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Background: Given that high levels of stress during adolescence are associated with negative consequences, it is important that adolescents with psychological needs are supported at an early stage, for instance with interventions at school. However, knowledge about the potential of school-based programs targeting adolescents with psychological needs, aimed at reducing school or social stress, is lacking. Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two targeted school-based skills-training programs, addressing either skills to deal with performance anxiety or social skills. Methods: Two randomized controlled trials were performed with participants who self-selected to one of the programs. The sample comprised of N = 361 adolescents (M[subscript age] = 13.99 years, SD = 0.83) from various educational levels and ethnic identity backgrounds. The performance anxiety program included N = 196 participants (N = 95 in the experimental group), while the social skills program included N = 165 participants (N = 86 in the experimental group). MANCOVA's were performed. Results: The performance anxiety program had a small effect on reducing adolescents' test anxiety. Furthermore, for adolescents who attended more than half of the sessions, the program had small effects on reducing test anxiety and fear of failure. The program did not improve adolescents' coping skills or mental health. The social skills program was not effective in improving social skills, social anxiety, and mental health. Conclusions: A relatively short, targeted program addressing skills to deal with performance anxiety can have the potential to reduce adolescents' performance anxiety.

Youth-initiated mentoring is an innovative youth care approach in which youth recruit supportive adults from their social networks as a mentor for youth and a partner for parents and professionals. This qualitative interview study documents what youth (n = 15) and parents (n = 13) from multi-problem families look for in a mentor, what mentors (n = 8) believe they have to offer, and whether what mentors believe to offer matches youth's and parents' needs. Youth and parents indicated that a strong connection and trust were most important, or even prerequisites, as youth who were unable to find mentors did not have strong relationships of trust. Youth and parents also voiced preferences for an understanding, sensitive mentor who offered youth perspective by providing support and advice and (according to some) setting rules. What mentors believed to offer matched youth's and parents' needs, suggesting that most youth successfully recruited suitable mentors.

Background: Juvenile antisocial behavior can have long-lasting and devastating effects for juveniles themselves, victims, and society. Evidence-based treatment is vital. Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (Forensische Ambulante Systeem Therapie; FAST) is a promising treatment for juveniles showing severe antisocial behavior including aggression, (domestic) violence, and delinquent behavior. FAST has a flexible intensity and length, addresses individual and systemic risk and protective factors, and is responsive to the abilities of the client (system), intervention characteristics all considered crucial for effective treatment. The current study will investigate whether FAST is effective in reducing aggression of the juvenile, reaching client formulated subgoals, and improving family functioning. Processes of change will be examined, as well as mediation by reaching client formulated subgoals and improved family functioning. Methods: A Multiple Case Experimental Design (MCED) with an ABC design will be performed (A = baseline, B = intervention, and C = follow-up). Juveniles with primary aggression and/or anger problems (N = 15) and their caregiver(s) will be recruited. Data collection will consist of self-report questionnaires and case file analysis. Participants fill out frequent short self-report questionnaires (twice a week during phase A, every other week during phase B, and every week during phase C) and two main questionnaires at the start of the intervention and immediately after intervention end, thereby covering a period of 5 to 11 months. Both visual and statistical analyses will be performed. Discussion: This study will generate robust knowledge and inform clinical practice on the effectiveness, processes of change, and mediating mechanisms of FAST, aiming to improve the treatment of future families within youth forensic care. Trial registration: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 28/08/2023, protocol ID 60-63600-98-1138a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to identify overall stress and salient stressors experienced by adolescents from different education tracks and self-perceived ethnic backgrounds. A total of 1489 adolescents (M = 13.40 years; SD = 0.89 years) from nine Dutch secondary schools participated. Self-reported stressors were measured with the adapted version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire – Short. After controlling for age, gender, country of birth, and school classes, results showed that overall stress did not differ for educational track nor for ethnic background subgroups. Adolescents in academic education reported more stress from school-related stressors than adolescents attending vocational education. Adolescents with a mixed ethnic background (i.e., Dutch and another ethnicity) reported more stress regarding school-related stressors than adolescents with a Dutch ethnic background. These differences between adolescents of different educational tracks and ethnic backgrounds have implications for intervention programs targeting specific stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted school-based programs seem to be a promising approach to help adolescents in need. Nevertheless, successful implementation and evaluation of such programs is challenging. However, there is limited knowledge about (overcoming) the challenges of implementation and experimental evaluation of school-based programs. The goal of the present paper is, therefore, to improve future research by describing the challenges encountered and lessons learned during two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to study the effectiveness of two skills-training programs reducing school or social stress. In this way, we aim to inform others who plan to implement and evaluate such programs in schools using an RCT design. Some of the challenges encountered apply to all effectiveness studies, such as the recruitment and retention of participants; others are more "intervention at school" specific, such as scheduling the programs and assessments. Our experiences show that it is possible to effectively implement and evaluate targeted programs promoting adolescent mental health in secondary schools with RCTs, even during a worldwide health pandemic, but that it requires investing sufficient time in keeping close and regular contact as well as clear communication between the involved parties. Moreover, high levels of flexibility are needed in adjusting scheduled meetings for intervention and research while keeping track of the entire process for each school and individual participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When youth commit serious violent or sexual offenses, this often generates a call for more severe punishments and longer detention sentences. An important question is whether (long) detention sentences are effective in decreasing recidivism among serious young offenders. To estimate recidivism rates in serious young offenders and elucidate the link between sentencing (in terms of custodial vs. non-custodial and length of imprisonment) and recidivism, three multilevel meta-analyses were conducted. With a systematic literature search, 27 studies and four datasets were traced, involving N = 2,308 participants, yielding 90 effect sizes for overall recidivism, 24 for specifically violent recidivism, and 23 for the association between length of imprisonment and recidivism. The average weighted overall recidivism rate was 44.47% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37.59–51.46%) over an average period of 8.68 years. The rate of violent recidivism was estimated at 30.49% (95% CI: 20.92–40.52%), over an average period of 11.45 years. Recidivism rates were higher when recidivism was defined as an arrest for any new offense rather than for a specific offense and in studies conducted in the United States versus European studies. Violent recidivism rates were higher in studies with longer follow-up periods. Based on the limited available studies, no difference in recidivism rates following custodial and non-custodial sentences were found, nor an association between length of imprisonment and recidivism. To increase rehabilitation chances for youth offenders, further research is warranted to better understand the impact of sentencing and to ascertain what is needed to make custodial and non-custodial sentences more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth-initiated mentoring is an innovative youth care approach in which youth recruit supportive adults from their social networks as a mentor for youth and a partner for parents and professionals. This qualitative interview study documents what youth (n = 15) and parents (n = 13) from multi-problem families look for in a mentor, what mentors (n = 8) believe they have to offer, and whether what mentors believe to offer matches youth's and parents' needs. Youth and parents indicated that a strong connection and trust were most important, or even prerequisites, as youth who were unable to find mentors did not have strong relationships of trust. Youth and parents also voiced preferences for an understanding, sensitive mentor who offered youth perspective by providing support and advice and (according to some) setting rules. What mentors believed to offer matched youth's and parents' needs, suggesting that most youth successfully recruited suitable mentors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined (a) the predictive value of observed versus reported measures of impulsivity on the onset of cannabis use and determined if lifetime tobacco and cannabis users can be differentiated by their level of impulsivity and (b) the predictive value of observed versus reported measures of impulsivity un repeated cannabis use and determined if repeated tobacco and cannabis users can be differentiated by their level of impulsivity. Method: The present study involves 667 (50.5% female) adolescents assessed at two time points &the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Adolescents in our study participated in the Bangor Gambling Task (BGT), as well as completed self-report questionnaires assessing cannabis use behavior ([M.sub.age] = 16.11 years) and the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) questionnaire ([M.sub.age] = 13.56 years). Results: Higher levels of BAS functioning increased the Likelihood that adolescents would ever use substances such as tobacco or cannabis during their lifetime. In contrast, low BIS functioning increased the likelihood of repeated cannabis use. Repeated tobacco users did not significantly differ from lifetime users by their BIS functioning. The BGT measures were not significant in relation to lifetime or repeated use of cannabis or tobacco. Conclusions: High BAS seems to be more important for experimental substance use, whereas low BIS seems to be more important for progression into regular cannabis use specifically. In contrast to the BIS/BAS, our laboratory test of impulsivity, the BGT, is not correlated with early-onset tobacco/cannabis use. Furthermore, the BGT is not correlated with the BIS/BAS measures. (J Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72. 70-78, 2011), ADOLESCENCE AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD are the life span periods in which experimentation with substances, such as cannabis, is most likely to begin (Anthony and Petronis, 1995; Kandel et al., 1992; [...]

Objective: Increased knowledge about the mechanisms by which some individuals are at risk for early onset of cannabis use might contribute to the improvement of prevention efforts. We focus on the roles of early-adolescent high-intensity pleasure, disruptive behavior, and their interplay in the prediction of onset of cannabis use 2 years later. Method: Data from 81% (n = 1,804) of the participants (51.9% girls) of the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), a prospective general population study in the north of The Netherlands, were analyzed. Measures included parent-reported high-intensity pleasure, and parent- and self-reported general disruptive behavior, attention-deficit hyperactivity, oppositional problems, and conduct problems (Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 and Youth Self-Report) at ages 10-12. Onset of cannabis use was assessed at age 12-14 by means of self-reports. Analyses were carried out in Mplus. Results: Early adolescent high-intensity pleasure and disruptive behavior, mainly conduct problems and to some extent attention-deficit hyperactivity, predicted the onset of cannabis use in adolescence. Although we found some mediation by general disruptive behavior, conduct problems, and attention-deficit hyperactivity, the contribution of high-intensity pleasure in predicting the onset of cannabis use was found to be mainly independent from disruptive behavior. Conclusions: The unique contribution of both high-intensity pleasure and disruptive behavior points in the direction of different pathways toward onset of cannabis use., EARLY ONSET OF CANNABIS USE is associated with increased risks for future substance use, abuse, and dependence (Lynskey et al., 2003). Moreover, the rate of drug-related social, legal, emotional, and [...]

Chronic stress is associated with dysregulations in the physiological stress system, resulting in diverse negative developmental outcomes. Since adolescence is a period characterized by increased stress‐sensitivity, and schools are an important environment for the developing adolescent, school‐based interventions promoting psychosocial functioning are of particular interest to prevent adverse outcomes. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the effectiveness of such interventions on hypothalamic pituitary adrenal‐axis (i.e., cortisol) and cardiovascular (i.e., blood pressure [BP] and heart rate [HR]/heart rate variability [HRV]) parameters of stress in adolescents, and examined moderators of effectiveness. The search resulted in the inclusion of k = 9 studies for cortisol, k = 16 studies for BP, and k = 20 studies for HR/HRV. The results indicated a significant small overall effect on reducing BP, but no significant effect for HR/HRV. For cortisol, large methodological variation in the few primary studies did not allow for quantitative analyses, but a qualitative review demonstrated inconsistent results. For BP and HR/HRV, larger effects were observed for intervention programs with a mindfulness and/or meditation component, for interventions without a cognitive‐behavioural component and for interventions with a higher intensity. Providing adolescents with techniques to improve indicators of physiological stress may prevent emerging mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental study examined the short-term effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a short prison-based dog-training program, on anti-social behavioral and wellbeing outcomes of incarcerated adults (n = 138; men = 133; women = 5). Little is known about the responsivity of subgroups – and the prerequisites of change – in dog-training programs (DTPs). Therefore, the role of moderators (age, cultural background, correctional facility type) and predictors (dog bond, implementation process) of DCD was also assessed. Results demonstrated that DCD (n = 70) did not outperform treatment-as-usual (TAU; n = 68) in any of the outcomes, although a small negative effect was found for aggression (F(1,135) = 5.552, p = 0.020), which appeared driven by the group of participants who had a weaker bond with the dog. This group had higher aggression levels after the program, compared with TAU (F(1, 98) = 9.443, p = 0.003). The dog bond was not associated with any other outcomes post-intervention. In addition, age moderated program effectiveness on infractions (Wald χ2(1) = 6.254, p = 0.012), suggesting differential effects for younger (< 36 years) participants. No evidence was found for the other moderators and predictor of implementation quality. In conclusion, DCD did not outperform TAU in anti-social behavioral and wellbeing outcomes. Some evidence for predictors and moderators were found. The present study is only one of the first to examine what matters for whom in a DTP for incarcerated adults. More research, preferably in the form of randomized controlled trials with sufficiently large sample sizes, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify adolescents who may be at risk for adverse outcomes, we examined the extent of COVID‐19‐related concerns reported by adolescents and investigated which prepandemic risk and protective factors predicted these concerns during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Dutch adolescents (N = 188; Mage = 13.49, SD =.81) were assessed before the pandemic and at eight and ten months into the pandemic. Results demonstrated that adolescents' most frequently reported COVID‐19‐related concerns were about social activities and getting delayed in school. Adolescents that have specific vulnerabilities before the pandemic (i.e., higher stress, maladaptive coping, or internalizing problems) experience more concerns during the pandemic, stressing the importance of guiding and supporting these adolescents in order to prevent adverse developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]