Primary and Secondary Variants of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children with Conduct Problems: A Longitudinal Follow-up During Adolescence.

Recent empirical work has suggested that youths with conduct problems and presenting high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits can be divided in two variants (i.e., primary, secondary) presenting specific characteristics and needs, but studies examining outcomes associated longitudinally with variants memberships remain scarce. Building on a previous investigation in which we identified variants of CU traits among children with conduct problems, we examined differences between groups on a wide range of behavioral/psychological, relational/social, and educational outcomes assessed during adolescence (n = 309, mean age = 17.4, SD = 0.96). When compared to those from the primary variant, youths from the secondary variant reported higher levels of conduct, opposition, attention deficit/hyperactivity and anxiety problems, had lower teacher-reported academic performance, experienced more conflictual relationships with their teachers, and were at higher risk of being victimized by their intimate partner. These results shed light on the specific clinical characteristics of children from the secondary variant that are likely to persist until adolescence. Providing these children with intensive preventive interventions targeting these long-term consequences could be particularly beneficial.

Associations between externalizing behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors in adolescence: Attachment as a mediator.

INTRODUCTION: Risky sexual behaviors in adolescence are associated with negative health and psychological functioning outcomes. Although the association between behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors is well established, addressing these problems requires understanding the mechanisms that help explain this association. Adolescent attachment, while related to risky sexual behavior, has not been extensively explored as an outcome of childhood externalizing problems. The two objectives of this study were to explore the links between parental and peer attachment and risky sexual behaviors and to examine the mediating effect of attachment on the links between behavior problems and risky sexual behaviors. METHODS: Five hundred and ninety-eight French-Canadian adolescents (46.2% girls), Mage at T1 = 13.23; Mage at T2 = 14.28; Mage at T3 = 17.35) participated in this longitudinal study. RESULTS: The quality of parental attachment at T2 was significantly and negatively associated with risky sexual behaviors 3 years later, at T3. More specifically, a lower quality parental attachment relationship was associated with having nonexclusive partners as well as with inconsistent condom use. Finally, parental attachment (T2) was a significant mediator between behavior problems (T1) and risky sexual behaviors (T3), but only for younger adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that in addition to behavior problems in adolescence, the quality of parental attachment relationships may help in understanding risky sexual behaviors in adolescence.

[An innovative process for sustaining and scaling up a school-based mental health promotion and anxiety prevention programs: The example of the HORS-PISTE program]. / Processus novateur pour favoriser la pérennisation et la mise à l'échelle de programmes de prévention de l'anxiété à l'école : l'exemple du programme HORS-PISTE.

Context Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychopathologies for children and adolescents in Quebec. The prevalence of anxiety disorders is very high and has been affecting a growing number of young people for the past 10 years. It is possible to observe an increased number of anxiety prevention programs for young people around the world. However, some authors point out that they are rarely faithfully implemented, sustained, and scaled up in several schools. Based on implementation science, this HORS-PISTE program was developed to address these important issues by preventing anxiety in Quebec high school students. Implemented in more than 100 schools, the program is now part of Action 4.3 (Promote the deployment of the HORS-PISTE program) of the new interdepartmental Action Plan on Mental Health of the Government of Quebec (2022). Purpose This article aims to describe how the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) framework, derived of implementation science, was used to design, implement, sustain, evaluate, and scale up the HORS-PISTE program. This framework proposes a cyclical process in seven phases. Method A multi-method and multi-stakeholder approach was conducted with a grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund, which has been supporting 20 innovative projects across Canada since 2019. It includes a pre-post evaluation protocol consisting of validated questionnaires, surveys (administered to students, parents, and teachers), semi-structured logbooks completed by program facilitators and implementation review meetings in each school. The different cycles of the program development, implementation and evaluation are discussed through the KTA framework phases. Results From 2017 to 2021, this methodology made it possible to evaluate and readjust the program each year to promote its adaptation and prepare its scaling up. This article highlights the data collected and analyzed in relation to the seven phases of the KTA framework. Conclusion This article demonstrates how implementation science can support designers of anxiety prevention programs who are concerned by scaling up and sustaining their programs. Issues in combining the scientific rigor of evaluation with the reality of the field are also raised.

[A Portrait of Generalized Anxiety Symptoms in a Sample of High School Students: The Importance of Prevention, Screening and Intervention]. / Portrait des symptômes d'anxiété généralisée chez les élèves du secondaire : l'importance de la prévention, du dépistage et de l'intervention.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychopathologies in children and adolescents around the world. They affect their personal, family, school and social functioning. Although symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are among the most commonly observed symptoms in adolescence, relatively little is known about the most important risk factors. Objectives The purpose of the present study was therefore 1) to document the prevalence of the central feature of GAD, excessive worrying, in high school students aged 12 to 17 years, by identifying the percentage of students reporting low, medium, and high levels of symptoms, 2) to identify key sociodemographic characteristics associated with high symptom level, and 3) to identify individual and family risk factors associated with high symptom level and estimate their relative contribution. Method A total of 8689 Quebec high school students (55.9% girls) participated in the study. The average age of these students was 14.34 years (SD=1.52). A k-means cluster analysis was first performed to create three categories based on the symptoms of generalized anxiety presented by the participants (low, medium, high). Multinomial logistic regression analyzes were then performed to identify the variables that best predict membership in these different categories. Results The results showed that 35.1% of the students reported a low level of symptoms, 40.2% reported an average level of symptoms, while 24.7% reported a high level of symptoms. Girls and adolescents in higher grades were more likely to report high levels of symptoms. Several factors were also identified as increasing the risk of being in the high generalized anxiety symptoms category compared to the average generalized anxiety symptoms and low generalized anxiety symptoms categories. These include fear of negative evaluation by others, perfectionism, depressed feelings, negative problem orientation and cognitive avoidance. Conclusion This study supports previous research showing that girls are at greater risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder. It also highlights the multidimensional aspect of the problem, by identifying the most important risk factors. Ultimately, this better understanding of the factors involved will allow us to better identify the targets to prioritize in the prevention of generalized anxiety disorders in adolescence.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Anxiety of Adolescents in Québec.

Background: Several studies conducted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown its harmful effects on young people's mental health. In Québec and Canada, few studies have focussed on adolescents, and even fewer of these studies have examined this subject using a methodology that involved comparisons of data obtained before and during the pandemic, which is the purpose of this study. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety of secondary 1 and 2 students in Québec, using data obtained before and during the pandemic. Method: Participants were 2990 French Canadian students in secondary 1 (grade 7) and secondary 2 (grade 8) in Québec. Two independent samples completed the questionnaires, one sample before the pandemic (fall 2019) and one sample during the pandemic (fall 2020). Their answers were subjected to descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Results show that the pandemic has had variable impacts on the student's mental health, with some of them reporting negative effects on their lives, others reporting no effect, and some reporting positive effect. However, the students surveyed during the pandemic generally reported more symptoms of generalized anxiety, and higher levels of test anxiety, fear of judgment and perfectionism than the ones surveyed before the pandemic. Conclusions: The discussion puts forward possible explanations for the results obtained, which contribute to a better understanding of young adolescents' experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also discusses the importance of developing interventions for adolescents affected by this pandemic.