Journal of Adolescence

Introduction Children from multicultural families in South Korea are at high risk of bullying victimization, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. This study explores the gendered dynamics of depressive symptoms associated with persistent exposure to bullying victimization among these youths, as well as the role of family support. Methods This study utilizes data from nine waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), spanning from 2011 (Wave 1) to 2019 (Wave 9). MAPS is a nationally representative longitudinal survey of adolescents with multicultural backgrounds and their mothers. Participants include 1375 families (51.1% girls; grade 4−13). Fixed‐effects models were estimated to address the possibility of bias due to unobserved time‐invariant confounders. Gender‐stratified analyses and interaction models were employed to examine the moderating role of gender and family support. Results Depressive symptoms among girls were higher with persistent bullying victimization; however, this association was observed up to two consecutive waves of exposure (an immediate and short‐term pattern). In contrast, persistent bullying victimization was associated with a cumulative increase in depressive symptoms up to three or more consecutive waves of exposure in boys (an immediate and cumulative pattern). Moreover, while family support was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms among bullied girls, bullied boys exhibited a similar pattern of a cumulative increase in depressive symptoms regardless of the level of family support. Conclusion The study's findings suggest potential considerations for gendered interventions related to mental health outcomes of bullying victimization among multicultural family youth in Korea.

Introduction While social networks have become an integral part of people's lives, they also bring the potential for negative consequences, with problematic social network use emerging as a noteworthy concern, especially among adolescents. Guided by social control theory, this study examined bidirectional relationships between problematic social network use and its influencing factors: school connectedness and social anxiety. Methods Random intercept cross‐lagged panel models were employed to examine the bidirectional relationships among school connectedness, social anxiety, and problematic social network use. Data were collected using the School Connectedness Scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and the Evaluation Tool for Problematic Mobile Social Network Usage. Measurements were taken at three different times, each 6 months apart, over the course of 1 year (Time 1–3; T1 in November 2020). A total of 1684 Chinese adolescents (45.23% boys, Mage = 14.66, SD = 1.30) from a secondary school in Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China, participated in the study. Results The results indicated school connectedness and problematic social network use negatively predicted each other over time. In contrast, a positive bidirectional relationship was found between social anxiety and problematic social network use. Conclusions The findings have important implications for the development of targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting healthy online habits and preventing the escalation of problematic social network use among adolescents. By highlighting the dynamic interplay between school connectedness, social anxiety, and social network use, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of these issues and lays the groundwork for future research and interventions aimed at supporting adolescents in navigating the digital landscape.

Introduction Young people with chronic health conditions are among the most at risk of having poor social connections, however, little is known about their experiences of loneliness and social isolation. We aimed to describe the perspectives and experiences of loneliness and social isolation among young people with chronic physical conditions. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and CENTRAL from inception to May 2023 for qualitative studies that described the perspectives of loneliness and social isolation in young people aged 10–24 years with chronic physical conditions. Findings from the included studies were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results We included 35 studies across 12 countries involving 723 participants (56% female). Most studies (63%) were conducted in young people with cancer. Four major themes were identified: suffering from repercussions of disease (struggling with body image and physical changes, intensified disconnection while hospitalized); hindering relationships with peers and friends (missing out on formative experiences, feeling stuck behind, restrictive parental attitudes); grappling with social exclusion (facing concerns alone, bullying and ostracism); seeking social support and self‐help (reliance on family, kindness and empathy from friends, developing rapport with healthcare professionals, discovering self in adversity). Conclusions Symptoms, treatments, and hospitalizations limited young people's social participation and ability to maintain friendships, and this was compounded by social exclusion and bullying. Supportive friends, family, and healthcare professionals helped mitigate feelings of isolation. Interventions and strategies are needed to improve social support and foster meaningful connections. This can be achieved through education and awareness initiatives that promote inclusion in schools and the community, as well as efforts to enhance social support and continuity of care in hospitals.

Background Popularity in adolescence has been the subject of considerable empirical inquiry over the last two decades. As research on this dimension of social experience evolved, fundamental shifts occurred in the modalities through which adolescents communicate. Social networking platforms, instant messaging applications, and other forms of social media emerged as organizing features of adolescent peer groups. Objective In the current paper, we present a systematic review and meta‐analysis examining evidence that social media activity is associated with both popularity and goals for becoming popular. Methods Syntheses were conducted based on 34 effect sizes from 12 studies (N = 7776; 4037 girls and 3739 boys) using three‐level Meta‐analytic techniques. Results Average effect sizes across studies were of small to medium magnitude and were not influenced by Meta‐analytic moderators. Although the findings provide support for expected positive associations between social media activity and popularity, unresolved questions remain.

Introduction The present study examined the between‐ and within‐person associations among negative weight‐related experiences, weight bias internalization, and body shame, embarrassment, and pride in adolescents. Methods Participants were 93 Canadian students (Mage = 15.54, 59.10% girls, 40.86% white) who completed a 5‐day daily diary study in 2021. Multilevel models were estimated to examine the between‐ and within‐person associations, as well as the cross‐level interactions. Results Fifty‐nine negative weight‐related experiences were reported from 22 participants (23.66%) over the 5‐day study period. Adolescents with higher average negative weight‐related experiences (OR = 19.60, 95% CI = 1.90–202.67) and weight bias internalization (OR = 3.66, CI = 2.07–6.46) had greater odds of reporting shame. Similarly, higher average negative weight‐related experiences (OR = 16.29, CI = 3.65–72.75) and weight bias internalization (OR = 2.08, CI = 1.53–2.82) was associated with greater odds of embarrassment. No within‐person effects were noted, such that reporting more negative weight‐related experiences or weight bias internalization than one's own average was not related to body emotions. Conclusions This distinction underscores that the persistent, rather than episodic, aspects of negative weight‐related experiences and weight bias internalization are most impactful on adolescents’ body image. These findings have implications for recruitment and screening for individual‐level interventions for internalized weight bias and body image, and highlight the need for system‐level policies and changes that prohibit negative weight‐related experiences and messages to reduce likelihood of internalizing weight bias among adolescents.

Introduction Knowing who we are and what we are living for helps us to better adjust in everyday life and confront negative life events, especially for adolescents who are going through critical developmental periods when changes in life could bring both psychopathology risk yet opportunity to achieve a better self. The current study focused on mental time travel, the mental visit to the past or future, and examined the impact on adolescents' perceived meaning in life, with the potential mediating factor of self‐continuity. Methods A total of 1543 high school students aged 12 to 18 years old (Mage = 15.02, SDage = 1.58, 52% girls) from Jiangsu Province, China were recruited in a two‐wave longitudinal survey that separated by an interval of 6 months. Participants reported their proneness to engage in nostalgia or future prospection at T1 and sense of self‐continuity at T2, while the perceived meaning in life were reported at both time points. The latent structural equation models were established with items as indicators for all study variables. Results Mental time travel, including both nostalgia and future prospection, facilitated adolescent meaning in life via increased self‐continuity, except that future prospection showed only positive indirect effect, while nostalgia demonstrated direct yet negative impact on meaning in life after accounting for the positive mediation effect. Conclusions Findings highlighted the distinct effects of the past‐ and future‐oriented mental time travel on adolescent meaning in life, and provided insights for promoting adolescent psychological adjustment.

Introduction Current literature recognizes that various socialization agents often shape political behavior. This study employs frameworks of political socialization and political agency to explore how extracurricular activities and political intentions established at age 16 influence aspects of political participation and civic engagement at age 20. Methods A 4‐year longitudinal study was conducted using a community‐based sample of 933 adolescents from a medium‐sized Swedish city with a population of approximately 135,000. Data were collected in 2010 and 2014, allowing for an analysis of the impact of extracurricular activities and political intentions developed during adolescence on later political and civic behaviors. The analytical sample comprised 933 individuals (50.8% females; mean age = 16.62, SD = 0.71). Results The analysis revealed that participation in extracurricular activities at age 16 is a significant predictor of offline political participation at age 20. However, no significant associations were found between these activities and other forms of participation, such as illegal behaviors or broader civic engagement. Political intentions at age 16 also significantly predicted offline political participation at age 20. Conclusions The findings highlight the pivotal roles of both socialization agents and individual factors related to youth political agency in shaping political trajectories during adolescence. Understanding the effects of extracurricular activities and political intentions on political participation and civic engagement can aid policymakers and educators in developing strategies to foster active citizenship among young people.

Background Mental ill‐health and substance use bear significant public health burden on young people. Prevention is key. Trauma‐informed approaches to prevention of mental ill‐health and substance use demonstrate significant promise, yet it is unclear how well existing approaches work for young people targeting mental ill‐health and substance use. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of trauma‐informed mental ill‐health and/or substance use prevention programs for young people. Methods We searched the PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library reference databases for peer‐reviewed studies of trauma‐informed mental ill‐health and/or substance use prevention programs for young people published between 2013 and 2022. Studies in any language were included and reference lists of included articles were scanned for additional studies of relevance. Results In total, 30 studies were included in this review, comprising five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), seven non‐RCTs, 10 quasi‐experimental designs, and eight qualitative studies. Among the 30 studies, 27 unique trauma‐informed prevention interventions were detailed. Eighteen studies reported statistically significant decreases in mental ill‐health, and two studies reported significant decreases in substance use outcomes among participants, up to 6 months following the interventions. Most preventative interventions with statistically significant effects were selective (rather than universal or indicated) in their approach (n = 10, 55%). Broad acceptability and feasibility of trauma‐informed prevention programs was observed among studies reporting this information though most quantitative studies were at high risk of bias and/or did not include a control group, whilst qualitative studies tended to report research conducted without a priori research aims. Discussion This review synthesizes for the first‐time evidence on the effectiveness (or efficacy), feasibility, and acceptability of trauma‐informed mental ill‐health and/or substance use programs for young people, especially for those exposed to traumatic or adverse experiences. While there are promising efficacy outcomes, further research conducting rigorous, well‐powered RCTs is required for large‐scale evaluation and scaling of the potential preventative benefits of such programs.

Introduction This study investigated the longitudinal effects between adolescent emotional self‐regulation and prosocial behavior toward powerful people (i.e., actions aimed at benefiting or supporting individuals who hold significant influence or authority within a group or society), based on the perspective of positive socialization cycle. Methods We recruited 543 Chinese adolescents (284 girls, M age at Time 1 = 11.27 years) and collected three waves of data over 3 years, each approximately 1 year apart (n Time 2 = 449, n Time 3 = 417). Traditional cross‐lagged panel model was conducted to test the longitudinal relationship between emotional self‐regulation and prosocial behavior toward powerful people. Then, a random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel model was performed to disentangle the between‐person differences from the within‐person predictive processes. Results The results showed that, emotional self‐regulation in the previous year was positively associated with prosocial behavior toward powerful people in the next year, whereas earlier prosocial behavior toward powerful people was not predictive of subsequent emotional self‐regulation. Conclusions Findings advocate the domain‐specific nature of self‐regulation and prosocial behavior and deepen our understanding of the relationship between the two from the culture‐specific perspective. This study also highlights the value of emotional self‐regulation intervention as a viable way to promote adolescent prosocial development. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

Introduction This study provides an ethnographic lens to understand gender messages in girls' puberty books, focusing on the representation of parents in both text and images. Methods A content and thematic analysis was performed on 22 children's books on girls' pubertal development drawn from Amazon bestselling books on Children's Health & Maturing. Results Content analysis results demonstrated an imbalance in the representation of parents in books about girls' pubertal development. Mothers appeared and were mentioned in the text significantly more than fathers. Mothers relative to fathers also were depicted significantly more in illustrations with positive expressions (e.g., smiling) while talking or interacting with their daughters. Fathers were under‐represented and portrayed as relatively stoic actors with no clear role in preparing their daughters for puberty. Thematic analysis of the books reinforced and challenged gender norms and expectations. While mothers were observed as the primary source of support during this transition, some books emphasized fathers' valuable role in advocating for their daughters' well‐being and fostering open communication. Conclusions Implications for girls' gender role development are discussed.

Introduction The current study examines Bay‐Cheng and Ginn's (2024) claim that marginalized youth confront two intertwined sexual risk dilemmas: being put at risk by unjust social forces and structures that threaten their sexual health and safety; and being kept from risk by those same forces and structures, thus compromising their development and dignity. Methods We explored the presence and relevance of these dilemmas using interviews conducted in 2022 with 101 racialized and/or queer (i.e., a sexuality other than exclusively heterosexual) young women and trans or nonbinary youth aged 16–21 and living in Melbourne (Australia), New York City (United States), and Toronto (Canada). We conducted a directed content analysis of the data and examined intersectional group‐based comparisons of code frequencies. Results We found that 80% of participants felt endangered (i.e., put at risk) and/or obstructed (i.e., kept from risk) by social and material conditions. Over half felt put at risk through exposure to hostility and harm, and over one‐third of participants described precarious life circumstances as keeping them from taking wanted sexual risks. Group‐based and intersectional comparisons indicated that feeling put at risk is associated with marginalized gender and sexuality identities and corresponding discrimination. We also found tentative signs that feeling kept from risk may be more closely linked to race and racism than marginalization by gender and/or sexuality. Conclusions The findings highlight the diverse implications of interlocked social injustices for youths' sexual lives, particularly the infringement on their rights both to safety and to risk.

Introduction This mixed‐method longitudinal study examined American adolescents' meaning making of salient COVID‐19 pandemic events. Method Within phone interviews, adolescents (N = 124, Mage = 15.76 years; 46% Latine) narrated their most emotionally impactful pandemic experience at two time points ~30 days apart between July 2020 and March 2021. Narratives were coded for (1) content (i.e., event‐type, relation to the pandemic, and the valence of the event [positive or negative]), (2) linguistic markers of subjective event processing (internal state language such as positive emotion, negative emotion, and cognition words), (3) narrative meaning‐making, and (4) the outcome of adolescents' meaning‐making (i.e., their “meanings made”). Results About 30% of adolescents spontaneously made meaning of their experience. Negative emotion words within narratives at time 1 positively predicted meaning making at time 2. Meaning making at time 1 predicted increased use of cognition words at time 2. Meaning making themes included: recognizing the threat of COVID‐19, coping with a pandemic, and shifts in perspectives. Discussion Salient emotional experiences that occur during adolescence are likely to be remembered and contribute to one's life story. This work provides a window into how the COVID‐19 pandemic may have shaped adolescent development in the United States.

Introduction Framed by attachment and cognitive theories, the current meta‐analysis tested the direct and indirect links among parenting dimensions (parental support, authoritative control, psychological control, and behavioral control), self‐esteem, and depressive symptoms for children and adolescents. Methods Based on 53 studies, and 74 independent samples, the present study used One‐Stage Meta‐analytic Structural Equation Modeling (OSMASEM) to investigate these links, including testing a mediation effect by self‐esteem between parental support‐, authoritative control‐, psychological control‐, behavioral control‐, and depressive symptoms. It also tested for potential moderation effects by several variables. Results The evidence indicated that parental support (β = .29), authoritative control (β = .23), and behavioral control (β = .07) are positive correlates of self‐esteem, while psychological control (β = −.26) is a negative one. It also found that self‐esteem was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (β range: −.49 to −.53). Furthermore, parental support (β = −0.14), authoritative control (β = −0.10), and behavioral control (β = −0.05) are negative correlates of depressive symptoms, while psychological control is a positive correlate (β = .11). OSMASEM also provided evidence that parental support, authoritative control, psychological control, and behavioral control are indirectly associated with depressive symptoms, via self‐esteem. Conclusion Parenting dimensions are associated with depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly. That is, self‐esteem partially mediates the relationships between parental support, authoritative control, psychological control, and behavioral control with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, OSMASEM moderator tests provided evidence of several significant moderators, including age, sex, parenting measurement, and self‐esteem measurement.

Introduction Most people are generally honest, but around 5% of individuals are prolific liars, some of whom lie for fun or no reason. However, developmental research on atypical lying features (e.g., motives, attitudes, inclinations for dishonesty) and the associated traits and negative outcomes is lacking. We examined how psychopathic traits are related to the development of lying trajectories and whether exhibiting atypical lying features during a developmental period when lies tend to decrease in frequency (i.e., adolescence to adulthood) increases the risk for adulthood antisocial behaviors. Methods Data come from the multisite Pathways to Desistance project, a longitudinal study of serious juvenile offenders in the United States who were interviewed across 11 time points over 7 years from 2000 to 2010. Age‐based trajectory analyses modeled self‐reported atypical lying features from ages 14 to 26 for male participants (N = 1170; 42.1% Black, 34.0% Hispanic, 19.2% White, 4.6% Other), and examined how subscales from the Youth Psychopathy Inventory predicted lying trajectory classes and whether those classes differed in adulthood offending and substance use. Results Around 5% of the sample maintained elevated atypical lying features in adolescence and into adulthood. These individuals were more manipulative, remorseless, impulsive, and irresponsible in adolescence, and were more likely to offend and use substances in adulthood. Conclusions Findings highlight how atypical lying features during the normative developmental desistance period of lying may be elevated for prolific liars and how traits can be used to identify at‐risk individuals. This information will help to inform intervention and prevention programs targeting externalizing behaviors.

Introduction The rising prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents is a public health concern. Early adolescence is a key developmental period to reduce risks for internalizing symptoms through primary prevention programs, yet additional research is needed on modifiable factors, such as coping skills, to target to mitigate risk factors. Therefore, we investigated the reciprocal link between coping style and internalizing symptoms among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents (n = 1273) from 12 middle schools over 1 year. Methods We leveraged a longitudinal data set of a cluster, randomized trial of a preventive intervention from 12 middle schools in a large public‐school district in the United States to test our hypotheses using multilevel modeling. The sample was 49% female and racially/ethnically diverse (39% Hispanic/Latinx, 23% Black/African American, 12% Asian or Pacific Islander, 11% other, 9% White, and 5% multiracial). Participants (ages 12‐14) completed a baseline questionnaire in 7th grade (Spring 2018) and a 1‐year follow‐up questionnaire in 8th grade (Spring 2019). Results Depressive and anxious symptoms affected levels of active and avoidant coping skill use over the 1‐year period of the study, indicating that symptoms can be an impetus for maladaptive coping. We also identified bidirectional links between active coping and depression in addition to avoidant coping and anxiety. Conclusions Our findings have implications for augmenting coping psychoeducation within prevention programs to reduce internalizing symptoms among early adolescents and for future longitudinal and qualitative research exploring how coping skills reduce risks for internalizing symptoms throughout adolescence and into early adulthood.

Introduction Friendships of adolescent girls play a significant role in providing socio‐emotional support and enabling the attainment of developmental tasks. The present exploratory paper focuses on an aspect of close friendships that has yet to be widely examined, which we described as the Adverse Dyadic Friendship (ADF). This is a friendship whose negative elements are perceived from the distance of time as outweighing its positive ones. Methods To examine the features of ADF, a qualitative study based on retrospective data obtained from 34 young adult females (Mage = 31.14, SD = 5.59) was conducted in Israel. Using a semi‐structured online questionnaire, participants were asked to address a specific close same‐sex friendship they had during their middle or high school years that has negatively affected them. Results The emerging themes (such as negative feelings and various coping strategies) suggest that ADF comprises an intense emotional condition, having implications on the development of individuals’ self‐perception. The consequences of ADF may be detrimental to adolescent girls’ self‐worth and friendship skills and extend into their adult life. Conclusions Whereas the developmental literature emphasizes the positive aspects of friendship for adolescent girls, this study points out how ADF can also become a developmental challenge for them: on the one hand, ADF comprises a risk factor for their socio‐emotional development, and on the other hand, presents an opportunity to learn and introduce changes in their lives. The main contribution of this paper is that ADF can stimulate further research on the complex aspects of friendship between adolescent girls.

Introduction Despite recent efforts to understand the possible impact of contextual factors on adolescents’ involvement in ethnic bullying, most existing studies have focused on the effects of one context at a time. As adolescents are simultaneously exposed to the influence of multiple socialization agents, the aim of this study was to investigate whether teachers’ and classmates’ tolerance towards ethnic minorities could buffer the effect of perceived parental prejudice on adolescents’ involvement in ethnic bullying. Methods Data were collected between January and February 2020 from 9th grade adolescents (N = 582; Mage = 15.23; SD = 0.65; 50.9% female; 30.7% with an immigrant background), and their teachers (N = 72; aged between 27 and 65 years; 79% female), belonging to 37 classrooms located in Italy. Results A cross‐sectional multilevel analysis showed that teachers’ tolerance moderated the effect of perceived parental prejudice on adolescents’ involvement in ethnic bullying. Specifically, we found that in classrooms with low levels of teachers’ tolerance, perceived parental prejudice was significantly associated with students’ involvement in ethnic bullying. Conversely, in classrooms with high levels of teachers’ tolerance, parental prejudice was no longer associated with ethnic bullying. Furthermore, classmates’ tolerance was not significantly associated with students’ involvement in ethnic bullying and did not moderate the association between perceived parental prejudice and adolescents’ engagement in ethnic bullying. Conclusions Findings are discussed highlighting the important role of school as a context to promote positive multicultural relations and the unique role played by teachers in affecting adolescents’ behaviors.

Introduction Expressions of cyberhate motivated by characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, and religious beliefs are now present and prevalent on social networks. Past research, both in online and offline contexts, has identified that, although there may be an overlap between victims and perpetrators of violence; this is not always the case. Nevertheless, the number of studies focused on variables that moderate the relation between victimization and perpetration is still low. The current study aims at analyzing the relation between cyberhate victimization and perpetration and the potential moderating role of social dominance on this relation. Method During the 2019/2020 school year in Andalusia, Spain, a prospective longitudinal study was implemented. The study used a representative sample of 1498 adolescents enrolled in compulsory secondary education in the first wave (51.8% female; Mage = 13.58) and 1195 adolescents in the second wave (53.2% female; Mage = 14.04). Surveys administrated to adolescents were used for data collection. Results The findings revealed a positive correlation between cyberhate victimization and perpetration. They supported the notion that social dominance not only predicted the perpetration of cyberhate several months later, but also its moderating effect on the relation between cyberhate victimization and perpetration. Cyberhate victims who reported higher levels of social dominance were more likely to become perpetrators several months later. Conclusion Results suggest the need to implement preventive programs considering the influence of social dominance. These strategies could promote social equality and help to interrupt the cycle in which victims can become perpetrators of cyberhate.

Introduction Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by escalating mental health issues as well as an increasing awareness of future career possibilities. Occupational future time perspective has been shown to be a promotive factor for social functioning and mental health, and a component in evidence‐based clinical practices and randomized controlled trial intervention studies. However, it requires more rigorous and ecological corroboration from longitudinal analysis at the within‐person level. Methods Random intercept cross‐lagged panel models with several adjustments and sensitivity analyses were applied to the longitudinal data from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (Zurich, Switzerland), to analyze how occupational future time perspective and psychological/neurodevelopmental outcomes (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms/externalizing/internalizing problems) covaried across ages 13 (N = 1365), 15 (N = 1446), and 17 (N = 1305) in the years 2016, 2018, and 2020, after controlling for sex (52% male), SES, and school type. Results A small effect was found in a random intercept cross‐lagged panel model whereby occupational future time perspective at age 15 predicted externalizing problems at age 17 (β = .146, p = .05, [95% CI = 0.000, 0.292]), and in a random intercept (contemporaneous) reciprocal panel model specification attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms at age 17 were contemporaneously associated with occupational future time perspective at age 17 (β = −.310, p < .05, [95% CI = −0.580, −0.041]). No cross‐lagged associations were found to be robust across different model specifications/adjustments. Conclusions These findings suggest that improving occupational future time perspective may have limited impact on enhancing mental health, offering valuable insights for school‐based interventions. Further research and replication are necessary to confirm these results.

Objective This study aimed to better understand the mental health experiences of students as they prepared to transition out of university. Participants Participants included 18 recently graduated students from a Canadian university. Methods Virtual one‐on‐one semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed following the protocol for content analysis and using QSR NVivo. Results Four main themes were identified, including: distress and feelings of doubt, the importance of connections, the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and experiences with mental health service use. Participants discussed feeling pressured to succeed and a fear of failure, uncertainty and unpreparedness for next steps, the importance of connections to peers and professors, a lack of motivation and feeling ‘unfinished’ due to the COVID‐19 pandemic response, and the need for flexible and accessible mental health services to address immediate and longer‐term needs. Conclusion Results have implications for better support of students as they prepare for graduation.

Objective Suicide ideation and attempt are leading risk factors for mortality in young adults. However, the adolescent risk factors distinguishing suicide ideation from attempt in young adults remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which within‐person stability and change in depressive symptoms, school difficulties, and peer victimization from ages 12 to 17 were differentially associated with later suicide ideation and attempt from ages 20 to 23. Method The study included 1647 participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD; 52% female). Participants reported on their depressive symptoms, school difficulties, and peer victimization at ages 12, 13, 15, and 17, and on suicide ideation and attempt at ages 20 and 23. Data were collected in the Province of Quebec, Canada, between 2010 and 2021. Results Results indicated that 11% (N = 121) and 8% (N = 86) reported suicide ideation and attempt, respectively, between ages 20 and 23. A random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel model showed that within‐person increases in depressive symptoms during adolescence were related to both suicide ideation and attempt, whereas within‐person increases in school difficulties and peer victimization were for the most part related to suicide attempt only. Within‐person stability in depressive symptoms from ages 12 to 17 years were also related to suicide attempt, and not ideation. However, this association was only marginally significant. Conclusion Findings suggest that experiencing unusual rises in school difficulties and peer victimization during adolescence, as well as depressive symptoms persisting over time, may distinguish young adults who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide.

Introduction Extant literature has linked sleep disturbance to depressive symptoms. However, the coexistence of naturally occurring sleep profiles among adolescents and the prospective associations between sleep profiles and depressive symptoms remain poorly understood. This study aims to uncover sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents based on a comprehensive set of sleep features (e.g., latency, daytime dysfunction, etc.) derived from the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and investigate the relationship between these profiles and subsequent depressive symptoms mediated by positive and negative coping styles. Methods Five thousand five hundred five adolescents from Shandong province, China, enrolled (Mage = 16.83 years; 49.9% girls) in a two‐wave longitudinal study (T1 in August 2023; T2 in February 2024). Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify adolescent sleep patterns. Mediation and sensitivity analyses were used to examine prospective associations between sleep patterns, coping styles, and depressive symptoms. Results Four qualitatively distinct sleep profiles emerged: Healthy Sleepers (18.9%), Latency but Functioning Sleepers (13.6%), Efficient but Dysfunctional Sleepers (57.5%), and Medicated Maladaptive Sleepers (10.0%). Using the Healthy Sleepers as a reference group, Latency but Functional Sleepers, Efficient but Dysfunctional Sleepers, and Medicated Maladaptive Sleepers all predicted subsequent depressive symptoms through positive coping styles rather than negative coping styles. The relative indirect effects were 0.19, 0.19, and 0.32, respectively. Conclusions The study underscored that adolescents exhibit distinct sleep patterns, and specific sleep profiles may be prospectively associated with depressive symptoms mediated by positive coping styles.

Introduction Burnout and engagement are pivotal for adolescents' well‐being and have received extensive attention in the educational literature. However, less is known about how these factors develop and interact within and between school and sport when adolescent athletes follow dual (school and sport) careers. The aim of this study was to examine the reciprocal relationship between engagement and burnout in school and sport through a cross‐lagged analysis of longitudinal associations. Methods A sample of 165 Finnish adolescent athletes (aged 14.5 years, 48.9% girls) enrolled in lower secondary sport schools (i.e., junior high schools) participated in a survey in spring 2019 (i.e., in Grade 8) and 1 year later, in spring 2020 (i.e., in Grade 9). Results Engagement and burnout had significant autoregressive relationships within school and sport. Furthermore, low levels of sport engagement in Grade 8 predicted sport burnout in Grade 9, and low levels of school burnout in Grade 8 predicted school engagement in Grade 9. Regarding cross‐domain effects, high levels of school engagement in Grade 8 predicted low levels of sport engagement in Grade 9. Conclusions The study shows that school and sport are distinct domains with unique associations between engagement and burnout in each domain. It also shows that adolescent athletes may maintain high school engagement by reducing their sport engagement. These findings highlight the need for sport school practitioners to develop intervention programs to address adolescents' school and sport needs and to support their holistic well‐being.

Introduction Bullying among adolescents is a global public health issue prevalent in schools, posing significant risks to positive adolescent development. Studies have shown that bullied adolescents tend to engage in more bullying perpetration, but this underlying process of longitudinal correlation has not been fully elucidated. Methods Based on two waves of longitudinal data collected from 347 junior and 144 senior high school students in China (Mage = 13.66 years, SDage = 1.46, 59.27% boys) at 1‐year intervals, two moderated chain‐mediation models were used to explore the longitudinal correlations between bullying victimization and bullying perpetration and its underlying processes. Results The results found a significant positive correlation between adolescents’ bullying victimization experiences 1 year prior and bullying perpetration 1 year later. Furthermore, fear of negative evaluation and psychache played a longitudinal chain‐mediating role in the process, with self‐esteem and grade moderating this mediating pathway, either enhancing or weakening the effect. Conclusions This study demonstrates that prior bullying victimization is longitudinally and positively associated with subsequent bullying perpetration among adolescents. This process is mediated by fear of negative evaluation and psychache, with self‐esteem and grade level as moderators. Based on these conclusions, we have formulated the Threat‐Motivation Model, offering a framework to understand the relationship between bullying victimization and bullying perpetration. Practical implications, including strategies to reduce bullying in youth groups, are discussed.

Introduction Nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) has become a major public health issue in adolescents. This cross‐sectional case‐controlled study aims to assess the impact of identity diffusion, psychopathology, and mentalization on NSSI in adolescence. Methods The study sample consisted of 153 adolescents (76.5% girls; Mage = 15.6 years). The sample included 56 clinical cases of NSSI, 45 psychiatric cases without NSSI, and 52 healthy controls, all recruited in Ankara, Türkiye, from June 1, 2022, to August 31, 2022. Mentalization was assessed by “The Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition” (MASC) which categorizes mentalizing as “correct mentalizing” “hypermentalizing” “undermentalizing” and “no‐mentalizing”. All participants filled in the Self‐Injurious Behavior Screening Questionnaire, Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA), and Youth Self Report (YSR), and Inventory of Statements About Self‐injury (ISAS). Results The NSSI group showed lower mentalizing capacity than the healthy control group (p = .011), and more no‐mentalizing errors than the other two groups (p = .014). Identity diffusion scores were higher in the NSSI group than in the other two groups (p < .001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of maternal psychiatric disorder (p = .019, OR = 5.21), identity diffusion (p = .007, OR = 1.02), no mentalizing (p = .049, OR = 1.28), and total psychopathology symptoms (p = .009, OR = 1.12) had a significant impact on NSSI. Conclusions Current findings suggest that transdiagnostic approaches, including mentalization and identity diffusion, may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of NSSI and to the development of clinical interventions.