Suicidal behaviour is a major socio-health problem worldwide. However, there are few empirically validated programs for universal prevention of suicidal behaviour in school settings. The aim of the present study was to design and validate the "PositivaMente" program for the prevention of suicidal behaviour in school-age adolescents aged…

Mentoring is considered an evidence-based practice for violence prevention. This study presents a partial replication of the "Take Charge!" program implemented in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBS). One hundred and eighty-eight early adolescents (M age = 12.87; 61.17% male) who were treated for peer-related…

Preventive efforts are necessary to reduce the risk for problem gambling among adolescents, especially among more at-risk youth. However, only a small proportion of the preventive initiatives implemented in the field of adolescent problem gambling are based on robust theoretical models and have been evaluated in their efficacy. By referring to the…

Most people start experimenting with and/or initiating health-compromising behaviors and establishing behavioral patterns during adolescence. Possible selves and episodic future thinking have been used to foster behavioral changes. In this study, we aimed to: (1) develop a program incorporating possible selves and episodic future thinking to…

Background: To identify contextually-relevant strategies for reducing and eventually eliminating addiction, it is imperative to engage stakeholders that are most affected by drug abuse but typically left out of the conversation, such as adolescents. Aim: The aim of this study was to collaborate with 45 adolescent stakeholders participating in a…

This study is a secondary data analysis that extends knowledge about the effects of the early childhood Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention to trajectories of general psychopathology problems (p factor) across early and middle childhood, and effects on adolescent psychopathology and polydrug use. The Early Steps Multisite study (ClinicalTrials.gov…

Past research has demonstrated an association between financial hardships and risk-taking behaviors (defined as delinquent or transgressive acts). However, this effect may differ based upon the provision of protective spaces, like those offered in extracurricular activities. In the current study, we examined the longitudinal effect of financial…

Purpose: To investigate how a physical activity education program based on the teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) model affected disruptive behaviors in teenagers. Method: A total of 338 students (13-15 years old) from the 672 recruited completed a 4-month TPSR-model-based program during their physical education lessons. Disruptive…

To identify factors in adolescence that predict the onset of sexual violence in adolescence and young adulthood. Data were analyzed from six survey waves of the longitudinal Growing up with Media Study (2008-2018) conducted in the USA. Participants were 778 youth 13-18 years old at baseline, who completed online surveys assessing sexual violence…

The current study evaluates the concurrent relationship between parent ratings of executive functioning and maladaptive behavior among children and adolescents with Down syndrome and then repeats this evaluation using teacher reports. Parents and teachers of 63 school-age children with Down syndrome rated the child's executive functioning…

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has of late come to the major attention of researchers of risky behaviours. For parents and teachers in turn, the various pathological forms of Internet use have become more and more noticeable. In recent years, the operationalisation of the term PIU has also been discussed and attempts to measure its various…

Purpose: This systematic review provides an assessment of parent-focused preventive interventions that are effective in preventing early substance use (SU) and other problem behaviors among youth. Method: A systematic search following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was conducted to identify prevention…

Most questionnaires construe avoidance as resulting from a problem-solving process and analyse only a few, single-factor and mostly non-adequate, forms of avoidance. The aim of the present study was to develop a multi-dimensional questionnaire to measure avoidance among adolescents. We tested the Avoidance Questionnaire for Adolescents (AQA) with…

Alcohol drinking is a global public health concern. Alcohol advertisements and promotions influence youth to initiate underage alcohol consumption. Exposure to displays of beer, wine, and liquor in various settings has been pivotal in creating favorable social and perceived norms for societies, which has tremendously influenced youth drinking…

School-based empowerment programs are types of interventions targeting students with or without behavioral, psychological, and emotional difficulties at schools. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a school-based social and mental empowerment program on students' behavioral and developmental problems. We…