Journal of Adolescence最新文献

Objective: Equanimity, a trait reflecting one's ability or tendency to maintain even-minded and unbiased reactions towards all stimuli, regardless of their affective valence, is a protective factor for adolescents and young adults' mental health. Yet, how equanimity is associated with negative emotional experience, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, lacks in-depth research. Therefore, to resolve this gap, the study conducted a network analysis at the symptom level, revealing the potential relationships between trait equanimity and 21 negative affective symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression (7 for stress, 7 for anxiety, 7 for depression). By revealing fine-grained trait-symptom relationships, this study differs from previous dimension-level studies and can deepen the understanding of the mechanisms through which equanimity operates and provide insights for clinical practice.

Method: Data were collected from 3140 Chinese adolescents and young adults (M_age = 19.49 years, 2371 females) via an online questionnaire containing three main measurements, namely the 16-Item Equanimity Scale, Two Factor Equanimity Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Specifically, the 21 items of the DASS-21 were treated as 21 distinct negative affective symptoms. Network analysis was then employed to examine the relationships between the sub-dimensions of equanimity and these 21 negative affective symptoms.

Results: The Even-Minded State of Mind (EMSM) dimension of equanimity was identified as the most critical bridge node, significantly inhibiting connections between equanimity and negative affective symptoms. Within the negative affective cluster, symptoms like Worried and Worthless Person showed strong associations with equanimity. EMSM exhibited differential correlations with symptoms across stress, anxiety, and depression clusters, with the strongest negative associations observed with No Initiative (symptom of depression) and Touchy (symptom of stress).

Conclusions: This study revealed the micro-symptom relationships between equanimity and stress, anxiety, and depression. Targeted interventions focusing on EMSM may effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and depression for adolescents and young adults.

Introduction: Femininity discrepancy and discrepancy stress are crucial factors affecting body talk. However, how the patterns of femininity discrepancy and discrepancy stress are associated with female adolescents and young adults' body talk, and whether such associations differ by sexual orientation, are lacking research.

Methods: A total of 2371 Chinese female adolescents and young adults (M_age = 19.64, SD = 0.88) were recruited to finish an online questionnaire assessing body talk, femininity discrepancy and femininity discrepancy stress. Latent Profile Analysis was applied to explore how patterns of femininity discrepancy and discrepancy stress relate to body talk in heterosexual and sexual minority female adolescents and young adults.

Results: For both samples, 4-profile solution demonstrated best fit. In heterosexual sample, a unique low discrepancy/high stress profile was identified, in contrast, a high discrepancy/low stress profile was identified in sexual minority sample. Moreover, heterosexual females with high discrepancy/high stress showed the strongest link to negative fat talk. Among sexual minority females, the moderate discrepancy/moderate stress profile exhibited the highest levels of negative fat talk. For negative muscle talk, femininity discrepancy was positively associated in heterosexual females, but no such association was found in sexual minority females. As for positive body talk, femininity discrepancy was negatively associated in heterosexual females, while discrepancy stress was negatively associated in sexual minority females.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the moderating role of sexual orientation between body talk and patterns of femininity discrepancy and discrepancy stress, suggesting interventions tailored to each group's unique characteristics.

Introduction: This study tests cohort, gender, and ethnic differences in college students' self-articulated life goals and describes their time frames for completion before and during the pandemic lockdown.

Methods: College-enrolled students in southern California (M age = 20.20; SE = 0.05) from six ethnic groups participated in a survey in 2008 (n = 621) and in 2021 (n = 560). Open-ended responses to life goals were coded into 10 goal domains, and associated time frames for goal attainment were calculated.

Results: In both cohorts, educational and occupational goals were the most prominent. In the post-crisis sample (2021), proportionately fewer articulated educational goals but proportionately more articulated religious/humanitarian, material, self-development, relationship, travel/leisure, and health goals compared to the pre-pandemic sample. The time frame for goal attainment was optimistic overall, with the mean age of attainment for all goals less than 32 years of age. Ethnic differences in educational and family formation goals were moderated by cohort, and gender differences in material goals were moderated by cohort.

Conclusion: These results highlight how historical events can differentially shape students' aspirations, underscoring the need for further research into how such shifts in life goals can lead to diverging future academic and career trajectories.

Introduce: Problematic internet use has recently become a major global public health concern. The intensity of the relations between interparental conflict and problematic internet use differs considerably among studies, despite the fact that abundant research has observed this relationship. Therefore, this study employs three-level meta-analysis to examine the relationship between interparental conflict and problematic internet use, along with potential moderating factors.

Method: Based on the PRISMA method, we searched seven databases to identify studies that had been published before June 2025 that explore the association between interparental conflict and problematic internet use. The present study identified 33 studies, with 34,875 participants and 281 effect sizes.

Results: The analysis reveals a positive correlation between interparental conflict and problematic internet use (r = 0.239). Additionally, the present study finds a significant moderating effect of gender: men are more likely to develop problematic internet use in response to perceived parental conflict. Age is also an important moderator; the association between interparental conflict and problematic internet use is stronger among adolescents (12-18 years) compared to adults (over 18 years). Finally, the publication year is a significant moderator; recent studies showed a stronger relationship between the two variables.

Conclusions: The results support the conclusion that interparental conflict is a significant risk factor for problematic internet use, and interparental conflict particularly affects problematic internet use among adolescent males. This connection is likely to be influenced by the publication year.

Introduction: Adolescent sexting has been associated with a range of sexual behaviours, yet prior reviews have primarily focused on its relationship with sexual intercourse or sexual risks. This review examined associations of adolescent sexting and specific sexual behaviours.

Methods: PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, CMMC, and MEDLINE were searched in December 2023, February 2024, and September 2025 yielding 5310 references. Eligible studies examined associations between sexting and sexual behaviours among adolescents (10-19 years), published in English. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data per PRISMA guidelines. Quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Meta-analyses used a random-effects model, with heterogeneity assessed via I² statistics.

Results: Seventeen studies from the EU, Australia and USA, comprising 54,373 adolescents were included in this review; nine contributed to the meta-analysis. Most studies framed sexting as a risk behaviour, fewer adopted normative or dual perspectives. Sexting was associated with multiple sexual behaviours, particularly among older adolescents, LGBTQ+ teenagers, and those in romantic relationships. Meta-analysis found sexting was significantly associated with sexual intercourse (OR = 5.69), oral sex (OR = 12.50), vaginal intercourse (OR = 9.50), anal intercourse (OR = 12.30), and multiple sexual partners (OR = 2.10). Subgroup analysis found specific measures of vaginal intercourse yielded more consistent estimates than unspecified sexual intercourse.

Conclusion: These associations highlight the need for multisystem interventions that address both the risks of adolescent sexting and its role in adolescent sexual development in the digital era. Effective responses to sexting should integrate both its risks and its role in adolescent development into policy, education, and health strategies.

Introduction: Technology plays a dual role in adolescents' lives, offering valuable avenues for social engagement and support while also introducing risks of social comparison, harassment, and loneliness. Qualitative data that centers on adolescent voices and contexts can illuminate the interplay of these protective and risk factors. In this study, we considered both physical and virtual microsystems and examined contextual data on early adolescents' online and in-person experiences as they transitioned back to face-to-face environments after the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted virtual interviews with adolescents, parents of adolescents, and middle school administrators (N = 24). Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data from a deductive, experiential approach. The interview questions were guided by the neo-ecological perspective, specifically around interactions in the hybrid proximal contexts during early adolescence.

Results: We identified five themes from analysis, including (a) Self-exploration in online spaces, (b) Technology influences on social processes, (c) Magnified aggression and risk in hybrid contexts, (d) Navigating digital boundaries at home, (e) Change over time and difference after COVID-19.

Conclusions: Findings indicated that digital media use supported adolescent development by fostering interests and hobbies, helping adolescents navigate developmental changes, and facilitating social connections. At the same time, certain patterns of social media use fueled risks, including in-person aggression, exposure to mature content, safety concerns, and social comparison. These findings underscore the need for preventative interventions that teach adolescents a mindful approach to digital media use and provide support for vulnerable adolescents.

Introduction: Research to understand the role of social media use (SMU) in explaining deteriorating adolescent mental health has been limited by broad, nonspecific measures of social media use, specifically 'time spent on social media'. These measures provide insufficient detail to capture specific risk and protective factors to users.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of observational and experimental studies of the relationship between non-duration-based SMU measures and mental health outcomes in adolescents ≤ 18 years old. Studies that measured SMU solely based on time spent on a platform were excluded.

Results: The initial search returned 868 articles. After inclusion and exclusion, we identified 217 studies, but among them 133 (61%) used duration-based SMU measures and were excluded. Of the 84 remaining studies, most focused on depression (48%), or anxiety (23%), though nine total mental health domains were included. Studies used 85 distinct measures of SMU, and fewer than half (n = 37; 45%) provided evidence of validity. SMU measures were grouped into five domains, including SMU habits, addiction-like measures, structural aspects, interactions on SM, and feelings about SM. Social comparison and addiction-related measures were consistently linked with poor mental health. SMU for socialization was consistently associated with decreased loneliness. Evidence of protective associations were otherwise limited.

Conclusions: These findings contribute to a more complete understanding of specific types of SMU that contribute to adolescent mental health. This specificity may help to identify modifiable targets for use in prevention programs and policy development for social media regulation.

Objectives: High school is a pivotal transition period where adolescents experience changes in their sleep patterns and daily mood especially among ethnically and racially minoritized adolescents. This study focuses on Black and Latiné adolescents and investigates the associations between sleep and next-day mood as well as changes from 9th to 11th grade.

Methods: Analytic data were collected annually between 2015 and 2017, corresponding to students' 9th through 11th grades, from five high schools in the northeastern United States. In a sample of 181 Black and Latiné adolescents (at baseline: M_age = 14.27; SD = 0.66), this study examined the within-person level and between-person level associations between sleep (e.g., sleep duration and wake minutes after sleep onset) and mood (positive and negative mood) from their 9th to 11th grade.

Results: At the within-person level, on days with longer daily sleep duration, adolescents reported lower levels of negative mood the next day. At the between-person level, longer sleep duration was associated with higher positive mood when adolescents were in the 11th grade. Longer sleep duration and longer wake minutes after sleep onset were associated with higher negative mood when adolescents were in the 11th grade, but these associations were not significant in the 9th or 10th grades.

Conclusions: Healthy sleep habits may serve as a protective factor for positive mood and well-being during adolescence and the critical developmental transition to high school. For Black and Latiné adolescents, the 11th grade may be particularly important for sleep and mood associations.