Background Italy was one of the first European countries to be affected by Covid-19. Due to the severity of the pandemic, the Italian government imposed a nationwide lockdown which had a great impact on the population, especially adolescents. Distance-learning, moving restrictions and pandemic-related concerns, resulted in a particularly stressful situation. Objective This cross-sectional study aims

Background The long-term effectiveness of Head Start remains a topic of debate. Previous research with families of children enrolling in Head Start at three years of age has shown patterns of familial risk moderate the short-term effects of Head Start suggesting some children benefit more than others. However, we know little about patterns of risk that moderate Head Start’s effectiveness for children

Background African-American and Latinx youth are disproportionately exposed to neighborhood violence and are overrepresented in the U.S. juvenile justice system. Perceived neighborhood violence is associated with negative health outcomes. Objective We examined associations between African-American and Latinx youths’ perceived neighborhood violence and health during reentry after juvenile incarceration

Background Early childhood teachers play a key role in creating positive teacher-child relationships, which are shown to promote child outcomes. However, turnover rates of early childhood teachers are strikingly high, which may compromise the quality of teacher-child relationships. Lack of early childhood education program policies (i.e., wage, benefits, and teacher support) may contribute to such

Background Trauma exposure is common in children and adolescents. Parents and other key adults, such as teachers, are necessary to facilitate help-seeking behavior, which involves recognizing trauma and adverse reactions and awareness of accessing treatments. Where screening measures in schools are used to detect post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the attitudes of parents and teachers towards screening

Abstract Background International literature has underlined the complex interplay between genetic and environmental variables in shaping children’s emotional-behavioral functioning. Objective This study aimed to explore the dynamic relationship between children’s Dopamine Transporter (DAT1) genotype and methylation, and maternal and paternal affective environment, on children’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Background Although the literature in medical anthropology and transcultural psychiatry has documented how cultural representations shape individual experiences and perceptions of psychosocial distress and its management, less attention has been given to what is actually meant when the concept of culture is used in professional practice, and how this may influence experience of care. Objective The

Background Self-harm is a significant public health concern during adolescence. Most cases of self-harm do not come to the attention of professional services, however, where adolescents do disclose self-harm, the majority confide in their friends. Objective Therefore, more needs to be understood about the protective function and risks friends may pose in the context of self-harm and personal implications

Background Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies are predictive of negative outcomes in adolescence which, in turn, may impact on later well-being. Objective The current study aimed at testing the moderating role of emotional self-efficacy on the relation between expressive suppression and the engagement in internalizing behavior, controlling for gender effect. Method A total of 526 adolescents

BACKGROUND Growing evidence suggests that reactive aggression is more strongly associated with youth internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression symptoms) than proactive aggression. Detained youth are more likely to utilize both reactive and proactive functions of aggression as well as are at greater risk for developing internalizing symptoms. However, it is unclear if the unique associations

Background Recent research suggests that instrumental relationship styles can enhance the effectiveness of school-based mentoring, however, little research has been conducted with young children. This study reports findings from a three-year evaluation of an instrumental Literacy-Enhanced Mentoring (LEM) program that integrates a structured, literacy component into a school-based mentoring program

Background This paper presents the baseline characteristics and their moderators in the Healthy Learning Mind (HLM)– school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. Objectives The paper evaluates the state of various measures of well-being, their moderators and how these results compare to national and global norms/population studies. Methods Data were collected from all participants prior to the

Background Adolescence is associated with a rise in the incidence of mental health issues. Thus, the factors, processes, and contexts that protect and promote positive mental health in adolescence are of key interest to policymakers. Objective Our aim was twofold: First, to explore the coping strategies and sources of support that adolescents identify as protective (or not) in the face of difficulty

Background Although mandatory reporting has grown substantially in scope and geographical coverage, there is limited empirical evidence to support its effectiveness in preventing harm to children. In the absence of rigorous evaluations, comparing the perspectives of individuals who work in systems with and without mandatory reporting provides important insights. Objective The purpose of this analysis

Background Anxiety disorders are garnering increasing attention for their contribution to high-risk issues and functional impairment. Adolescents are typically admitted to partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) due to high-risk presentations. However, the frequency of anxiety disorders in PHPs is not well-established, in part because anxiety can be overlooked in acute settings due to limited lengths

Background Psychological inflexibility has been associated with several mental health indicators. The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y) has been the most used measure to assess psychological inflexibility in adolescents, having been adapted to several different languages, including Portuguese. However, the short 8-item version of this scale has been thoroughly studied and considered

Background Following disasters, children and adolescents can use coping strategies to feel better. A growing body of studies investigated the relation between them and maladjustment/adjustment, i.e., negative symptomatology/positive indicators of development. Yet, these constructs are studied separately. Objective We conducted two meta-analyses to examine the mean correlation between disaster-related

Background Anxiety disorders are common comorbidities in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are also at a high risk of bullying behavior. However, little is known about the roles of anxiety symptomatology in the relationship between ADHD and bullying behavior. Objective This cross-sectional, clinic-based study aims to investigate the associations between

Background Children and youth growing up in contexts characterized by political violence are at high risk of developing mental health impairments. In recent years, a growing interest has been directed to the study of children’s well-being after being exposed to political violence in order to develop interventions aimed at preserving and enhancing it. Objective This study provides a synthetic overview

Background To support student mental health, school staff must have knowledge of evidence-based practices and the capacity to implement them. One approach used to address this challenge is a group-based telementoring model called Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO). In other applications (e.g., healthcare settings), ECHO has been shown to increase healthcare professionals’ self-efficacy

Background As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have implemented preventive measures towards reducing infections. These conditions can affect the mental health of children and adolescents; however, this has not yet been fully explored. Objective The aim of the study was to analyze changes in symptomatology and positive emotions in Argentine children and adolescents since the onset of isolation

Background Child and Youth Care is a challenging field characterized by intensive daily involvement with youth at risk. It belongs to the wider area of helping professions but has its distinct attributes related to clients’ characteristics and working environment. Objective This study explores how Child and Youth Care workers in Israel experience their work with youth, its goals, the challenges involved

Background Use of numerical and spatial language, also known as math talk, is critical to the development of foundational number and spatial skills in early childhood. However, caregivers and children of low socioeconomic status (SES) tend to use less math talk than their higher-SES peers. Objective The current efficacy study tested the hypothesis that quantity of math talk among low-SES caregivers

Background Mobile crisis (MC) services is a pediatric behavioral health service that diverts those who need a lower level of care away from the Emergency Department (ED), enabling EDs to focus on providing acute behavioral health services. However, despite MC’s efficacy, utilization could be enhanced. Implementation science provides an informative analytic framework. Objective This study explores

Background When caregivers experience childhood maltreatment, their children may bear increased risk for maltreatment as well. Teachers have frequent opportunities to observe child behavior in the classroom and are likely to notice symptoms of maltreatment and have opportunities to intervene. Thus, teacher identification of PTSD may serve an important preventive purpose and may mitigate risk for children

Background Parent–child interactions are crucial for child development. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected mental health and increased parenting challenges impacting parent–child functioning. Objective This study examined parent factors related to more and less enriching child activities during the pandemic through Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems framework. Methods A convenience sample

Background Black adolescents commonly experience unfair treatment from teachers and other school staff that can undermine Black adolescents’ engagement in school and their perceptions of adults as trustworthy. Objective This study aimed to address the overarching research question: “How do unfair experiences with school staff manifest and impact Black adolescents?”. Method This study used a mixed methods

Background Despite a global policy push toward the advancement of family- and community-based care, residential care for children and youth remains a relevant and highly utilized out-of-home care option in many countries, fulfilling functions of care and accommodation as well as education and treatment. Objective As part of a larger project involving five European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy

Background Systematic reviews have shown attachment-based parenting programs to lead to improvements in parenting sensitivity and infant attachment, but none have focused specifically on the impact of attachment-based parenting programs on externalizing symptoms in young children. Objective The objective of this study was to review published randomized controlled trial evidence regarding the impact

Background An expansive literature on community violence exposure has almost exclusively focused on its effects on children, yet little is known about the effects of exposure to community violence on parents. Similarly, a wealth of research has investigated the impact of intimate partner violence, but not community violence, on mothers. Objective This longitudinal study investigates how mothers’ exposure

Background Celiac disease requires appropriate management and support, both medically and psychologically. This is especially important for adolescents, who may benefit from relevant peer interactions. Objective This study evaluated the effects of interactive peer support on quality of life, friendship relations, and coping levels among adolescents with celiac disease. Method This was a randomized

Background Strong connections between children’s teachers and their parents fosters their learning and development in early childhood and throughout their schooling. Developing strong connections in preschool may ease the transition to elementary school for children. Objective The goal of this study is to examine the initial implementation of the Kindergarten Transition Practices intervention, its

Background Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to negative outcomes for adult behavioural, physical and mental health. There is limited research into the prevalence of ACEs experienced by children and young people in the children and young people secure estate, and specifically, a lack of research into England’s secure children’s homes (SCH) population. Objective To explore the reported

Background The five components (5Cs) positive youth development (PYD) model has been demonstrated to be applicable in many Western societies. The cultural framework of youth development can be different in Chinese-dominated communities. Objective This study aimed at examining the dimensionality of the 5Cs to inform whether positive youth development in Hong Kong is similar to that in Western literature

Background Biased parental attributions, or biased thinking about the cause of children’s behavior, are linked to harsh and negative parenting in parents of children with disruptive behavior disorders. However, little is known about moderators of this link. Objective The current study explored whether child callous-unemotional (CU) traits may be a moderator of the association between parental attributions

Background Joint physical custody is a parental care arrangement in which children live roughly an equal amount of time with each parent after family dissolution, residing alternately in each of the two parental households. Because joint physical custody is characterised by fathers’ continued involvement in their children’s lives, this care arrangement is believed to compensate for the negative effects

Background Community attachments are thought to promote adolescents’ engagement in public health behaviors. To date, past research has exclusively examined the social benefits of community attachments among adolescents in the United States and less is known about these benefits among youth in low-income adolescent-dense countries such as Pakistan. Objective The present study examined associations between

Background Several studies conducted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown its harmful effects on young people’s mental health. In Québec and Canada, few studies have focussed on adolescents, and even fewer of these studies have examined this subject using a methodology that involved comparisons of data obtained before and during the pandemic, which is the purpose of this study. Objective

Background Knowledge regarding barriers faced by Latina/o/x caregivers in accessing youth mental health services (MHS) have largely depended on resource intensive interview-based assessments. Objective We evaluated a questionnaire for Latina/o/x caregivers of youths that presents a briefer and more feasible alternative. Method We conducted a psychometric evaluation of the Barriers to Treatment Questionnaire

Background Youth in foster care may demonstrate high levels of aggression and thought problems. There is a growing trend to consider mental health symptoms of youth involved with the foster care system from a developmental trauma perspective. Objective The aim of this study was to test if trauma, race, age, and gender predicted variability in thought problems and aggression for youth in foster care

Background Growing evidence informs about the detrimental impact that COVID-19 has had on youths’ mental health and well-being. As of yet, no study has directly examined the experiences and perspectives of children and young adolescents from racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S., despite being exposed to more adversity, which may affect coping with the many challenges posed by the pandemic

Background In the United States, 68% of children do not get the recommended nine hours of sleep, which can lead to many negative health outcomes (e.g., mental health). Mindfulness meditation mobile apps may be an option for improving children’s sleep and mental health outcomes; however, there is limited research on how children across different ages access these types of apps, the content they prefer

Background Despite extensive research examining features of adolescents’ ego-identity development, little research has demonstrated patterns of ego-identity development and its relationship with various individual and environmental factors that are theoretically important for identity development. Objective The current study investigated developmental trajectories of ego-identity and the longitudinal

This correction is to alert readers of an earlier version of Nunno, M. A., McCabe, L. A., Izzo, C. V., Smith, E. G., Sellers, D. E., & Holden, M. J. (2021). A 26-year study of restraint fatalities among children and adolescents in the United States: A failure of organizational structures and processes.

Background Children of African asylum seekers are a growing population in the Western world. Many of them who live in extreme social exclusion experience social alienation and powerlessness. Based on the assumption that the unique relationships between mentors and mentees can increase well-being, more in depth data on the perspectives of the practical work strategies of the volunteers themselves would

Background Due to the risk of cross-contamination and the enforcement of strict infection control guidelines, patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their families have engaged in social and physical distancing for the past decade and a half. Family members, such as parents, are considered to be a critical component of patients’ lives. Objective We explored how the parents of young people living with

Background In residential youth care, group care workers and teachers often serve as a mentor for individual adolescents. Although favorable mentoring relationships are associated with positive adolescent outcomes, few studies examined the role of mentoring in residential youth care. Objective The present study aims to assess adolescents’, care workers’ and teachers’ mentoring relationship needs in

Background Physical and mechanical restraints used in treatment, care, education, and corrections programs for children are high-risk interventions primarily due to their adverse physical, emotional, and fatal consequences. Objective This study explores the conditions and circumstances of restraint-related fatalities in the United States by asking (1) Who are the children that died due to physical

Background State-level child care quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) have been implemented in a majority of states in the U.S.A. One goal is to improve developmental outcomes for young children, especially from families with fewer resources. Research is needed to determine if QRIS can produce quality improvements that will support the development of children from birth to three years. Objective