Colorado Senate Bill 14-215 established the School Health Professional Grant (SHPG) Program. Effective August 14, 2014, the Behavioral Health Care Professional Matching Grant Program (C.R.S. 22-96-101 through 22-96-105) provides matching grants to education providers to enhance the presence of school health professionals (school nurses, school…

Peer relations researchers have suggested that dyadic and peer group relationship characteristics may interact with each other to affect behavior. Building on prior work that has pitted the relative effects of dyadic and peer group relationship characteristics on susceptibility to peer influence, the present study sought to integrate dyadic and…

Purpose: This overview of reviews analyses the existing evidence base of functional family therapy (FFT), which is a manualized, family-based intervention for youth with behavioral problems and their families. FFT has been implemented among youth aged 10-18 at risk of, or presenting with, behavioral problems such as delinquency, violence,…

This longitudinal study sought to investigate associations between adolescent substance use and family functioning and whether internalizing symptoms play a mediating role in this relationship; based on growing evidence from the literature, we also explored gender differences. Participants (N = 1,036) completed surveys in school during 2007, 2008,…

This research aimed to explore the role of parental characteristics and mindful parenting in risk behaviour of adolescents. A total of 604 participants took part in the study, out of which N = 361 were adolescents aged 13 to 18, N = 158 were their mothers, and N = 85 fathers. To achieve the aim of the research, the following questionnaires were…

Purpose: Stigma reduction is an important public health challenge because of the large morbidity and mortality associated with some forms of substance use. Extreme stigma can lead to dehumanisation of target groups, who are ascribed with lesser humanity. The authors examined whether there was blatant and subtle dehumanisation of people who use…

This prospective longitudinal study examined how maternal prenatal substance use disorder (SUD) and early mother-infant interaction quality are associated with child social cognition (emotion recognition and mentalization) at school age. A sample of 52 poly-substance-using mothers receiving early interventions and 50 non-users, along with their…

There are no nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of dating abuse-related stalking and harassment. We analyzed data collected from 320 twelve- to 18-year-old U.S. youth. Youth with dating experience were asked whether a dating partner had ever spied on or followed them, damaged something that belonged to them, or gone through…

Aims: The current study aims to examine the role of energy drink and energy shot consumption in school disengagement, low academic performance, and academic expectations, and investigates the robustness of these associations across sex, grade, race, and substance use history. Method: This study employs a pooled cross-sectional design and uses a…

High school is a time of changes in adolescents' physical, psychological, social, and sexual development, often resulting in stress and anxiety. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. Yoga is an Indian discipline practiced globally for health and relaxation. School-based yoga programs are becoming increasingly common…

From October to December 2016, a college sample (n = 536) of men (41%) and women (59%) 18 to 41 years old (M = 20.2 SD = 3.02) completed self-report surveys that assessed mental and behavioral health using a novel, mobile app called SHAPE. Multiple methods (e.g., flyers, face-to-face, e-mail, listservs) were used to recruit students. Almost half…

Background: Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans' mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Purpose: Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such…

This paper examines the extent to which transgender students' experiences with school-based victimization and school protective factors contribute to or reduce substance use. We conducted secondary analyses of school-based victimization, school protective factors, and substance use of a subsample of transgender students from the 2013-2015…

Substance use disorders are considered externalizing disorders, defined by anti-social and impulsive behavior, as opposed to internalizing disorders, defined by anxious and depressive thinking; however, that strict binary is increasingly untenable. In this dissertation, I evaluate the co-development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms…

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults. Improving the understanding of social-ecological factors associated with youth suicide behaviors may highlight important ideas for prevention. Objective: From a social-ecological theoretical framework of suicide, this study aims to test whether parental…