Childhood trauma is strongly associated with anxiety in adolescents. Network temperature, a metric recently proposed for quantifying the dynamic stability of psychopathological networks, provides a novel analytical framework; higher temperature indicates greater network instability. This study extends network temperature for the first time to a trauma-anxiety network, examining developmental stage differences (early, middle, and late adolescence) in the childhood trauma-anxiety relationship using a large-scale cross-sectional sample. The analytical sample comprised 28,482 Chinese adolescents (50.3% female; aged 10-19 years, M = 12.85 years, SD = 1.99) from a cross-sectional survey. Using the Ising model based on network analysis, we constructed a network linking childhood trauma and adolescent anxiety, and computed its network temperature across developmental stages, with separate analyses conducted for males and females. Results identified physical abuse as the most globally central node and emotional abuse as the most critical bridging node connecting the trauma and anxiety clusters. Overall network temperature peaked in middle adolescence and declined thereafter. Distinct sex-specific patterns emerged: females exhibited a continued increase in network temperature after middle adolescence, whereas males showed a pronounced decline. These findings highlight the value of network temperature as a system-level metric for characterizing the stability of trauma-anxiety networks and underscore the importance of adopting developmentally and sex-sensitive perspectives in understanding this relationship.

Rates of suicide are 2-3 times higher among youth detained in the legal system (YD) compared to non-detained youth. A prior study found that 40% of YD endorsing a suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. These youth were characterized clinically by high rates of anger and low rates of depression, somatic complaints, and neglect. The present study seeks to replicate these findings in a substantially enlarged sample of YD. N = 1,250 YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt were administered an interview to assess mental health history. 45% of YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. Youth denying suicide ideation endorsed a significantly higher rate of anger/irritability. This enlarged YD sample replicates results that a significant number of YD who attempted suicide denied ideation and that these youth were characterized by high anger/irritability. Implications for case identification and theory advancement for a comprehensive are discussed.

Latinx youth in the United States experience disproportionate exposure to community violence, which contributes to elevated rates of mental health symptoms. Research suggests that individual differences, such as cognitive flexibility (CF) and bilingualism, may serve as protective factors in the context of exposure to community violence. The present study examined associations among community violence exposure, bilingual proficiency, CF, and mental health symptoms among Latinx children. We also tested whether CF moderated associations between community violence exposure, bilingual proficiency, and mental health symptoms. Participants included 50 3rd -5th grade Latinx students (Mage = 9.84, age range = 8-12, SD = 1.04, 48% female) recruited from a charter school that serves a predominantly Latinx student body. CF was measured using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, bilingualism was assessed through the Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey III, and mental health symptoms, including anxiety and depression, were measured using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results demonstrated that greater exposure to community violence was associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, and that CF moderated these effects, buffering against adverse mental health outcomes. Contrary to study hypotheses, bilingualism was not significantly associated with CF or mental health symptoms. These findings highlight CF as a potential marker of resilience among Latinx children exposed to community violence. Future research should explore interventions that enhance CF to mitigate the psychological impact of trauma in this population.

The Youth Anxiety Measure for DSM-5 (YAM-5) was developed to assess symptoms of major anxiety disorders (Part I) and specific fears and phobias (Part II) in children and adolescents in accordance with current diagnostic criteria. Despite growing interest in the YAM-5, research has primarily focused on Part I, leaving Part II comparatively understudied, while evidence on the psychometric properties of both components in children from age eight onward remains limited. The present study examined the factorial structure and psychometric properties of both parts of the YAM-5 in a community sample of Spanish-speaking children aged 8 to 12 years. Participants were 515 children (M = 9.82, SD = 1.20) enrolled in primary education in Spain. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original five-factor structure of both parts of the instrument. The YAM-5 total scale and the total scores of Parts I and II demonstrated good-to-excellent internal consistency, while most subscales showed acceptable-to-good reliability, with stronger internal consistency observed for Part I. Evidence of convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity was also found. These results provide further support for the YAM-5 as a suitable tool for assessing anxiety-related symptoms and facilitating their early identification among school-aged children in community settings.

Bullying is widespread and negatively impacts youth mental health. However, differences between in-person bullying, cyberbullying, and their combination are understudied. To compare the prevalence, clinical presentations, and impairment associated with in-person bullying, cyberbullying, and their combination among depressed youth. Participants were N = 1,281 depressed and/or suicidal youth in Texas aged 8-17 years. Chi-square tests compared bullying prevalence across age, sociodemographic, and identity groups. Multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc tests compared clinical presentations across forms of bullying experienced. Bullying prevalence differed by age group. Youth who experienced cyberbullying or combined bullying reported greater depression, anxiety, and impairment than non-bullied youth. Prevention and intervention strategies should address the combined effects of in-person and cyberbullying.

Many youth suffer from anxiety and related disorders yet do not receive adequate care. Exposure-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective evidence-based treatment for anxiety. Caregivers' understanding of exposure plays an important role in the decision to seek treatment. Data were qualitative interviews and surveys from caregivers (N = 36) of clinically anxious youth (aged 5-18). An integrated inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach was used to identify themes around perceptions of exposure. Caregivers liked the term exposure, finding it accurate. They praised exposure's effectiveness and appreciated therapists' facilitation. Concerns included short-term discomfort, challenges persevering through long-term treatment, difficulty doing exposures without a therapist, and variability in accessing treatment. Findings implicate dissemination efforts. Caregiver-facing materials should describe exposure in simple terms (e.g., slowly facing fears) and provide examples. Therapist training should counteract negative beliefs about exposure, model communication about exposure with families, and highlight the importance of caregiver involvement.

Discrepancies between self- and collateral reports of mental disorders are common and contain relevant information, yet the longitudinal development of informant discrepancies and associated factors remain unknown. The current study examined agreement and discrepancies between self- and mother reported child mental health problems in N = 224 mother-child-dyads in adolescence (T1; M = 14.2 years, 52% female) and emerging adulthood (T2; M = 22.3 years). It was investigated whether maternal and child current psychological distress, mother-child relationship, child biological sex, and the family's socioeconomic status at T1 were associated with discrepancies at T1 and T2. Agreement was moderate at T1 (r = .35-0.40) and high at T2 (r = .50-0.53). No significant differences were found between internalizing (T1 r = .35; T2 r = .53) and externalizing problems (T1 r = .40, T2 r = .50). More than half of mother-child dyads showed no relevant discrepancy at T1 and T2, and discrepancies reduced over time. Discrepancies at T1 were associated with child psychological distress when children reported higher levels of mental health problems, and with male sex when mothers reported higher child symptom levels. The discrepancy at T2 could be predicted by the mother-child relationship, current child psychological distress, and discrepancy at T1 only when mothers reported higher levels of child mental health problems than children. Although agreement increases from adolescence to emerging adulthood, both reports contain incremental information. When selecting informants and interpreting discrepant reports, the direction of the discrepancy, current child psychological distress, the mother-child relationship, and child sex should be considered.

Approximately 50% of children with Tourette syndrome (TS) experience explosive outbursts marked by disproportionate aggressive episodes. Although among the most disruptive manifestations of TS, their impact on family functioning remains unclear. This study examined whether explosive outbursts predicted impairments across dimensions of family functioning. A total of 289 parents of children aged 6-14 (M = 10.6; 75% boys) with TS completed measures assessing tic severity, explosive outbursts, and family functioning. Hierarchical regressions controlling for tics and comorbidities showed that explosive outburst severity significantly predicted impairments in problem solving, role distribution, behavior control, and general functioning, but not in affective responsiveness, affective involvement, or communication. Tics and comorbidities were not significant predictors of any family functioning dimension. Findings suggest that explosive outbursts contribute to organizational and regulatory difficulties, underscoring the importance of targeting these processes in interventions. The absence of associations between explosive outbursts and affective dimensions highlights their distinct clinical profile.

Childhood anxiety is common and represents a public health concern. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) show benefit for improving mental health outcomes and represent one option to increase access to cognitive behavioral therapy skills-but often have low engagement. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examined a gamified DMHI for the treatment of children with mild-to-moderate anxiety. 118 child-parent dyads were randomly assigned to receive a gamified DMHI, digital bibliotherapy, or a waitlist condition. After six weeks, participants completed a post-treatment assessment to characterize change in symptom severity. Participants in intervention groups completed a follow-up assessment six weeks later to characterize continued symptom improvement. Random-intercept linear models identified that the DMHI produced reductions in child anxiety severity at Week 6 relative to the waitlist (effect size = 0.36-0.60). There was improvement in parental anxiety sensitivity for all digital interventions at Week 6 compared to the waitlist (effect size = 0.48-0.50), but effects were non-significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. An exploratory mediation model found that change in parent anxiety sensitivity had an indirect effect on the reduction in child anxiety severity for digital interventions. The gamified DMHI demonstrated efficacy for reducing child anxiety severity in comparison to a waitlist. The exploratory indirect effect analysis generates hypotheses about the role of anxiety sensitivity as a possible mechanism of therapeutic improvement. Findings highlight the potential for the DMHI to serve as an accessible and scalable intervention to reduce child anxiety and inform the study design for a subsequent RCT.

Parents are the main gatekeeper to services when adolescents need help with their mental health. However, previous research has not focused on the specific factors that impact parents as they navigate the help-seeking process. Therefore, the aim of the study was to provide insight into parents' help-seeking experiences. Thirty parents (23 mothers and seven fathers) completed semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The overarching finding is that for parents, seeking help is like navigating a labyrinth. Four themes highlighted the importance of parents' knowledge of adolescent mental health and services available ('Knowledge is Power'), the role of 'Gatekeepers to Services', encountering "Cul-de-sacs" and the need for parents to be persistent. The study identifies the need for reliable information and adequate support for parents, when navigating the help-seeking process. The study also highlights the need for service reform to support young people and parents during this critical period.

Loneliness is a significant public health concern among children and adolescents and is closely linked to psychosocial adjustment issues. However, the longitudinal associations among loneliness, depressive symptoms, aggressive behavior, and prosocial behavior remain underexplored. Through the developmental cascade framework, this study examined the reciprocal relationships among these variables using a three-wave cross-lagged panel model. The sample comprised 634 students (47.8% boys) in grades 3-9 from Wajima City, Japan, a region severely affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Instead of age the sex level was used to index the developmental stage. The sample was ethnically homogeneous and consisted of Japanese participants. Data were collected between July 2024 and February 2025 using validated self-report measures. Bidirectional associations were observed between loneliness and depressive symptoms; however, depressive symptoms showed stronger and more consistent associations with subsequent levels of loneliness (β = 0.15-0.23, ps < 0.001) than the reverse pathway (β = 0.06-0.08, ps = 0.021-0.095). Aggressive behavior was positively associated with later levels of loneliness (β = 0.08-0.09, ps < 0.05) and negatively associated with subsequent levels of prosocial behavior (β = -0.11 to - 0.12, ps < 0.01). Meanwhile, longitudinal associations of prosocial behavior were limited, including a small positive association with subsequent loneliness (β = 0.08, p = .043). The findings support the developmental cascade framework, highlighting the interconnected influences of emotional, behavioral, and social-cognitive processes. These results underscore the importance of integrative, multi-domain approaches to understand and support youth psychosocial adjustment, particularly in post-disaster contexts.

Individuals vary widely in their mental health responses to major stressors, but prospective evidence identifying which resilience factors confer protection is limited. By prospectively assessing resilience factors prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study was uniquely positioned to test how pre-pandemic resilience predicted mental health outcomes during a global crisis. We followed a cohort from a pre-pandemic assessment of resilience-related processes and psychopathology into the early COVID-19 pandemic. Participants represented a psychiatrically enriched cohort that included both individuals with elevated psychiatric risk and non-clinical controls. The study examined whether baseline emotion regulation and supportive close relationships were associated with mental health functioning during a significant stressor, after controlling for baseline symptoms. At baseline (Time 1; 05/2017-8/2019), 96 participants (mean age=19.34, SD=5.08, range=8-29; 51% female; 59% People of Color) completed in-person assessments. Approximately 21 months later, during the pandemic (Time 2; 05/2020-08/2020), participants completed remote self-report assessments of mental health and sleep. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that higher pre-pandemic emotion regulation was associated with lower levels of anxiety (p=.007), psychosis-spectrum symptoms (p=.034), and sleep problems (p=.002) during the pandemic. Higher pre-pandemic levels of supportive close relationships were associated with fewer subsequent sleep problems (p=.022). Findings demonstrate that resilience-related processes assessed before a major stressor predicted mental health functioning nearly two years later. Emotion regulation was protective across multiple mental health outcomes, whereas supportive relationships were associated with fewer sleep problems. These results underscore the value of targeting resilience pathways to reduce vulnerability during future large-scale stressors.

Caregivers of autistic children access many resources to support themselves and their children, but little is known about the impact of these resources on parental self-efficacy. To address this gap, we interviewed 18 caregivers of autistic children in Ontario, Canada about the factors and resources that have impacted their parental self-efficacy. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four themes: Circle of Support, Mastery Experiences, Self-Care, and System Knowledge and Access. Study results support the tenet that mastery experiences are a primary source of self-efficacy, while also offering new insights into factors that can impact parental self-efficacy. Importantly, System Knowledge and Access was found to have an overarching and pervasive impact on parental self-efficacy such that service barriers and a lack of system transparency decreased caregivers' parental self-efficacy. Policy and clinical implications are discussed, including the importance of clear and transparent processes for caregivers to access services, shorter waitlists, and caregiver-centered supports.

Rumination is thought to be a key mechanism contributing to onset and persistence of depression. We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a measure of rumination, the Children's Response Styles Questionnaire (CRSQ), in a sample of UK adolescents (11-16 years; N = 615) who also completed measures of anxiety and depression symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor solution: 'rumination' and 'distraction and problem-solving' (DPS), however the DPS subscale was weaker due to item removal. Full and partial measurement invariance was demonstrated for age and gender respectively. The rumination subscale showed good internal consistency, and it is moderately positively correlated with depression and anxiety symptom measures. Our study suggests that the rumination subscale is both reliable and valid and indicates that the measure could be used in research with UK adolescents, however caution is needed if using the DPS subscale. Future research in clinical populations is warranted.

This study examined how childhood maltreatment, bullying victimization, and weakness in social competition co-occur and are associated with adolescent adjustment through belief in a just world (BJW). Data were collected from 1,302 Chinese adolescents over six months. Latent profile analysis identified three adversity profiles: low-adversity profile (84.2%), moderate-adversity, predominantly family maltreatment profile (11.2%), and high-adversity, predominantly peer-related profile (4.6%). Adolescents in the moderate- and high-adversity profiles reported more depressive and externalizing symptoms than those in the low-adversity profile, with the high-adversity profile showing the highest symptom levels. Multicategorical mediation analyses indicated that both general and personal BJW indirectly linked adversity profiles to depressive symptoms, whereas only general BJW indirectly linked adversity profiles to externalizing symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of co-occurring adversity patterns and suggest that BJW may serve as a partial psychological mechanism linking adversity profiles to adolescent adjustment.