ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

School-based mental health programs (SBMHP) are designed to influence students' emotional, behavioral or social functioning. Ensuring mental well-being among children and adolescents is essential, because a significant proportion of adult mental illness begin in adolescence, yet mental health challenges among adolescents mostly go undetected and…

The impact of community-wide teen pregnancy prevention initiatives (CWIs) on local U.S. birth rates among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years was examined using synthetic control methodology within a quasi-experimental design. CWIs were implemented in 10 U.S. communities from 2010 to 2015. Each initiative implemented evidence-based teen pregnancy…

Engagement in preventive health behaviors (PHBs; i.e., healthy eating, sleep, and physical activity) during adolescence is associated with reduced risks for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, in adulthood. Although several interventions seek to improve adolescents' engagement in health promoting behaviors, racial- and income-based disparities…

Background: Dental neglect results in dental caries, gum disease, and contributes to chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancers. Poor oral health habits developed in childhood persist into adulthood and can contribute to chronic diseases. School settings are a practical platform for teaching oral health skills. Purpose:…

Behaviour change communication (BCC) remains a central component of the interventions used in the fight against malaria in Ghana. However, there is limited evidence of its effectiveness. This study evaluated the effects of BCC strategies on knowledge (symptoms, causes and prevention) and overall knowledge of malaria among Ghanaian women aged…

Diffusion of innovations theory can be used to understand how to prevent or slow the spread of harmful behaviors, such as e-cigarette use in adolescent social networks. This study explores how different network intervention strategies could impact diffusion dynamics through network simulations based on observed social norms and e-cigarette use…

The objective of the study is to report the feasibility, acceptability, and adoption of the "Access to Tailored Autism Integrated Care (ATTAIN)," a model to identify mental health needs and link to mental health care for autistic children. The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework informed implementation…

Objective: This systematic review aims to investigate the impact of adventure education (AE) on children's physical, psychological, and social development (children's age range: 0-18 years old). Methods: The review was reported based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA 2015). Articles were retrieved from…

There is a high prevalence of adolescent girls with ovulatory menstrual (OM) dysfunction, which is associated with school absenteeism and mental health challenges. Low menstrual health literacy among this group has evoked calls to review OM health education. This qualitative study sought to explore gaps in current OM health education and to…

Respecting the Circle of Life (RCL) is a teen pregnancy prevention program that was evaluated for effectiveness on sexual health risk behaviors through a two-arm randomized control trial (RCT) with American Indian (AI) youth ages 11-19. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of RCL compared to a control group on items of condom…

Purpose: Since youngsters are being extensively engaged with digital devices these days, integrating digital technologies into food and nutrition education programs, stands out as a viable method. The current systematic review aimed to assess the available literature on the effectiveness of digital edutainment games on nutrition behavior of…

Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents, globally. Though post-primary, school-based suicide prevention (PSSP) has the potential to be a key strategy for preventing adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs), there are persisting challenges to translating PSSP research to practice. Intervention and contextual factors…

Schools provide an ideal setting for early, accessible intervention according to research conducted in developed countries for adolescents experiencing adverse mental health (MH). Many schools in South Asia, however, lack structured and standardized school counselling services. Research indicates that where services do exist, students are…

This study reports on the feasibility and acceptability of a social justice infused service-learning (S-L) program to promote Black adolescent mental health and educational equity. We convened a community advisory board to help adapt and pilot test, via open trial mixed method design, an evidence-based service-learning program for Black middle…