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Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 13891

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paula Vagos

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Guest Editor

Instituto de Desenvolvimento Humano Portucalense, Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: social anxiety; aggressive behavior; school-based interventions; adolescence

Dr. Ana Xavier

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Guest Editor

Instituto de Desenvolvimento Humano Portucalense, Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: children/adolescents; emotion regulation; socioemotional skills; compassion

Dr. Lénia Carvalhais

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Guest Editor

Instituto de Desenvolvimento Humano Portucalense, Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: developmental disabilities; teacher training; child development; health education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Children and adolescents account for nearly 40% of the global population, of which about 10% experience psychological vulnerabilities or symptoms. The quality of the social environment in which children are raised has an indisputable impact on their developmental experiences and in promoting their wellbeing and mental health. School is one such context, one in which children and adolescents spend most of their time, learning not only academic material, but also ways of interacting with others (teachers, fellow students, psychologists, etc.) and relating to themselves.

The school experience of children and adolescents worldwide has been forcibly altered in recent years, including how classes take place, the way teachers, psychologists and other school-staff relate to students, and how students interact with each other. Moving forward, it is important to take evidence-based lessons on how schools may continue to positively shape human development. This Special Issue welcomes original works that may provide that evidence, using diverse quantitative methodologies (e.g., correlation, experimental, longitudinal, clinical trials, etc.). Contributions will focus on how school-related variables contribute to childhood and adolescent wellbeing and mental health, as well as emphasizing practical/applied ways of relying on those variables to promote schools as contexts for holistic and adaptive developmental trajectories.

Dr. Paula Vagos
Dr. Ana Xavier
Dr. Lénia Carvalhais
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

development
psychopathology
prevention and promotion
explicative models
interpersonal relations

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 731 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predictors of Psychological Strain and Allostatic Load in Teachers: Examining the Long-Term Effects of Biopsychosocial Risk and Protective Factors Using a LASSO Regression Approach

by Alexander Wettstein, Gabriel Jenni, Ida Schneider, Fabienne Kühne, Martin grosse Holtforth and Roberto La Marca

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(10), 5760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105760 - 09 May 2023

Viewed by 2157

Abstract

Teacher stress significantly challenges teachers’ health, teaching quality, and students’ motivation and achievement. Thus, it is crucial to identify factors that effectively prevent it. Using a LASSO regression approach, we examined which factors predict teachers’ psychological strain and allostatic load over two years. The study included 42 teachers (28 female, Mage = 39.66, SD = 11.99) and three measurement time points: At baseline, we assessed teachers’ (a) self-reports (i.e., on personality, coping styles, and psychological strain), (b) behavioral data (i.e., videotaped lessons), and (c) allostatic load (i.e., body mass index, blood pressure, and hair cortisol concentration). At 1- and 2-year follow-ups, psychological strain and allostatic load biomarkers were reassessed. Neuroticism and perceived student disruptions at baseline emerged as the most significant risk factors regarding teachers’ psychological strain two years later, while a positive core self-evaluation was the most important protective factor. Perceived support from other teachers and the school administration as well as adaptive coping styles were protective factors against allostatic load after two years. The findings suggest that teachers’ psychological strain and allostatic load do not primarily originate from objective classroom conditions but are attributable to teachers’ idiosyncratic perception of this environment through the lens of personality and coping strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence)

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11 pages, 378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social-Emotional Skills, Career Adaptability, and Agentic School Engagement of First-Year High School Students

by Íris M. Oliveira, Inês de Castro, Ana Daniela Silva and Maria do Céu Taveira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5597; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085597 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2563

Abstract

The transition to the first year of high school constitutes a critical moment because it corresponds to the implementation of a career choice, which can impact students’ satisfaction and psychosocial adjustment. The career construction model of adaptation holds potential to explain how students adapt to high school, by suggesting linkages among adaptive readiness, resources, responses, and results. However, research applying the career construction model to school transitions, combining social-emotional, career, and academic variables is still needed. This study explores the roles that social-emotional skills (an indicator of adaptive readiness) and career adaptability (an indicator of adaptability resources) play in explaining first-year high school students’ agentic school engagement (an indicator of adapting responses). Measures of social-emotional skills, career adaptability, and school engagement were completed by 136 students (63.2% girls; M age = 15.68). Results from the hierarchical linear regression analysis suggest that social-emotional skills and career adaptability explain 32% of the variance and significantly contribute to explaining agentic school engagement. These findings seem illustrative of the potential of the career construction model of adaptation to deepen knowledge and understanding about the transition to high school and the implementation of career choices. Aligned with the literature, this study supports the calls for integrative psychological practices that acknowledge social-emotional, career, and academic variables when fostering students’ psychosocial adjustment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence)

24 pages, 1830 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Inclusion of Other-Sex Peers in Peer Networks and Sense of Peer Integration in Early Adolescence: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study

by Paweł Grygiel, Sławomir Rębisz, Anna Gaweł, Barbara Ostafińska-Molik, Małgorzata Michel, Julia Łosiak-Pilch and Roman Dolata

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14971; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214971 - 14 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1982

Abstract

The main goal of the analysis presented in this paper is to examine the dynamics of including other-sex peers in the peer networks of early adolescents, aged 11 (at T1) and 13 (at T2), and the relationship between sex heterophily and changes in the sense of peer integration. The analysis was conducted using the Latent Difference Score (LDS) model with data from a representative nationwide longitudinal study in Poland (n = 5748). With reference to the dynamics related to the heterophilic process, the research confirmed that at the beginning of grade 5 of primary school, heterophily is still relatively rare, yet towards the end of early adolescence, there is a gradual shift, more strongly in girls, towards breaking through the strictly same-sex segregation and embarking on heterophilic relationships. Importantly, the LDS model—even when controlling for different measures of peer network—showed significant and positive (among both girls and boys) relations between establishing cross-sex relationships and the sense of peer integration. The results indicate that the appearance of the opposite sex in the peer network between grades 5 and 6 will improve the sense of peer integration. The findings are discussed in relation to results from other studies in the field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence)

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13 pages, 771 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Prevalence of Adolescent Social Fears and Social Anxiety Disorder in School Contexts

by Francisca Alves, Diana Vieira Figueiredo and Paula Vagos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12458; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912458 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4210

Abstract

Social fears arise when fearing to be judged in social events. When these fears are intense, persistent, and debilitating, the individual may suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), which has its most frequent onset during adolescence and tends to be chronic. Still, evidence on the prevalence of social fears and SAD in adolescence is scarce. This study analyzed the prevalence of social fears and of SAD in Portuguese adolescents. Of the initial sample (n = 1495), 26% presented with intense self-reported social fears. Of those, 53.9% accepted to be further assessed for diagnosis, resulting in a point-estimate prevalence of adolescent SAD of 9.4%; this is slightly higher than previously found. Social performance was the most feared social event. Of the adolescents with SAD, 12.9% were receiving psychological intervention, 12.1% refused intervention, and 92 (65.7%) accepted intervention. Findings confirm SAD as a highly prevalent mental disorder among adolescents, particularly girls, and additionally, that most of these adolescents did not seek treatment but are willing to receive help if made available. Hence, schools should be invested not only in identifying vulnerable adolescents but also in providing diverse intervention options, tailored to their needs, and directing them to successful developmental trajectories. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence)

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10 pages, 372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Perspectives on Using Serious Games as a Complement to Promoting Their Social–Emotional Skills

by Ana Xavier, Paula Vagos, Lara Palmeira, Paulo Menezes, Bruno Patrão, Sónia Pereira, Vanessa Rocha, Sofia Mendes and Marta Tavares

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9613; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159613 - 04 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

The use of serious games may be an appealing and complementary way to motivate curriculum-based social and emotional learning (SEL); still, investigation into this potential usefulness is scarce. This study aims to address the usefulness of serious games within the program ‘Me and Us of Emotions’. Specifically, we analyzed the differences in children’s satisfaction in sessions that did or did not use serious games as a complement to the intervention, explored the contribution of using serious games to the global satisfaction with the program, and explored children’s qualitative feedback regarding the sessions. The participants were 232 children (122 boys and 110 girls) aged between 8 and 12 years old (M = 9.09, SD = 0.80). The measures were based on the subjective appraisals of the sessions made by the participating children, including quantitative and qualitative assessments of the degree of satisfaction of the participants. The results showed that there were similar levels of satisfaction with the sessions that did or did not use serious games as a complement to the program. However, only satisfaction with the sessions that used serious games (and not satisfaction with the sessions that did not use them) contributed significantly to explaining both the enjoyment of the activities and the interest in the subjects. Satisfaction with serious games was significantly and positively associated with fun, easiness, ability to understand the session, and ability to cope with emotions. Qualitative analysis showed three main themes, namely: positive aspects, negative aspects, and opportunities for improvement of the program. Overall, these results indicate that children’s satisfaction with the ‘Me and Us of Emotions’ program is related to serious games, suggesting the relevance of using this complementary tool more often when intervening with younger generations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Schools as Contexts for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Childhood and Adolescence)

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