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…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected adolescent mental health due to school closures, isolation, family loss/hardships, and reduced health care access. Methods: We compared adolescent mental health in Rhode Island before versus during the pandemic, separately among middle and high schoolers. This serial cross-sectional study used…

Rising levels of generalized anxiety among LGBTQ+ youth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggest a need for understanding effective interventions for reducing anxiety, as well as factors influencing youth's risk perceptions and trust pertaining to mental health-focused programming. The current survey-based study captures generalized anxiety,…

School connectedness is an important factor in the lives of youth and are a leverage point for optimizing youth's social, emotional, and physical health. This study presents a meta-analysis examining the relationship between school connectedness and four health domains that are prevalent in adolescence, have implications for adult health, and…

Background: Given reports of the adverse effects of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, it is critical to understand how it impacts psychiatrically hospitalized youth who may be particularly vulnerable to its effects. Objective: This study aimed to advance our understanding of high-risk adolescents' experiences of COVID-19, including…

Background: There are few identified risk factors that may contribute to the increased risk of hospital admission for children and young people with intellectual disabilities. This qualitative study aimed to identify the key risk factors that precipitate admissions to Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) inpatient services…

This study utilizes archival data from a district-based initiative aimed at improving the provision of school-based mental health services. It dives deep into the stories of adolescents who were classified and receiving special education supports, which included school-based counseling. These students endured challenging family contexts. A…

Suicide is a leading cause of death for school-aged preteens and adolescents and a growing risk for younger children. Schools are the ubiquitous institutional context serving this age group. These trends suggest a need for knowledge and guidance related to school postvention efforts, yet the available research is limited. Focusing on postvention,…

Social media may promote health and social connectedness, but its misuse and frequency of use may pose risks. Social media use during adolescence requires parental monitoring and mediation to mitigate potentially harmful effects such as depression, anxiety, and risk-taking behaviors. While parents and health care professionals convey concern…

With rising rates of adolescents experiencing suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (STB), schools have been identified as key sites for suicide-prevention initiatives. Research on the roles of school professionals has centered on the identification of risk and referral of students for treatment. Less is known about the ongoing, subtle ways…

Increasingly, adversity-focused assessment tools are being introduced into preventive mental health screening protocols. However, few studies have explicitly examined whether use of these instruments serves as equitable, clinically useful measures of mental health risk in adolescents. In response, the present study examined whether an adverse…

Modern research is paying much attention to the issue of digital addiction of students in recent times since it can lead students to pay less attention to their academics. This article intends to discuss the possible threats and risks of the formation of digital dependence among teenagers from the use of gadgets. As a research method, the…

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the immediate and deliberate destruction of one's own body tissue, without suicidal intent, and not for purposes that are socially accepted, is a critical concern for youth in schools. Despite significant scholarly advances and increasing clinical awareness of NSSI, many school mental health professionals (MHPs)…

Background: In 2020, schools shifted to remote learning in response to mitigating COVID-19. Since then, students have fluctuated between in-person and remote learning environments. Changes to instructional models raise questions about the impact on health. Methods: This study leveraged a statewide surveillance system (Healthy Kids Colorado Survey)…

Bereavement due to sudden loss may disrupt positive adjustment among youth, yet few studies have examined the age at which youth are most likely to first encounter sudden loss, the co-occurrence of sudden loss with other traumatic events, and the independent effects of sudden loss on academic functioning. Data were analyzed from the National…