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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is purported to start in early childhood but concerns about attenuation of anxiety symptoms over time and the development of emerging cognitive and emotional processing capabilities pose multiple challenges for accurate detection. This paper presents the first known case reports of very young children with GAD to examine these developmental challenges at the item level. Three children, five-to-six years of age, were assessed with the Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment twice in a test-retest reliability study. One case appeared to show attenuation of the worries during the test-retest period based on caregiver report but not when followed over two years. The other two cases showed stability of the full complement of diagnostic criteria. The cases were useful for demonstrating that the current diagnostic criteria appear adequate for this developmental period. The challenges of accurate assessment of young children that might cause missed diagnoses are discussed. Future research on the underlying dysregulation of negative emotionality and long-term follow-ups are needed to better understand the etiology, treatment, and course of GAD in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary goal of the current study was to examine impulsivity and stressful life events as predictors of at-risk youth substance use and its consequences. These factors were assessed in a sample of 205 adolescents (82% male, 60% white) in a military-style residential facility. Participants completed self-report measures of lifetime substance use behaviors (YRBSS), personality factors associated with impulsive tendencies (UPPS-P), and experiences of stressful life events (SLES). Results indicated that select impulsivity dimensions predicted substance use and the inclusion of stress as a model predictor outperformed models of impulsivity alone. Additionally, impulsivity dimensions were primarily associated with substance use consequence outcomes. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that individual differences and environmental factors are both important when understanding adolescent substance use. Results highlight the significance of reducing stress exposure and increasing stress coping strategies in combating at-risk youth substance use behaviors. Such results may be considered when developing and/or enhancing substance use intervention efforts. Future research may further explore result generalizability, as well as project limitations such as response bias. Keywords: Impulsivity, Adolescent substance use, Stressful life events, General liability theory, UPPS-P model of impulsivity, At-risk youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents often engage in behaviors such as substance use and risky sexual activity that can lead to negative health and psychological consequences for themselves and others. Accurate measurement of these behaviors in surveys is challenging given that the behaviors are often viewed as undesirable and/or are illegal, so it is important to test the psychometric properties of instruments used to assess adolescent risk behaviors. The current study aimed to assess the test-retest reliability of a widely used measure of youth risk-taking behavior, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). A sample of 156 at-risk adolescents aged 16–18 years (81% male; 61% White) completed the YRBS retrospectively across intervals ranging from 3 to 12 days during their stay in a residential program at which they were under close supervision and had limited ability to engage in new risk behaviors. Participants were asked to complete the YRBS based on their "typical" (pre-program) behavior at both administrations, which were 10–14 weeks into their stay. The reliability of responses was assessed using kappa and weighted kappa analyses. Findings indicate moderate to substantial reliability for nearly all items, suggesting that at-risk youth reliably reported their engagement in health risk behaviors across multiple administrations and supporting the psychometric strength of the YRBS measure for use with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• College students report poorer well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic • Mood disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use increase during COVID-19 • Concern about COVID-19 is positively associated with symptom levels • White students report more COVID-19 impact than do African American students The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption during the spring of 2020. Many college students were told to leave campus at spring break and to complete the semester remotely. This study evaluates effects of this disruption on student well-being. Measures of psychological symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use during the pandemic were completed by 148 students in spring 2020 and 352 students in fall 2020 at a university in the southeastern U.S. Results from both cohorts were compared to 240 students who completed the same measures in the fall 2019 semester. Participants in spring 2020 reported more mood disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use than did pre-pandemic participants and worry about COVID-19 was negatively associated with well-being. By fall 2020 symptoms had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. In general, White students reported a greater effect of the pandemic on well-being than did African American students. Young adults appear to be less vulnerable to the most serious medical complications associated with COVID-19, but nonetheless experience psychological effects from the pandemic. Universities and practitioners who work with college students can help young adults manage their symptoms and avoid behaviors like risky alcohol use when confronted with stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]