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Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children (2nd Edition)
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Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 3019

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Cristina Nunes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Research Center in Psychology (CUIP), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: at-risk family context assessment; family preservation; positive parenting; evidence-based interventions; well-being in children and adolescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cláudia Carmo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
University Research Center in Psychology (CUIP), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: psychopathology; children; adolescents; mental illness; psychotherapeutic processes; treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mental disorders are the largest cause of the burden of disease in the world. Evidence is accumulating on the broad impact that the well-being one has during childhood and adolescence has on physical and mental health across the course of a lifetime. In fact, most of the disease burden affecting adults has its onset during childhood and adolescence.

There is a growing concern about the mental health and well-being of children, with increasing demand for counselling services and referrals to mental health services. It has been well established in the existing literature that children and young people who experience positive support from parents and teachers may develop psychological resilience. Children and adolescents with higher levels of psychological well-being have higher levels of academic achievement; they are also more likely to have a higher level of engagement in school life and satisfaction in their later life, and they are usually more productive workers.

Family factors, including the quality of parental care, can make a huge difference to children’s early life pathways, for better or for worse. Understanding how best to intervene to support parents is a key challenge. Thus, there is a strong need to expand our knowledge on how to reduce risk factors and promote protective environments.

Considering the success and popularity of the Special Issue "Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children", previously published in the Children journal (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/65Y42R6R9E), we are now set to release a second Special Issue that aims to address this topic by inviting scholars to share their findings, perspectives, and approaches, with the aim of promoting child mental health and well-being. Qualitative or quantitative contributions from basic or applied research that will improve the knowledge on key topics within this field are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Cristina Nunes
Guest Editor

Dr. Cláudia Carmo
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • children
  • well-being
  • mental health
  • parenting
  • family support
  • evidence-based interventions
  • resilience
  • risk factors
  • protective factors

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 250 KiB  
Article
Where Do Our Children Go? Understanding the Impact of Institutionalization on Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Sleep
by Sandra Figueiredo and Patrícia Silvestre
Children 2025, 12(4), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040448 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 422
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Emotional regulation and attention are markedly underdeveloped in institutionalized children (IC) relative to non-institutionalized children (NIC). Caregivers in temporary institutional settings tend to exhibit contingency-responsive behaviors with limited affective engagement, which may restrict optimal socio-emotional development. Despite the critical role that sleep [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Emotional regulation and attention are markedly underdeveloped in institutionalized children (IC) relative to non-institutionalized children (NIC). Caregivers in temporary institutional settings tend to exhibit contingency-responsive behaviors with limited affective engagement, which may restrict optimal socio-emotional development. Despite the critical role that sleep routines play in child development, their association with emotional regulation and attention in the context of institutionalization remains insufficiently explored. The present study aimed to assess the impact of institutionalization on emotional regulation, attention, and sleep hygiene in childhood, as well as to investigate whether sleep mediates the relationship between emotional regulation and attention. Methods: A total of 110 children aged 7 to 11 years (N = 55 IC; N = 55 NIC) were assessed using the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), the Cancellation Test (Toulouse-Piéron), and the Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire. Results: Regression analyses and parametric tests revealed significant differences between IC and NIC groups. IC exhibited lower emotional regulation (β = 8.018, p < 0.05) and poorer attention (β = 3.818, p < 0.05) compared with NIC. Additionally, the MidSleep Point (MSP) was significantly different between groups, with NIC demonstrating shorter sleep periods (β = −1158.545, p < 0.05), contrary to expectations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that prolonged institutionalization impairs socio-emotional development, with downstream effects on cognitive functioning, particularly attention. While differences in sleep routines between IC and NIC were observed, sleep did not appear to directly mediate the relationship between emotional regulation and attention, nor did it present a primary risk factor compared with the broader developmental challenges associated with institutional care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children (2nd Edition))
17 pages, 908 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Self-Regulation on the Need for Psychological Help Through Happiness, Resilience, Problem Solving, Self-Efficacy, and Adjustment: A Parallel Mediation Study in Adolescent Groups
by İhsan Akeren, Eyüp Çelik, İbrahim Erdoğan Yayla and Mustafa Özgöl
Children 2025, 12(4), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040445 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 689
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescence is a developmental period in which the risk of mental problems is high. Failure to resolve the problems encountered during this period may result in the need for psychological help. Based on the literature review, this study aimed to examine [...] Read more.
Introduction: Adolescence is a developmental period in which the risk of mental problems is high. Failure to resolve the problems encountered during this period may result in the need for psychological help. Based on the literature review, this study aimed to examine self-regulation, which has the potential to reduce adolescents’ need for psychological help, and the mediation of happiness, resilience, problem solving, self-efficacy, and adjustment through this skill. Methods: In the cross-sectional correlational survey design study, 1013 adolescents (542 girls, 471 boys, mean age: 15.04 ± 1.75 years) aged 12–19 years and studying in middle and high school in Bayburt, Turkey were reached. Seven different questionnaires, valid and reliable in adolescent groups, were used to measure the study variables. Results: Correlation results showed that all predictors were positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with the dependent variable, the need for psychological help. After testing the assumptions, the results of the parallel mediation analysis showed that happiness, problem solving, self-efficacy, and adjustment fully mediated the effect of self-regulation on the need for psychological help. Another finding is that resilience is not a predictor of psychological distress. Conclusions: The results are important because they provide insight for those working in the field of adolescent mental health in terms of understanding the factors through which self-regulation reduces the need for psychological help. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children (2nd Edition))
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Review

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21 pages, 2193 KiB  
Review
Projective in Time: A Systematic Review on the Use of Construction Projective Techniques in the Digital Era—Beyond Inkblots
by Giada Santillo, Rita Chiara Morra, Dario Esposito and Maria Romani
Children 2025, 12(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040406 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1585
Abstract
Background: Projective instruments have historically been used to explore unconscious dynamics and personality traits in children and adolescents. However, concerns about their psychometric properties have led to ongoing debates in clinical psychology. This review aims to critically reassess the use of construction projective [...] Read more.
Background: Projective instruments have historically been used to explore unconscious dynamics and personality traits in children and adolescents. However, concerns about their psychometric properties have led to ongoing debates in clinical psychology. This review aims to critically reassess the use of construction projective techniques in clinical settings for individuals aged 4 to 18 years, also examining the available psychometric data reported in recent scientific literature, excluding the Rorschach Test due to its extensive coverage in existing literature. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing (PEP), and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between 2010 and 2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies focusing on construction projective techniques administered to clinical and non-clinical samples aged 4 to 18 years. Results: From an initial pool of 641 articles, 25 met the inclusion criteria. These studies indicate that construction projective techniques remain valuable in accessing children’s and adolescents’ inner worlds, particularly in diagnostic and therapeutic contexts. However, 13 of the 25 analyzed studies lack detailed psychometric evaluations, and the overall methodological quality was medium-low (4.4/9). Recent adaptations of these techniques show promise in increasing their applicability and relevance. Conclusions: Constructive projective tests continue to offer unique insights into the psychological functioning of young individuals. While not definitive diagnostic tools, they serve as effective supplements in clinical assessments and therapeutic interventions when applied with awareness of their limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Mental Health and Well-Being in Children (2nd Edition))
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