaring, which in turn had a positive effect on aggression and rule-breaking behaviour. Parental coercion had a positive direct effect on unemotionality, which was not associated with aggression and rule-breaking behaviour. Only parental warmth had an indirect effect onto externalising behaviour problems via callous-unemotional traits. Our findings demonstrate that even during adolescence, parenting remains an important factor for callous-unemotional traits and externalising behaviour problems. The unique differences between the parenting dimensions and the callous-unemotional trait dimensions have interesting implications for future research.