Search Results (66)

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) challenges, including gender inequality, child marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting and sexual and gender-based violence remain pervasive globally, particularly in Ethiopia. The Power to You(th) programme was designed to address these issues by centering youth voices and fostering transformative community change. This evaluation applied Outcome Harvesting, drawing on mixed quantitative and qualitative data, and employed a participatory approach that engages youth and stakeholders in identifying and verifying programme outcomes between 2021 and 2023. The findings revealed substantial improvements in youth participation in decision-making platforms, advocacy capacity, and awareness of SRH rights. Community attitudes shifted positively, particularly among religious and traditional leaders, who increasingly advocate against harmful practices. Youth-led networks emerged as powerful agents of change, contributing to policy shifts such as increased youth representation in health governance bodies. The evaluation also captured unexpected yet influential changes in community dynamics and institutional responsiveness. These findings highlight the value of participatory approaches in capturing complex social transformations and underscore the role of youth as active agents in reshaping SRHR outcomes. Outcome Harvesting proved effective in documenting both intended and emergent changes, offering valuable insights for scaling inclusive, youth-driven interventions. Full article

Background: This study examined the relationship between screen time, body image satisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and quality of life among children and adolescents from two school clusters in Sesimbra, Portugal. Methods: The sample included 80 students aged 10 to 18 years, assessed using validated questionnaires (Collins’ Figure Rating Scale and KIDSCREEN-27). Results: Results indicated sex differences in electronic game use, with boys reporting higher usage. A negative association was found between time spent on social networks and perceived autonomy and parent–child relationship quality. A high prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was found, particularly among boys, which was significantly associated with BMI. Regarding quality of life, participants scored lower than the European average in the domains of physical and psychological well-being. Conclusions: Findings suggest that screen time, body image, and BMI interdependently affect quality of life, underscoring the need to promote digital literacy, self-esteem, body acceptance, and healthy lifestyles in both school and family settings. Full article

Background: Childhood and adolescence are increasingly recognized as life stages that pose specific challenges for treating and promoting mental health and cognitive development. Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine the potential mediating role of good mental health in the association between an unhealthy lifestyle (i.e., low physical activity (PA) and high screen time (ST)) with executive functions (EFs) (i.e., attention, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory) in children and adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation with 625 students aged 10–17 years participated. The Krece Plus questionnaire (lifestyle, PA, and ST), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21, metal health), and CogniFit (EFs) were used in the present study. Results: Good mental health presented a partial mediating role in the relationship between a bad lifestyle and EFs. Likewise, a bad lifestyle was linked inversely to attention (β −37.45, p = 0.002), the executive function of cognitive flexibility (β −85.91, p < 0.001), inhibition (β −60.16, p < 0.001), and working memory (β −75.73, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Good mental health acts as a relevant mediator in child and adolescent cognitive development. These results reinforce the need to promote active and healthy lifestyles, as well as strategies that promote psychological wellbeing from an early age. Schools and families play an important role as protective agents and promoters of integral development; it is therefore recommended to implement intervention programmes that strategically address the physical activity, mental health, and digital habits of this population. Full article

Introduction: Exposure to violence is an adverse experience associated with the perpetration of violent future behaviors such as child-to-parent violence. Objective: The objectives were to analyze the psychometric properties of the Violence Exposure Scale (VES) in a sample of Ecuadorian adolescents as well as its measurement invariance by sex and age; analyze the differences in exposure to violence across four settings (home, school, street, and TV), in two time frames (last year and childhood), according to sex and age; and analyze the relationship between exposure to violence in the four settings and in both time frames with child-to-parent violence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a probabilistic sample of 2150 Ecuadorian adolescents (55% female), aged 12 to 18 years (M = 14.53; SD = 1.55). Participants completed the adapted version of the VES and the Child-to-Parent Violence Questionnaire (CPV-Q). Confirmatory factor analyses, reliability testing, convergent and discriminant validity analyses, and measurement invariance assessments were performed. Results: The VES showed excellent model fit in both versions, VES¹ (last year) and VES² (before age 10), with strong goodness-of-fit indices (VES¹: CFI = 0.988; RMSEA = 0.055; VES²: CFI = 0.994; RMSEA = 0.044). Reliability was good (α_o and ω_o ≤ 0.80; G.6 and CR ≤ 0.70). Effect sizes ranged from 0.11 to 0.31 for violence by children toward parents and reached up to 0.83 among the different forms of victimization. Conclusions: The adaptation of the VES in Ecuadorian adolescents showed validity and reliability in assessing exposure to violence. Girls were more at risk at home, while boys were more exposed at school and in the community. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to translate the Child Coeliac Disease Food Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (Child CD-FAB) into Brazilian Portuguese and to evaluate its reproducibility and internal consistency. Methods: Three steps were carried out: (i) translation and cultural adaptation of the Child CD-FAB into Brazilian Portuguese; (ii) pre-test; and (iii) psychometric evaluation of the Child CD-FAB-BR. The Child CD-FAB was translated and back-translated, and then discussed with and approved by the author of the original instrument. The translated version was tested on five children and adolescents (aged 8 to 16 years) with coeliac disease to assess comprehension. Subsequently, psychometric evaluation used responses from 20 participants with the same characteristics, assessing reproducibility (test–retest reliability) via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency via Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The Child CD-FAB was successfully translated to Brazilian Portuguese (Child CD-FAB-BR), and it presented good internal consistency (α = 0.892) and an excellent intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.923). Conclusions: The Child CD-FAB-BR is the first instrument to evaluate food attitudes and behaviours in Brazilian children and adolescents with CD, showing good psychometric properties. This instrument will support future research and clinical practice by guiding behaviour-based strategies to enhance nutritional education and public policies for this group. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite growing interest in giftedness, the differences in daily participation between gifted and typically developing children remain understudied and insufficiently understood. Exploring these differences may provide valuable insights into the unique needs and support required for gifted children compared to their typically developing peers. This comparative exploratory study aims to examine the differences between gifted and typically developing children’s daily participation patterns in home, school, and community environments and their parents’ perspectives and explore underlying developmental characteristics that may predict their participation. Methods: Parents of 215 children (8–18 years; 53% boys) in a gifted group (n = 136) and a matched typically developing children group (n = 79) completed the Five-to-Fifteen-revised questionnaire and the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation. Results: We found no significant between-group differences in daily participation. However, we noted significant correlations in each group between the questionnaires’ participation domains (r = −0.243 to −0.460 in the gifted group, and r = −0.57 to −0.78 in the typically developing children group). Social and memory skills predicted 24% of the gifted children’s participation, and social and mental skills predicted 65% of the typically developing children’s participation. Conclusions: The results indicate similar participation patterns of gifted children and typically developing children. Social skills are a key element enabling daily participation among children in both groups. Full article

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social media use (SMU) in children diagnosed with major depression (MD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various psychosocial factors, including familial functioning, parental SMU, and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms. A healthy control group was included for comparison. Methods: The study included 121 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years (36 with MD, 41 with ADHD, and 44 healthy controls). The Social Media Addiction Scale—Short Form (SMDS) was administered to all participants, while mothers completed the McMaster Family Assessment Scale (FAS), the Social Media Addiction Scale—Adult Form (SMAS-AF), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Psychiatric diagnoses were made using the K-SADS-PL DSM-5-T. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used to assess associations among variables. Results: SMU scores were significantly higher in the ADHD group compared to both the depression and control groups. Parental SMU was also higher in the ADHD group. In the depression group, child SMU was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms and impaired family communication. In the ADHD group, child SMU was predicted by poor family problem-solving and communication. Regression analyses showed that internalizing symptoms and family communication predicted SMU in the depression group (R² = 0.335), while family problem-solving and communication predicted SMU in the ADHD group (R² = 0.709). Conclusion: The findings suggest that social media use in children with depression and ADHD is associated with different psychosocial factors. While internalizing symptoms and family communication are more prominent in depressed children, family functioning—particularly problem-solving and communication—plays a larger role in children with ADHD. These results emphasize the need for targeted family-based interventions to mitigate problematic SMU in clinical populations. Full article

Background: Schizotypal traits are considered to be clinical and cognitive features of Schizotypal Disorder in children (SDc). These traits are also seen in children and adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study examines the influence of schizotypal traits (and their severity) on the capacity of children with ASD to manage emotions, develop relationships with others, and adapt in school and family life. Methods: The Schizotypal traits of 63 children (6–12 years old) with High Functioning ASD were measured by the Melbourne Assessment of Schizotypy in Kids (MASK). Parents and teachers of the participating children completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Teachers’ Report Form (TRF) from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC). Results: Overall, the results indicated correlations between the MASK scores and problems recorded by teachers, such as Internalizing problems (i.e., Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn/Depressed, and Other problems score) according to TRF and Inappropriate speech scores, according to teacher’s ABC scales. Schizotypal traits impact the social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children with ASD at home and school environments. Conclusions: The assessment of schizotypal traits in children with ASD provides critical information about a child’s functionality and cognitive development, also leading to the identification of potential cognitive-neuropsychological endophenotypes within ASD with characteristics of both Autism and Schizophrenia spectra. Τhe development of a valid assessment tool is required, as well as the design of targeted interventions to prevent the loss of functionality. Full article

Adolescent externalizing problems are commonly linked to maternal psychological distress and family functioning, but these associations remain underexplored in the Greek sociocultural context. This study examined how maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, along with adolescent-perceived family functioning, predict externalizing behaviors in Greek adolescents. A total of 563 adolescent–mother dyads (63.4% girls; M_age = 15.03 and SD = 0.83) participated. Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Family Assessment Device (FAD–GF), while adolescents completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and FAD–GF. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that adolescent-perceived family functioning was the strongest predictor of externalizing behavior (β = 0.24 and p < 0.001), even after accounting for demographic and maternal mental health variables. The final model explained 18% of the variance in adolescent externalizing problems. Mediation analysis confirmed that family functioning partially mediated the relationship between maternal depression and adolescent externalizing problems, with a significant indirect effect (a × b = 0.088, Sobel z = 2.90, and p = 0.004). Gender differences were found for self-reported aggressive behavior (t = −2.40, p = 0.017, and d = 0.20), with girls scoring higher than boys. These findings highlight the indirect impact of maternal depression through family dynamics and underscore the importance of culturally sensitive, family-centered interventions to reduce adolescent externalizing problems. Full article

Exposure to violence is one of the most common adverse effects. In recent years, there has been a particular interest in understanding the link between exposure to violence and the perpetration of other forms of violence, such as child-to-parent violence, a complex family problem that severely affects the relationships between family members. Objective: We aimed to examine the mediating role of instrumental and reactive reasons in the relationship between exposure to violence and child-to-parent violence in different contexts. To fulfill this objective, it was necessary to analyze the evidence of validity and psychometric properties of the Violence Exposure Scale with Colombian adolescents. Methods: A total of 981 Colombian adolescents between aged 12 and 18 years participated. The participants responded to two psychometric scales: one on exposure to violence and the other on child-to-parent violence. Results: The Violence Exposure Scale presented an excellent psychometric model and evidence of adequate validity and reliability. Girls reported greater exposure to violence at home and boys reported greater exposure to violence at school and on the street. In general, older adolescents reported greater exposure to domestic violence. Instrumental and reactive reasons were significant predictors in the perpetuation of child-to-parent violence, with victimization in the home being the best predictor and reactive reasons the strongest mediating variables. Conclusions: Exposure to violence in the home is a key predictor; however, the co-occurrence of violence in other settings plays an important role in polyvictimization and predicting future violent behavior. Full article

Objective: We aimed to compare executive functions (EF), anxiety, social participation, and quality of life (QoL) between children with migraine and healthy controls during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to examine these parameters in children in each group who did vs. did not contract COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out. The patient group comprised children seen in our pediatric neurology clinic for migraine, and the control group was composed of aged-matched healthy children with no neurological findings or developmental disorders. The participants’ parents completed a health and demographic questionnaire, the BRIEF (child/adolescent version), the PedsQL, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the CASP. The participants or their parents furnished information on whether the participant had contracted COVID-19. Results: A total of 84 children and adolescents aged 6–17.5 (mean of 12.8) participated in the study, including 33 with migraine (17 boys, 16 girls) and 51 healthy controls (28 boys, 23 girls). The children with migraine showed significantly lower EF due to reduced behavioral regulation, higher trait anxiety, and lower physical, emotional, and school-related QoL. Reduced EF correlated with the intensity of migraine attacks, higher anxiety, reduced social participation, and reduced QoL. Lower social participation correlated with reduced QoL and predicted emotional and social QoL. The BRIEF metacognition scale predicted school-related QoL. Healthy children who contracted COVID-19 showed significantly lower EF than children with migraine in the inhibition (56.66 ± 10.56 vs. 45.71 ± 7.12, p = 0.013) and initiation (60.01 ± 11.89 vs. 46.01 ± 6.54, p = 0.005) BRIEF scales, and in the general metacognition index (65.83 ± 14.48 vs. 46.75 ± 9.19, p = 0.003). Healthy children who contracted COVID-19 had significantly worse initiation and working memory compared to those who did not contract COVID-19 (initiation: 60.01 ± 11.89 vs. 46.81 ± 8.89, p = 0.007), working memory: 61.16 ± 15.48 vs. 47.21 ± 11.06, p = 0.021). Conclusion: Migraine has a significant negative impact on executive functions in children and adolescents, greater than contracting COVID-19. Executive dysfunction influences patients’ emotional state, participation in social activities, and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic had a less deleterious effect on migraine patients compared to the healthy control group. Further research on pediatric migraine is warranted. Full article

Background: Co-occurring conditions and psychiatric comorbidities are more frequently observed in autistic individuals than in typically developing populations. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the agreement of parent- and self-reported psychopathological assessment using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18) and the Youth Self Report (YSR/11-18), respectively, in autistic adolescents without intellectual impairment. Methods: 54 autistic adolescents without intellectual impairment (11–18 years; M = 14.73; SD = 2.28) were assessed with a psychiatric and psychological evaluation conducted by expert clinicians also using self- and parent-reported scales and semi-structured interviews (K-SADS PL, CDI, MASC) including CBCL/6-18 and YSR/11-18. Results: According to clinical judgment, over 90% of participants had at least a comorbidity: anxiety (68.5%) and mood disorder (57.4%) were the most frequent. The results indicate significant discrepancies between parent- and self-reports across the three summary scales, which assess emotional and behavioral problems, as well as their combined presentation, often observed in youth with ASD. Specifically, differences were found in Internalizing (p < 0.001), Externalizing (p = 0.013), and Total Problems (p < 0.001) scales. Conclusions: The findings show the lack of agreement in parent- and self-reported scales in our sample. These results suggest the need for a cross- and multi-informant approach to support clinical judgment and understand psychopathological comorbidities of autistic adolescents without intellectual impairment. Full article

Background: Sensory modulation may play a significant role in psychiatric conditions, including anxiety, and explain arousability levels, behavioral disorders, and functional deficits. Yet, studies about sensory modulation in adolescents with anxiety disorders are scarce. Purpose: To profile the prevalence of sensory modulation difficulties (SMDs) in adolescents with anxiety and examine their relations to arousability and psychopathology. The study compared adolescents with anxiety disorders to healthy controls using physiological measures and self-reports that reflect daily life scenarios. Then, the study examined the relationship between SMDs, arousability, and psychopathological severity in the study group. Method: Participants were 106 adolescents, aged 10.5–18 years and their parents. The study group included 44 participants diagnosed with anxiety disorder by psychiatrists. The control group included 62 healthy participants matched by age and gender to the study group. Parents completed the demographic questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The adolescents completed The Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and underwent the electrodermal activity (EDA) and pulse rate tests while listening to extreme sensory stimuli of auditory startles. Results: Based on AASP, the study group had a higher prevalence of SMDs expressed in lower sensory seeking, difficulties in registering sensory stimuli, and higher sensory sensitivity and avoidance. The study group presented higher arousability while listening to the startles as manifested in higher heart rate and EDA responses. The physiological results correlated with SMD levels measured by the AASP self-reports. SMDs correlated with psychopathological severity. Conclusions: SMDs may characterize adolescents with anxiety disorders and impact their arousability, symptoms severity, and daily functioning. Therefore, sensory modulation should be evaluated using both self-reports (to reflect implications in real life from patients’ own voices) along with objective measures to explain daily behaviors by underlying physiological mechanisms. This may focus intervention towards better health, function, and development. Full article

Background/Objectives: the aim of the current cross-sectional study is to explore and compare the emotional and behavioural conditions of children and adolescents with short stature (i.e., familial short stature and constitutional delay of growth), idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD), and normal height. Methods: Twenty-nine participants (15 males, 14 females; mean age ± standard deviation (SD) = 11.2 ± 1.96 years) with short stature (height standard deviation score (SDS): −2.10 ± 0.57), 10 age-matched participants (4 males, 6 females; mean age ± SD = 10.9 ± 2.35 years) with growth hormone deficiency (GHD; height SDS: −2.44 ± 0.29), and 36 age-matched participants (19 males, 17 females; mean age ± SD = 11.3 ± 1.93 years) with normal stature (height SDS: 0.56 ± 0.78) were admitted to this study. Psychological distress was evaluated using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and emotional and behavioural problems using the Child Behaviour Checklist for Children (CBCL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Participants with GHD exhibited higher levels of the “withdrawn/depressed subscale” score of CBCL (H = 7.794, df = 2, p = 0.020), compared to their peers with normal height, while no significant differences were observed between participants with short stature and those with normal stature. Normal-statured participants reported higher levels of the “conduct problems” subscale score (H = 10.421, df = 2, p = 0.005) and the “rule-breaking behaviour” subscale score of CBCL (H = 10.358, df = 2, p = 0.006) compared to both short-statured groups. No significant differences among the three subgroups were found in the DASS-21 and SDQ scores questionnaires, suggesting the lack of short stature-dependent effects on psychological distress and emotional and behavioural adjustment. Conclusions: Although participants with GHD exhibited higher levels of the “withdrawn/depressed subscale” score of CBCL (H = 7.794, df = 2, p = 0.020) compared to their peers with normal height, participants with short stature did not experience the same problems. Although short-statured participants had lower levels of “conduct problems” and “rule-breaking behaviours” scores than their normal-statured peers, the psychological distress and emotional and behavioural adjustment were not affected by short stature, being comparable to those recorded in normal-statured participants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Variability in biopsychosocial factors can explain the interindividual variability in pain. One factor that can impact pain is the pain catastrophizing level. Interestingly, parental pain catastrophizing is related to the severity of the clinical pain of their children. This study explored whether parental pain catastrophizing is also associated with their children’s experimental pain sensitivity. Methods: Forty-five healthy girls (mean age 12.07 ± 1.47 years) and one of their parents participated in this study. Parents completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) about their child’s pain (PCS-Parent_child) as well as their pain (PCS-Parent). Children completed the PCS about their pain (PCS-Child) and the Pubertal Developmental Scale (PDS). Children underwent psychophysical tests, including paradigms of temporal summation, heat- and pressure-conditioned pain modulation, offset analgesia, and cold pain tolerance. Correlations and regression models were conducted to assess the relationships between parental pain catastrophizing scales (separately for PCS-Parent_child and PCS-Parent) and experimental pain sensitivity with and without controlling for PCS-Child and PDS. T-tests were used to compare pain sensitivity between participants with vs. without a family history of psychiatric disorder. Results: No significant relationships were found between the experimental pain sensitivity measures and either PCS-Parent_child or PCS-Parent with and without controlling for PCS-Child and PDS. No differences were found in experimental pain sensitivity between participants with and without a family history of psychiatric disorder. Conclusions: Parental pain catastrophizing may contribute minimally to the individual variability in experimental pain sensitivity of healthy adolescent girls. Full article