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Research and Survey on the Mental Health of Children and...
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Research and Survey on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Second Edition

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "School Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2687

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberta Frontini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Hospital Cruz Vermelha, 500-048 Lisboa, Portugal
2. Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: paediatric obesity; motivation and barriers to the practice of physical activity and exercise; health psychology; mental health; quality of life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tânia Manuel Moço Morgado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
1. ACES Baixo Mondego, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, Av. Bissaya Barreto, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
2. Nursing School of Coimbra, Avenida Bissaya Barreto s/n, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
3. School of Health Sciences of Polytechnic of Leiria, Campus 2, Morro do Lena, Alto do Vieiro Apartado 4137, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Interests: mental health in childhood and adolescence; mental health literacy; mental health in school context; psychoeducational interventions in childhood and adolescence; family interventions; adolescence and anxiety; ethical issues and bioethics in health sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In a period marked by global uncertainties, increased attention is needed for the mental health of our youth. We invite researchers from different areas to contribute to this second edition of this Special Issue. Awareness is crucial, with self-monitoring strategies playing a significant role. We seek to explore and understand different variables influencing the mental well-being of the next generation.

In this second edition, we welcome contributions that delve into the mental health of not only children, but also adolescents and college students. We aim to comprehensively investigate the various aspects impacting their well-being, recognizing the unique challenges faced by people at these ages. We encourage the use of multiple research methods, respondents and contexts to gain a holistic understanding of the mental health landscape. We anticipate insightful contributions that shed light on the multifaceted aspects of mental health of the youth and college student population.

Dr. Roberta Frontini
Guest Editor

Dr. Tânia Manuel Moço Morgado
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. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • mental health
  • children
  • adolescents
  • research
  • survey

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
Levels of Hope, Stigma, Psychological Vulnerability, and Positive Mental Health: A Descriptive Study of Eighth- and Ninth-Grade Adolescents
by Maria José Carvalho Nogueira and Delfina Teixeira
Healthcare 2025, 13(11), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111257 - 26 May 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to characterize adolescents’ levels of hope, stigma, psychological vulnerability, and positive mental health in a school context. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in a non-probabilistic sample of 189 adolescents from eighth–ninth grade in 2021. During the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to characterize adolescents’ levels of hope, stigma, psychological vulnerability, and positive mental health in a school context. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in a non-probabilistic sample of 189 adolescents from eighth–ninth grade in 2021. During the citizenship discipline, adolescents filled out an online self-completion questionnaire for data collection, containing all measurement instruments: Hope Thermometer, Attribution Questionnaire, Psychological Vulnerability Scale, and Positive Mental Health Questionnaire. Results: The majority were men (55.1%) with a mean age of 14 years. Overall, adolescents have acceptable levels of hope (M = 8; SD = 2.58), a high level of stigma (M = 25.6; SD = 5.23), satisfactory positive mental health (M = 118.3; SD = 14.8), and moderate psychological vulnerability (M = 15.2; SD = 6.4). Conclusions: Findings support educational practices and policies that target personalized intervention to promote and improve hope and positive mental health in adolescents. These data are relevant to getting ahead and designing more positive mental health behavior programs to reinforce adolescents’ modifiable healthy aspects and positive mindsets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Survey on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Second Edition)
15 pages, 587 KiB  
Article
Suicidal Ideation and Substance Use Among Middle and High School Students in Morocco
by Abdelmounaim Baslam, Hajar Azraida, Samia Boussaa and Abderrahman Chait
Healthcare 2025, 13(10), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13101178 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 218
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Suicide is a major public health concern with severe consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Each year, approximately 800,000 individuals die by suicide, equating to one suicide-related death every 40 s. This study aims to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Suicide is a major public health concern with severe consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Each year, approximately 800,000 individuals die by suicide, equating to one suicide-related death every 40 s. This study aims to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and psychoactive substance use among middle and high school students in Morocco and to examine the relationship between suicidal ideation, substance use, depression, and early trauma. Methods: From January to June 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Marrakech region of central Morocco among middle and high school students selected using stratified cluster random sampling. Data were collected through anonymous self-administered questionnaires. The Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) was used to assess the frequency of suicidal ideation among participants. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria were applied for substance use and depression assessment, while early trauma was evaluated using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire. Results: A total of 791 students participated in the study. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 16.66%, while 25% of students reported current psychoactive substance use. Significant positive correlations were found between suicidal ideation and early trauma (r = 0.12; p < 0.004), depression (r = 0.52; p < 0.001), and substance use (r = 0.12; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of considering multiple risk factors in suicide assessment and prevention. The interplay between these factors often exhibits bidirectional and significant associations. Implementing early screening, management, and treatment strategies for individuals exhibiting suicidal ideation and mental health disorders is crucial to reducing the burden of suicide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Survey on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Second Edition)
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13 pages, 717 KiB  
Article
Path to Suicidality in Korean Adolescents: Mediating Role of Self-Esteem, Somatic Symptoms, and Self-Harm Amid Depressive Symptoms
by Jiyeon Kim and Myongsun Cho
Healthcare 2024, 12(16), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12161662 - 20 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1721
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality among community-dwelling adolescents aged 10–18 years, examining whether self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and self-harm mediate this relationship. Utilizing a pre-existing dataset from a nationwide adolescent mental health survey conducted in Korea in 2021, data [...] Read more.
This study explored the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality among community-dwelling adolescents aged 10–18 years, examining whether self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and self-harm mediate this relationship. Utilizing a pre-existing dataset from a nationwide adolescent mental health survey conducted in Korea in 2021, data were collected using several standardized self-administered instruments: the Korean version of Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, Korean Children’s Somatization Inventory, Korean version of the Self-Harm Inventory, Mental Health Screening for Depressive Disorders, and Mental Health Screening for Suicide Risk. A path model was constructed and validated, followed by path analysis to assess the effects. Data from 6689 adolescents, including 5937 students and 752 out-of-school adolescents, revealed that 18.7% were in the suicidality group, 11.8% experienced depressive symptoms, 57.9% exhibited somatic symptoms, and 27.4% engaged in self-harm. Depressive symptoms had a positive direct effect on suicidality (β = 0.166, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval = 0.159–0.172). Bootstrapping tests showed a statistically significant indirect effect of self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and self-harm on the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality (β = 0.021, 95% confidence interval = 0.013–0.029). Our findings suggest that self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and self-harm mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidality, and comprehensive mental health management strategies addressing these factors are recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Survey on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Second Edition)
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