September 14, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology looked at whether emotional diversity is associated with better student engagement and achievement. “Our study explored whether students who have varied emotional experiences would also be more engaged and achieve better in school,” study author Cherry Frondozo told us. “We adapted a measure of diversity from ecology to examine the link between the diversity of emotional experiences and achievement.”
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July 29, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Evaluating the food choices made by their peers may improve the eating habits of young adolescents.
A study in the United Arab Emirates found that asking adolescents to consciously evaluate the food choices made by their peers caused them to choose healthier foods.
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July 21, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Strong family relationships gives teenagers greater empathy for their friends.
Research published in Child Development found that teenagers who had supportive and secure family relationships had greater empathy for their peers.
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July 20, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Aggressive Behavior looked at school bullying before and during COVID-19 using a population-based randomized design. “We wondered if the COVI-19 infection control measures would have an impact on the prevalence of bullying. In particular, we thought that rates would be lower because students were supervised more and were organized into smaller cohorts,” study author Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt told us.
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March 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the US, parents are reporting worsening mental health in their teenagers.
The CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine found that almost half of parents have noticed a worsening or new mental health condition in their teenagers since the start of the pandemic. Three in four say the pandemic has negatively impacted the social interactions of their teens.
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March 16, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Time spent outside and nature-based activities could counteract some of the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adolescents.
Researchers from North Carolina State University found that outdoor based activities helped teens cope with major stressors, and restricting such opportunities could have negative mental health implications.
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February 26, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Teenagers who bully may be using aggression as a technique to climb the social ladder.
Research from UC Davis published recently in the American Journal of Sociology found that teens who harass, bully or victimize their peers don’t always do this due to an unhealthy home environment or due to psychological problems, but out of a desire to strategically move up in a school’s social hierarchy.
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February 2, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Child Development looked at how non-immigrant children respond when immigrant children are bullied. "This study examined how adolescents react to bias-based bullying of immigrant and non-immigrant peers," study author, Secil Gonultas told us. "We were interested in learning more about when and why adolescents are willing to intervene when they see others being bullied.
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January 12, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
Researchers examined 190 young adults and followed them for ten years. They were directly tested on their response to alcohol vs. placebo beverage in initial testing sessions and then they returned five and ten years later to a laboratory in Chicago to undergo identical re-examination testing. “We flew people in from all over the country (and the world!) to come back for their returning sessions,” study author Andrea King told us. “We also conducted regular follow-up interviews semi-annually in that period. I am grateful the participants were so connected to the study, as 99% of those still living continued to participate over the decade.”
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December 29, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published on the JAMA Network looked at the association of rurality with the availability of youth mental health facilities with suicide prevention services in the United States. “The study is about the availability of mental health services in rural communities,” lead author Janessa M. Graves told us.
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