Search Results (701)

Temporal psychological well-being (subjective well-being, future confidence and life satisfaction) is an important indicator of the level of mental health and well-being. During adolescence, the dynamic development of their psychological well-being is more susceptible to multiple factors. However, the trends and multidimensional influences on adolescents’ temporal psychological well-being, as well as their co-development with the relationship between interpersonal relationships and temporal psychological well-being, are not known. Therefore, 568 adolescents (M_age ± SD = 17.41 ± 1.14) aged 16 to 19 years were selected for this study using longitudinal data from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Analyses were conducted using the latent growth curve model (LGCM). It was found that adolescents’ subjective well-being, future confidence, and life satisfaction showed a significant linear decline. Health status, academic pressure, and parent–child relationships were significantly associated with the initial level and developmental trajectory of temporal psychological well-being. In addition, we observed co-development patterns between interpersonal relationships and adolescents’ temporal psychological well-being, such that parallel changes in interpersonal relationships coincided with changes in well-being over time, and vice versa. This study reveals the dynamic patterns of changes in adolescents’ temporal psychological well-being and their co-development with relationships, providing empirical evidence for targeted interventions. Full article

Background: Loneliness and depression are interrelated constructs that significantly impact adolescents’ mental health. Understanding their interplay, particularly at the symptom level, is critical for developing effective interventions. Objective: To examine longitudinal relationships between loneliness and depressive symptoms during late childhood, aiming to identify symptom-level interactions and directional effects. Participants and Setting: A total of 4333 children (M_age = 11.06, SD = 0.73; 50.8% girls) from the NLSY79 Children and Young Adults survey participated, with data collected over two years. Methods: A cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) model was employed to analyze symptom-level associations between loneliness and depressive symptoms. This approach combines network analysis and cross-lagged panel modeling, allowing for the estimation of both autoregressive effects (stability of symptoms over time) and cross-lagged effects (directional relationships between symptoms across time points). Results: The longitudinal network suggests the following: (1) a reciprocal link between loneliness and both sadness and parental pressure; (2) a forward effect of loneliness on anxiety and being busy; (3) the loneliness-reducing effect of prior happiness and loneliness-increasing effect of boredom. Conclusions: The findings highlight the complex interplay between loneliness and depressive symptoms, emphasizing reciprocal and unidirectional effects at the symptom level. These insights underscore the need for targeted, symptom-focused interventions to address loneliness and its impact on adolescent mental health. Full article

Driven by the Confucian cultural ideal of “wang zi cheng long”—the fervent hope that one’s child will rise like a dragon (i.e., achieve extraordinary success)—Chinese parents commonly engage in intensive academic involvement, such as frequent homework checking. However, the mechanisms through which this high-intensity monitoring affects adolescent mental health, and whether its effects are culturally specific, remain underexplored. Drawing upon the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theory and the stress process model, this study used data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) on 1831 adolescents aged 9–15 to examine the impact of parental homework checking frequency on adolescent loneliness, the mediating role of academic pressure, and the moderating role of parental educational expectations. The results show that parental homework checking frequency was positively associated with academic pressure, which in turn was positively associated with loneliness. The mediating role of academic pressure was significant. Parental educational expectations significantly and negatively moderated the relationship between homework checking and academic pressure, and the moderated mediation was significant. Simple slope analysis indicated that the positive association between homework checking and academic pressure was stronger. In the Confucian cultural context that emphasizes academic achievement and filial responsibility, frequent parental homework checking is associated with adolescent loneliness through increased academic pressure. Unexpectedly, high parental expectations served as a buffer—a pattern that differs from typical findings in Western individualistic cultures, where high expectations often directly increase psychological distress. These findings suggest that interventions in Chinese family education should distinguish controlling from supportive monitoring and transform high expectations into emotional support and resource investment, thereby reducing adolescents’ academic pressure and loneliness. Full article

Parent–child sexual communication plays a central role in adolescents’ sexual socialization, yet little research has examined whether frequent communication fosters adolescent disclosure of sexual behaviors and how disclosure relates to sexual debut. This study investigated whether the frequency of parent–child sexual communication is associated with adolescent disclosure and examined relationships between disclosure and age at first intercourse. Data from the Healthy Sexuality Pilot Study included 2044 adolescents (1030 males, 1014 females). Structural equation modeling with multi-group comparison revealed parent-specific pathways: maternal communication frequency was associated with disclosure to mothers (β = 0.66–0.69, p < 0.001), and paternal communication was associated with disclosure to fathers (β = 0.83–0.90, p < 0.001). Cross-parent effects were minimal, suggesting disclosure develops through specific parent–child dyadic communication. Invariance testing supported equivalent model functioning across male and female adolescents. Unexpectedly, greater disclosure to mothers was associated with earlier age at first intercourse for both males (β = −0.08, p < 0.05) and females (β = −0.15, p < 0.05). One possibility is that adolescents who become sexually active subsequently seek parental support, increasing disclosure after debut. Findings indicate that frequent sexual communication is associated with disclosure through parent-specific relational pathways but suggest the disclosure–behavior relationship is more complex than protective models predict. Results underscore the importance of promoting not only communication frequency but also quality and effective parental responses. Full article

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of child-to-parent violence (CPV) across a broad age range, from early adolescence to late emerging adulthood. Specifically, the objectives were to analyze the linear and quadratic relationships between CPV types (psychological, physical, financial, and control/domain behaviors) and age, as well as to examine the interaction of sex within this relationship. Methods: A total of 1959 adolescents (13–17 years) and 1046 young adults (18–25 years) completed, respectively, the adolescent and young adult versions of the Child-to-Parent Violence Questionnaire (CPV-Q). Results: Age was curvilinearly associated with psychological CPV (increasing until approximately age 19 and then decreasing), positively linearly associated with financial CPV (increasing with age), and negatively linearly associated with control/domain behaviors (decreasing with age). No significant association was found between age and physical CPV. Furthermore, boys and girls showed different age-related patterns in some CPV types. Conclusions: These findings suggest that CPV does not disappear after adolescence, and that the pattern is not uniform throughout development nor the same for boys and girls. The results (1) underscore the importance of studying CPV considering developmental stage, sex, and the specific CPV types, and (2) may contribute to facilitate the early detection of CPV, anticipating changes in violence patterns, and guiding prevention strategies tailored to each developmental stage. Full article

This study examined a moderated mediation model linking parental rejection and overprotection to smartphone addiction, with sense of security as a mediator and forgiveness as a moderator. A total of 730 students (mean age = 12.15 ± 1.13 years; 50.7% female) were recruited from two primary and two secondary schools in Hunan, China, using cluster sampling by class, and all participants completed a set of self-report questionnaires. Results showed that, after controlling for gender and age, both parental rejection and overprotection were positively associated with smartphone addiction and negatively associated with sense of security and forgiveness. Sense of security partially mediated the links between negative parenting and smartphone addiction. Interpersonal forgiveness moderates the direct associations between parental rejection, overprotection and adolescent smartphone addiction, and self-forgiveness moderates the relationships between sense of security and smartphone addiction. The present study clarifies the associations between negative parenting behaviors (i.e., parental rejection and overprotection) and problematic smartphone use in early and middle adolescence, highlights the vital protective roles of security and forgiveness, and provides empirical evidence to inform the prevention and intervention strategies for adolescent smartphone addiction. Full article

Excessive internet use among adolescents is a growing public health concern, yet data from Cyprus are scarce. This cross-sectional study used parent reports for 248 adolescents (12–17 years; 54.4% boys) to describe problematic internet use and examine associations with emotional–behavioral difficulties and family functioning. Based on published Parent–Child Internet Addiction Test (PCIAT) cut-offs, used descriptively rather than as clinically validated Cypriot thresholds, 74.2% of adolescents in this parent-reported convenience sample fell within the broader problematic internet use range. This sample-specific proportion comprised 38.3% in the mild, 33.9% in the moderate, and 2.0% in the severe PCIAT category. Adolescents using the internet >3 h/day (n = 112) had significantly higher PCIAT scores than those using it <3 h/day (n = 136; U = 3100.00, Z = −4.72, p < 0.001). PCIAT scores correlated with conduct problems (r = 0.449), hyperactivity/inattention (r = 0.441), and total difficulties (r = 0.475), and inversely with prosocial behavior (r = −0.471; p < 0.001). Family functioning worsened across PCIAT severity categories (GF-12 means: 18.83 in the PCIAT 20–30 range vs. 29.00 in the severe range; H(3) = 28.30, p < 0.001). In multivariable regression, daily use (B = 8.02), poorer family functioning (B = 0.42), conduct problems (B = 5.28), and hyperactivity/inattention (B = 6.81) independently predicted higher PCIAT scores (R² = 0.24), whereas emotional symptoms were not significant (p = 0.637). Findings from this convenience sample highlight the potential importance of prevention efforts targeting screen-time regulation and family relationships; longitudinal, representative, multi-informant studies are warranted. Full article

Short video addiction has become an increasingly important problem among adolescents, yet its family antecedents remain understudied. The present study used a cross-lagged design to examine relations among adolescent-reported helicopter parenting, parent–child conflict, and short video addiction, as well as the moderating role of trait autonomy. Cross-lagged data were collected from Chinese adolescents (N = 1051; mean age at baseline = 16.42 years; standard deviation = 0.83). Results showed that helicopter parenting at Time 1 (T1) did not predict short video addiction at Time 2 (T2), whereas short video addiction at T1 positively predicted helicopter parenting at T2. Bidirectional associations were found between helicopter parenting and parent–child conflict, and between parent–child conflict and short video addiction. In addition, a small indirect association from T1 helicopter parenting to T2 short video addiction through parent–child conflict was observed. Compared with adolescents with high trait autonomy, helicopter parenting, parent–child conflict, and short video addiction showed greater stability from T1 to T2 among adolescents with low trait autonomy. These findings underscore the importance of considering both family relationship processes and adolescents’ self-regulatory characteristics in interventions for short video addiction. Full article

We examine relationships across two focal variables, being an immigrant and experiencing racial discrimination (an adverse childhood experience, or ACE), and the outcome of a mental or emotional health condition for adolescent children in the U.S. Using a nationally representative sample from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH; n = 16,040; 12–17 years old), we find that immigrant teens are 17 percent less likely than native-born teens to have a mental or emotional health condition and that teens who have experienced racial discrimination are almost twice as likely as teens who did not to have a mental or emotional health condition, net of other relationships. Adolescents with a mental or emotional health condition are more likely to be female, White, urban, living in an unsafe neighborhood, having a parent with less education, and coming from a household with a lower income. We find evidence for the healthy immigrant effect in terms of mental health for immigrant teens in the U.S., and also, we find a strong relationship between the ACE of experiencing racial discrimination and poor mental health of adolescents overall. Full article

School dropout is an issue that requires the attention of institutions. Related research indicates that both family (e.g., parental monitoring) and personal (e.g., academic motivation and school engagement) factors affect adolescents’ decision to quit school. As no studies have jointly examined these variables in Italian adolescents over time, this two-wave study aimed to investigate the role of parental monitoring in the relationships among academic motivation, school engagement, and dropout intention. This study enrolled 377 adolescents (boys = 178; M_age = 14.41, SD_age = 0.72) from two public upper secondary schools in Italy, and followed them over 6 months from November 2024 (T0) to May 2025 (T1). They completed a questionnaire at T0 and T1 comprising the following measures: parental monitoring, academic motivation, school engagement, and dropout intention. Structural equation modelling showed a good fit to the data, χ²₍₅₄₎ = 84.589, p = 0.005, RMSEA = 0.04 [0.02–0.05], CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.02. At T0, parental monitoring was positively associated with academic motivation and school engagement and negatively associated with dropout intention. A positive reciprocal association was observed between academic motivation and school engagement at T0 and T1. Academic motivation and school engagement at T0 were negatively associated with dropout intention at T1. Parental monitoring at T0 had a significant indirect effect on dropout intention at T1 via academic motivation and school engagement at T0. These findings suggest that interventions targeting family and personal factors may reduce school dropout rates among adolescents. Full article

To advance our understanding of the social and emotional development of minoritized youth in new destination areas, we examined whether same-day links between positive interactions with friends and mood vary by two contextual factors—(a) the racial–ethnic composition of adolescents’ close friends, and (b) the quality of parent–adolescent interactions—among Black and Latiné adolescents living in United States. Data were obtained from two daily diary studies, one of 36 Black adolescents (44% male; 11 to 17 years old; M = 13.65, SD = 2.29), and one of 21 Latiné adolescents (52% male; 11 to 14 years old; M = 12.76, SD = 1.00). Across 10 school days, youth completed afternoon reports of positive interactions with friends and bedtime reports of mood and positive parent–youth interactions; the race–ethnicity of the friend group were assessed at baseline. Multilevel models separated day-level from person-level effects and tested moderation by the racial–ethnic composition of friends and parent–youth interactions. For Black adolescents with few same-race friends (0 to 1 out of max 3), when youth reported more positive friend interactions, they reported lower positive mood. The opposite was true for Black youth with more same-race friends; when youth reported more positive friend interactions, they reported more positive mood at the end of the day. Among Black youth with higher mean levels of positive parent interactions, when youth reported more positive friend interactions, they reported lower negative mood. Results from the analysis of Latiné youth did not support study hypotheses. Findings extend cultural–ecological–transactional frameworks of development by showing that the short-term emotional yield of supportive interactions with friends hinges on contextual vulnerabilities and assets, such as peer group composition and family relationship quality, especially for Black youth. Full article

Stepfamily formation involving adolescents presents unique challenges and opportunities, yet factors that shape stepparent–adolescent interaction remain under-explored. This study explored factors that facilitate or obstruct stepparent–adolescent interaction of any kind. Using maximum variation purposive sampling, we conducted in-depth interviews with 18 U.S. emerging adults (ages 18–23) who had lived with a stepparent from age 10 onward. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Adapting the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation—behavior) model as a framework, 11 themes were developed: under capability—individual traits (with three subthemes), stepparent allegiance or deference to the resident parent, adolescent loyalty binds, relational ambiguity, and assumed roles and imposed expectations; under opportunity—external social facilitation (with three subthemes), stepparent compensatory and value-add functions, physical proximity and household composition, and shared family labor; and under motivation—adolescent interest in relationship development and stepparent proaction. Findings showcase stepparent–adolescent interaction as an emergent systemic property shaped by intrapersonal, dyadic, household, and broader social factors. The COM-B framework offers professionals a structured approach to assess stepparent–adolescent interactional capability, opportunity, and motivation when supporting stepfamilies. Future research should employ prospective, multi-informant designs to further substantiate identified factors and guide the development of measures for practice and research applications. Full article

This cross-sectional study explored whether the relationship between adolescents’ physical activity and related factors (such as personal and social factors, and parental safety concern) differed according to adolescents’ levels of access to play spaces. Data from Wave 3 of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) national longitudinal study, a nationally representative sample of 5212 adolescents aged 17–18 years, was analyzed. Key study variables included adolescents’ physical activity, personal factors (gender, health status, parents’ education and physical activity levels, and active commuting), social factors (number of friends, family support), and parental safety concerns (perceived safety of walking/playing and neighborhood safety). Two structural equation models (SEMs) were employed to compare relationships among physical activity and related factors for adolescents with high and low access to play spaces. Results showed that adolescents living in areas with high access to play spaces reported significantly higher levels of physical activity. Parents’ levels of education and the number of friends available for play had significant impacts on adolescents’ physical activity, regardless of access to play spaces. However, parental perception of the safety of walking and playing was only significant for adolescents with low access to parks. The associations between related factors and adolescents’ levels of physical activity differed for those with high and low access to play spaces, suggesting that interventions promoting adolescents’ physical activity may not yield equal results across these groups. A key limitation of this study is its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported measures, which preclude causal inference. Full article

Background/Objectives: The increasing prevalence of digital media use among children and adolescents has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on cognitive and communication development. Previous research has linked higher screen exposure to poorer language outcomes; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain insufficiently understood, particularly with respect to pragmatic communication. The present study aimed to examine the relationships between daily screen time, executive functioning (EF), and communication-related outcomes, and to test whether EF mediates the association between digital media exposure and pragmatic communication and language performance. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 240 children and adolescents aged 6–15 years. Caregivers reported children’s daily screen time, digital consumption and communication skills. EF was assessed using performance-based tasks measuring inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Language performance was evaluated using a standardized composite measure. Pearson correlations, mediation analyses with bootstrapped confidence intervals, and factorial analyses of variance were performed, controlling for age, sex, parental mediation, and educational content exposure. Results: Higher daily screen time was significantly associated with lower EF, weaker pragmatic communication, and poorer language performance. EF was positively related to both pragmatic and language outcomes and partially mediated the relationship between screen time and communication measures. Educational digital content and parental mediation showed positive associations with EF and communication outcomes, whereas recreational content exhibited negative associations. Group comparisons indicated that negative associations between screen exposure and developmental outcomes were more pronounced in younger children. Conclusions: These findings suggest that EF may represent a key intermediary mechanism underlying the association between digital media exposure and communication-related development. The results highlight the importance of considering not only the quantity but also the quality and context of children’s digital media use, particularly during early developmental stages. Full article

Background/Objectives: The death of a parent due to illness during adolescence constitutes a highly disruptive experience that compounds the developmental losses inherent to this stage of life. Distinguishing between the emotional and behavioural changes characteristic of adolescent development and those specific to grief can be complex, which may hinder the support provided by health, social care, and educational professionals. The aim of this study was to understand the grieving process and associated suffering in young university students who had lost a parent during adolescence. Methods: An exploratory qualitative design with a phenomenological approach was employed. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine in depth the experiences of suffering and grief associated with the loss of a family member among university students. The study adhered to the COREQ guidelines (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research). Results: Among the main findings, the quality of the bond with the deceased parent emerged as particularly significant, as it influences the adolescent’s identity formation process. The loss of this parent may hinder processes of differentiation and independence, affecting the decisions young people must make as they transition into adulthood. This proves especially important in key life choices that shape their life project, such as vocational decisions and intimate partner relationships. Conclusions: Parental death during adolescence has long-lasting repercussions on identity construction and the shaping of one’s life project. It is necessary to strengthen psychosocial support within both clinical and educational contexts in order to address the specific needs of adolescents and young people undergoing this experience. Full article