Abstract Background Victimisation has been associated with self‐harm (with or without suicidal intent), but little is known about this association during young adulthood—a distinct developmental period. Further, not all individuals who experience victimisation will later engage in self‐harm, suggesting the influence of other factors. The present study examined whether perceived victimisation is associated with self‐harm during young adulthood while adjusting for confounders such as peer victimisation and mental health difficulties in adolescence. Additionally, we investigated whether genetic susceptibility for mental health difficulties moderates this association. Methods Participants were from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (1998–2023); a population‐based birth cohort from the Canadian province of Quebec, with victimisation and self‐harm measures in young adulthood (sample 1; N = 1235), and who provided blood samples and had been genotyped (sample 2; N = 552). At 20 years old, they were asked how often they had experienced forms of victimisations in the past 12 months (e.g., insulted you, put you down in front of others) without specifying the perpetrator. At 20–25 years old, participants reported self‐harm. Polygenic scores (PGSs) for depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and suicide attempt were calculated. Results Overall, 17.2% (sample 1) participants reported self‐harm at age 20–25 years. Victimisation was associated with self‐harm (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.45, 1.89, for each standard deviation increase in victimisation), even after adjusting for confounders, for example, victimisation and mental health in adolescence (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.26, 1.86). In sample 2, PGSs for depression and suicide attempt (not ADHD) were associated with self‐harm as well as victimisation in young adulthood, and none moderated the association between victimisation and self‐harm. Conclusion Regardless of genetic susceptibility indexed by PGSs, young adult exposed to victimisation are at higher risk of self‐harm. Continuing efforts to prevent victimisation beyond childhood/adolescence and into young adulthood may contribute to reducing self‐harm risk.

Abstract Background Brief emotion‐focused family therapy (EFFT) interventions have demonstrated numerous positive outcomes across the domains of child mental health and parent psychosocial well‐being. However, there is limited research examining interpersonal processes at the family‐level of analysis following 2‐day EFFT programs. Methods This study explored family functioning in the year following a virtual, parent‐focused EFFT intervention ( n = 159 caregivers, representing 124 families and 264 children). Caregivers completed the General Functioning subscale of the Family Assessment Device at 6 timepoints from baseline to 12‐month post‐intervention. Multilevel modeling was used to complete growth curve analysis, exploring post‐intervention changes in family functioning over time. This allowed for the exploration of between versus within family differences pre‐ to post‐intervention in the study sample. Results Variance in family functioning was attributable to stable differences between caregivers (level 2; 59%) and change over time (level 1; 41%), including measurement error. Growth curve analysis identified positive changes in family functioning post‐intervention, with a cubic trajectory of improvement. Higher COVID‐19 disruption, caregiver psychological distress, and parenting stress significantly predicted lower baseline family functioning, but did not significantly interact with change over time. Conclusions These results suggest that there is a general pattern of non‐linear change following EFFT workshops, specifically relating to family interpersonal dynamics. Overall, the study findings expand the evidence base for this promising, brief, relational intervention, now available in virtual formats, thereby increasing access for busy families.

Abstract Background Adolescence is marked by increased vulnerability to sleep disturbances and mood disorders. Understanding how day‐to‐day changes in sleep and mood are linked within the same individual is crucial for clarifying sleep's role in emerging internalizing disorders. However, the extent to which an adolescent's fluctuations in sleep predict next‐day mood may differ across individuals. This study examined such differences in person‐specific sleep‐mood dynamics and their links with depression and anxiety symptoms. Methods A total of 113 Swiss adolescents (57% female, mean age = 15.4 years, SD = 0.97) participated in three 3‐week waves of combined actigraphy, four daily Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA), and weekly reports of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Bayesian multilevel models estimated person‐specific associations across two mood dimensions (sad‐vs‐happy and anxious‐vs‐calm) combined with sleep duration (SDur), sleep midpoint (SMid), and sleep regularity (SReg; i.e., overlap between each daily cycle and the participant's most typical cycle). Bayesian hypothesis tests examined evidence for differences in person‐specific associations and whether these differences predicted internalizing symptoms. Results Person‐specific associations involving SDur or SMid showed within‐person effects at the group‐level, but no convincing evidence for individual differences in this dynamic. In contrast, there were clear individual differences in how SReg related to anxious‐vs‐calm mood ( τ 2 = 0.47, [0.09; 0.79], BF 10 = 13.2). Adolescents whose calm mood was more strongly tied to a regular sleep–wake cycle reported fewer anxiety symptoms ( b = 3.57, 95%CrI [‐3.67; 9.31], BF 01 = 7.69). Conclusion Our findings suggest that adolescents whose daytime mood is closely coupled with regular sleep–wake patterns may experience protection against anxiety symptoms. They also show that adolescents differ meaningfully in these sleep–mood associations, challenging conventional group‐level approaches. Future work should extend this idiographic approach to more diverse populations and longer timescales to clarify the role of sleep–mood dynamics in internalizing disorders.

Abstract BackgroundSingle‐session interventions (SSIs) are emerging as one promising way to support one's mental health. Growth mindset refers to the beliefs about the malleability of traits and attributes. Building upon a feasibility study of a growth mindset single session intervention, this randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate its efficacy when delivered online to young people.MethodsWe recruited participants aged 14–18‐year‐olds via social media, schools, and charities in the UK. They were randomised to receive either an online video‐based intervention or were placed on a waitlist control. They reported anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as personality mindset and psychological flexibility at baseline and at 1‐month follow up. An intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis and a case completer analysis were conducted.ResultsIn a sample of 104 participants (mean age = 16.3), an ITT analysis yielded negligible effects on anxiety and depression symptoms (d = 0.07, 95% CI: [−0.32, 0.47]) and psychological flexibility (d = −0.12, 95% CI: [−0.50, 0.25]) at 4‐week follow‐up. The personality mindset measure yielded a significant large effect relative to waitlist (d = −0.96, 95% CI: [−1.87, −0.04], p = 0.02), however it was statistically non‐significant with Bonferroni correction. Case completer analysis resulted in similar observations.ConclusionThe intervention impacted personality mindset but had limited effect on anxiety and depression. Large sample sizes, improve retention rate, and a longer follow‐up period are needed in future studies.

No abstract is available for this article.

BackgroundAdverse experiences – such as abuse and neglect – occurring during childhood and adolescence have been found to predict poorer mental and cognitive health. Social adversities, including bullying and social exclusion, are likely to be particularly salient during adolescence. However, our understanding of how social adversities co‐occur in adolescence and how they predict cognitive functioning is limited.MethodsWe used latent profile analysis to investigate adolescents' experiences of social adversities and regressions to identify their relationship to cognition later in development. Data was analysed from UKHLS (N = 493, aged 14–16 years, preregistered analysis) and ALSPAC (N = 14,856, aged 12–22 years, replication analysis).ResultsAdolescents clustered into four profiles in both cohorts: low adversity, peer difficulties, sibling bullying and poly‐adversity. We found that 17%–22% of participants fell into the poly‐adversity profile and reported experiencing several social adversities. In ALSPAC, but not UKHLS, cognitive functioning differed between social adversity profiles (working memory: F(3, 3773) = 8.07, p < 0.001; fluid reasoning: F(3, 5258) = 3.36, p = 0.018; verbal fluency: F(3, 5261) = 6.24, p < 0.001). After controlling for sex, adolescents in the low adversity profile scored significantly higher on the working memory task than those in the sibling bullying profile and the poly‐adversity profile, but effect sizes were small.ConclusionThese findings have implications for understanding adolescents' social experiences. To understand individual differences in lifespan outcomes, it is essential to capture a broad spectrum of social interactions, including peer and sibling difficulties, bullying, exclusion, and school issues.

Involving young people with lived experience in youth mental health research is important. In recognition of the value of collaborating with experts by experience, international funders are increasingly mandating that mental health research is developed by teams that include individuals from the population of study. Yet, research into how Patient Public Involvement, specifically co‐production and co‐design, is implemented in youth mental health research is limited to date. The current review examined this question and identified common practices for collaborating with experts by experience in young people's mental health research. Academic databases were systematically searched for studies that had involved young people in mental health research, had described these activities, and had reported some demographic information about the experts by experience. From a total of 2130 studies that were screened, 37 studies were eligible for inclusion. The use of co‐production and co‐design spanned a wide range of topics, including interventions, digital support tools and psychometric studies. Interactive workshops were the primary method of engaging experts by experience, although some studies utilised interviews or focus groups. From the reviewed studies we identified common methodological practices including: Scene setting, utilising a cyclical process, ensuring appropriate engagement and recognition of the cultural context. We draw on these findings to suggest common methods for conducting co‐production and co‐design activities, and emphasise the importance of ensuring experts by experience are respected and safeguarded throughout their collaboration in research. We also outline areas that deserve future attention and development, and include a response from two young people aged 16–18 and their suggestions for improving and extending co‐production methods.

BackgroundAdolescents' engagement with online mental health support (e.g., apps, social media) may affect their engagement with traditional support, including in schools. However, research has typically considered engagement with online‐ and school‐based mental health support separately meaning the mesosystemic interaction between the two is overlooked. Using co‐produced exploratory qualitative methods, the present study explored adolescents' and adult stakeholders' perceptions of how and why adolescents engage with school‐based and online mental health support, the interaction between these two modalities, and the associated risks and opportunities.MethodsA youth advisory board (n = 4; Age = 18–25) co‐created data collection methods, ethics procedures, and data analysis. For the main phase of data collection, 27 adolescents (Age M = 15.42, SD = 1.58, Range = 12–18, Girls = 73.1%, White = 84.6%) with mental health difficulties who had engaged with online support while at school were recruited from across England. Participants chose to participate in an interview (n = 10) or focus group (n = 17, 5 groups). In addition, interviews were conducted with 12 adult stakeholders who worked in fields related youth mental health.ResultsData was analysed using template analysis resulting in four themes; (a) Support is abundant, but accessing what you need when you need it is tough, (b) Human connection is vital and can be achieved in diverse ways, (c) Striving for autonomy and control, (d) Navigating credibility and trust across contexts.ConclusionsDifferent types of support met adolescents' needs in different ways, and each offered relative strengths and weaknesses. Findings highlight how adolescents value autonomy and choice when engaging with support, using multiple different sources of support in complementary and self‐directed ways to meet their needs. Several challenges were identified across settings, which could be overcome through increased collaboration. This improved collaboration has potential to improve the quality of support available to adolescents.

BackgroundParanoid beliefs are common in the general adolescent population. The paranoia hierarchy suggests common social evaluative concerns may develop into persecutory thoughts via ideas of reference, a milder intermediary facet of paranoia. Socially anxious concerns and paranoid beliefs co‐occur in adolescent and adult groups, but the specifics of their association is not well understood. In a general population adolescent sample, we examined (a) whether social anxiety and paranoia can be differentiated, (b) patterns of co‐occurrence and (c) psychosocial factors that differentiate social anxiety alone versus in combination with paranoia.MethodsAn online cross‐sectional survey design, recruiting UK adolescents (n = 604, 14–17 years), via Qualtrics. Participants were quota sampled for equal distribution on age and gender.ResultsMeasurement models supported a hierarchical structure, with separate but correlated general factors of paranoia and social anxiety. This model was invariant across age groups 14–15 and 16–17 years. The largest subgroup of participants with clinically significant symptoms showed elevated social anxiety plus paranoia (21%, n = 124), followed by high social anxiety without paranoia (14%, n = 84). Paranoia without social anxiety occurred the least (7% n = 39). Subgroup comparisons suggested social anxiety plus paranoia was characterised by exposure to threating experiences (discrimination, bullying, adverse life events in the last 12‐month), anxious attachment and high levels of distress, whereas social anxiety was more associated with feeling inferior to others, enhanced loneliness, avoidant attachment and a low sense of belonging.ConclusionsSocial anxiety and paranoia are differentiable in adolescents. Paranoia commonly co‐occurs with social anxiety, especially in those with exposure to threat environments in the last 12‐month. Adolescents with social anxiety plus paranoia reported the highest levels of distress, underscoring the importance of improved understanding of this group.