Reviews
Are Youth Sexting Rates Still on the Rise? A Meta-analytic Update
A meta-analysis of 39 studies (110,380 participants) from 2009 to 2015 indicated that youth sexting increased over time. To inform current practice and policy initiatives, this meta-analytic update of studies since 2016 examined if rates of youth sexting have continued to rise and whether youth sexting differs by age, sex, sexting methods, and geographical location. Electronic searches were conducted in March 2020 in Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science, yielding 1,101 nonduplicate records.Concepts of Resilience in Adolescent Mental Health Research
Strengthening the resilience of adolescents is central to promoting long-term mental health outcomes, but resilience is a widely used term, often applied in different ways. We explored how resilience is understood in the adolescent mental health literature and developed a framework that synthesizes the core characteristics of different resilience concepts.Previsit Multidomain Psychosocial Screening Tools for Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review
Adolescence and young adulthood constitute a period when exploratory behaviors can evolve into risky behaviors. Most causes of adolescent ill health are preventable; therefore, it is a priority to detect them early before they turn into health problems. Previsit multidomain psychosocial screening tools are used by professionals to detect and prioritize potentially problematic issues. In conjunction with appropriate clinician training, these tools have improved clinician screening rates in several areas of adolescent health.Tracking of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior From Adolescence to Young Adulthood: A Systematic Literature Review
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is categorized by substantial changes in one's activity behaviors, which may have important implications for health. To date, no reviews have systematically investigated the evidence of tracking for both physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) specifically during this transition period.Adolescent and Young Adult Male Mental Health: Transforming System Failures Into Proactive Models of Engagement
Adolescent and young adult men do poorly on indicators of mental health evidenced by elevated rates of suicide, conduct disorder, substance use, and interpersonal violence relative to their female peers. Data on global health burden clearly demonstrate that young men have a markedly distinct health risk profile from young women, underscoring different prevention and intervention needs. Evidence indicates that boys disconnect from health-care services during adolescence, marking the beginning of a progression of health-care disengagement and associated barriers to care, including presenting to services differently, experiencing an inadequate or poorly attuned clinical response, and needing to overcome pervasive societal attitudes and self-stigma to access available services.Puberty Experiences of Low-Income Girls in the United States: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Literature From 2000 to 2014
Puberty is a critical period of development that lays the foundation for future sexual and reproductive health. It is essential to learn about the puberty experiences of low-income girls in the United States given their increased vulnerability to negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. To understand the present-day puberty experiences of this population, we conducted a qualitative systematic review.Measurable Outcomes After Transfer From Pediatric to Adult Providers in Youth With Chronic Illness
Children with chronic medical conditions are requiring transition services to prepare for transfer of care. There has been little data on what qualifies as a successful transition or how to measure this goal. The purpose of this review was to identify measurable patient-level outcomes for transitioning youth with chronic illness from pediatric to adult health care. An integrative literature search was conducted using CINAHL and OVID Medline. Key words included transition to adult care and health transition.Reliability of Instruments Measuring At-Risk and Problem Gambling Among Young Individuals: A Systematic Review Covering Years 2009–2015
This review aims to clarify which instruments measuring at-risk and problem gambling (ARPG) among youth are reliable and valid in light of reported estimates of internal consistency, classification accuracy, and psychometric properties. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and PsycInfo covering the years 2009–2015. In total, 50 original research articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria: target age under 29 years, using an instrument designed for youth, and reporting a reliability estimate.Testosterone and Its Effects on Human Male Adolescent Mood and Behavior: A Systematic Review
During human puberty, there is an approximate 30-fold increase in testosterone production in boys. This increase is often linked to changes in mood and behavior in adolescence such as aggression, an increase in risk taking, and depression. The aim of this systematic review was to determine what evidence exists on the effects of endogenous testosterone on behavior and mood in males during adolescence.Adolescent Neurodevelopment
The purpose of this article is to outline notable alterations occurring in the adolescent brain, and to consider potential ramifications of these developmental transformations for public policy and programs involving adolescents.The New Imperative: Reducing Adolescent-Related Violence by Building Resilient Adolescents
Involvement in violence is affected by a variety of risk factors and timing, duration, number of risks, and intensity of risk factors. The earlier the exposure to risk starts, the longer the exposure continues, the number of risks one is exposed to, and intensity of the risk factors experienced are all important. A child who is severely beaten, sexually abused, or both; one who grows up witnessing intimate partner or family violence; one who attends a failing school or is not involved in structured after-school activities; or one who lives in a violent neighborhood is at increased risk of becoming involved in violent behavior.Examining the Development and Sexual Behavior of Adolescent Males
A careful examination of young men's sexuality by health professionals in pediatrics, primary care, and reproductive health is foundational to adolescent male sexual health and healthy development. Through a review of existing published data, this article provides background and a developmental framework for sexual health services for adolescent boys. The article first defines and provides an overview of adolescent boys' sexual health, and then discusses developmentally focused research on the following topics: (1) early romantic relationships and the evolution of power and influence within these relationships; (2) developmental “readiness” for sex and curiosity; (3) boys' need for closeness and intimacy; (4) adopting codes of masculinity; (5) boys' communicating about sex; and (6) contextual influences from peers, families, and providers.Depression, Cortisol Reactivity, and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence
Depression in childhood is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), a relative measure of overweight, and overweight is associated with cortisol reactivity, indexed by heightened secretion of cortisol in response to a stressor. The current study uses a mediation model to examine the associations between symptoms of depression, cortisol reactivity and BMI in a cross-sectional study.Trends in Adolescent and Young Adult Health in the United States
This review presents a national health profile of adolescents and young adults (ages 10–24). The data presented include trends on demographics, mortality, health-related behaviors, and healthcare access and utilization, as well as the most significant gender and racial/ethnic disparities. Although the data show some improvement, many concerns remain. Encouraging trends—such as decreases in rates of homicide, suicide, and some measures of reproductive health—appear to be leveling off or, in some cases, reversing (e.g., birth and gonorrhea rates).
