Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Positive Parenting Buffers Stress’s Effects on the Brain

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by EurekAlert!

Positive parenting—as reported by children and teenagers—protects young people from the deleterious effects of stressors like financial hardship or serious illness, according to a new study.

Jamie Hanson and colleagues examined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data along with survey data for 482 participants in an ongoing study, the Healthy Brain Network, who were between the ages of 10–17 at the time of data collection.

Previous work has found associations between stress and small hippocampal volumes as well as between stress and behavioral problems—associations confirmed by this study, although effect sizes were modest.

In the current study, the authors found that in young people who reported their parents were warm and supportive, these associations were weaker or absent. Positive relationships with caregivers may act as “resilience factors,” according to the authors, that protect against the many deleterious developmental outcomes associated with childhood stress. Importantly, this buffering effect was not found for caregiver-reported positive parenting—only for youth-reported positive parenting.

Youth are active agents and may be better informants of their own experience of stress and being cared for than caregivers, the authors argue. According the authors, the findings support evidence from interventions designed to increase positive and supportive parenting, which are associated with positive outcomes for youth.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal, PNAS NEXUS.

Source: EurekAlert!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/992161

Bedtime Rules Make for Better Teen Sleep

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Parents setting bedtime rules can be "protective" of their teenage children's health and well-being, helping them to establish good sleep routines as young adults and in the future, say Flinders University researchers.

Using feedback from 2,500 students aged from 12 to 14 between 2019 and 2020, the Australian study found adolescents whose parents set bedtimes had at least 20 minutes more sleep on average which can make "all the difference" to next-day performance—including reaching the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep a night.

"Most young people tend to stay up later and have less sleep when they are left to set their own bedtimes, but qualitative research is finding that adolescents are open to parental guidance to improve their sleep patterns," says psychology researcher Dr. Serena Bauducco, a visiting scholar from Sweden.

"In our national study we also found some adolescents were happy to have parent reintroduce bedtime setting after a period of having no bedtime rules," adds Bauducco, who says holding on to bedtime rules seems to slow down the natural trend towards later bedtimes and shorter sleep duration seen throughout adolescence.

The study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, supports a growing body of research supporting the positive impact of parent-set bedtimes on adolescents' sleep. Teenagers need between eight and 10 hours of sleep per night.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-bedtime-teen-australian.html

Teens are Spending Less Time Than Ever with Friends

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by The Hill.

America’s teenagers are seeing a lot less of one another.

The share of high school seniors who gathered with friends in person “almost every day” dropped from 44 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022, according to Monitoring the Future, a national survey of adolescents. Social outings for the typical eighth grader dwindled from about 2 1/2 a week in 2000 to 1 1/2 in 2021.

The nation’s teens have traded face time for Facetime. Adolescents are spending less time gathering in shopping malls, movie theaters and rec rooms, and more time connecting on Instagram, TikTok and Discord.

“Teens are spending a lot more time communicating with each other electronically and a lot less time hanging out with each other face to face,” said Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of “Generations,” a new book about generational differences.

“Going to the mall has gone down. Driving in the car for fun has gone down. Going to the movies has gone down,” she said. “We’re talking about kids who are spending five, six, seven hours a day on social media.”

About half of the nation’s high-school seniors met up with friends almost daily in the 1970s, when researchers at the University of Michigan began tracking their outings in the Monitoring the Future study.

In the decades since, a gradually shrinking share of teens has reported regular meetups with friends. The steepest decline commenced around 2010, just as smartphones and social media were taking hold. U.S. smartphone ownership reached 50 percent in 2012.

Today’s teenagers may be spending more time in front of screens than any prior generation.

The average teen spent eight hours and 39 minutes on daily screen time for entertainment in 2021, up from six hours and 40 minutes in 2015, according to Common Sense Media, publisher of a closely watched Common Sense Census.

Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4037619-teens-are-spending-less-time-than-ever-with-friends/  

Childhood Maltreatment Predicts Adult Emotional Difficulties

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Have you ever wanted to convey a feeling but just couldn't find the right words? Millions of people struggle with a personality trait known as alexithymia, which means "no words for feelings." Individuals with alexithymia have difficulty identifying and describing their emotions. This trait can harm their social and intimate relationships. They are likely to miss social cues and thus fail to recognize or understand the feelings of others. Past research has suggested that a history of child maltreatment could play a role in developing adult alexithymia.

A new meta-analysis published this month in Psychological Bulletin, led by Stanford University researchers, is the first study to synthesize empirical evidence in global literature on links between adult alexithymia and all forms of child maltreatment.

"We can say now with more confidence that these phenomena—child maltreatment and alexithymia—are related to each other to a great extent," said senior co-author Anat Talmon, who supervised the study as a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University and currently serves as an assistant professor with the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The researchers examined 78 published sources that reported details of potential child maltreatment and levels of alexithymia in adulthood. In total, 36,141 participants were included in the study conducted by the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory with collaborators at the Hebrew University and Adam Mickiewicz University.

Three child maltreatment types—emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and physical neglect—were particularly strong predictors of alexithymia. Emotional neglect and physical neglect commonly occur together. Two other types—sexual abuse and physical abuse—were related to alexithymia but were less strongly predictive.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-childhood-maltreatment-adult-emotional-difficulties.html

What's Hot? 06/09/23

Trending Today on Twitter - 6/9/23
 1. #FridayFeeling
2. #fridaymorning
3. #TakeTwo
4. #FridayVibes
5. Daily Quordle 501
6. Cracker Barrel
7. Happy Friyay
8. Grand Jury
9. Finally Friday
10. Jinki
Source: Twitter

Trending Today on Google - 6/9/23
 1. Pat Robertson
2. Trump Indictment
3. NHL
4. Dalvin Cook
5. Transformers: Rise of the Beast
6. Summer Game Fest 2023
7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
8. Joran van der Sloot
9. The Crowded Room
10. Kelis
Source: Google

Top Five on Apple Music - 6/9/23
 1. All My Life (feat. J. Cole) - Lil Durk
2. Last Night - Morgan Wallen
3. Ella Baila Sola - Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
4. Put It On Da Floor Again (feat. Cardi B) - Late
5. WHERE SHE GOES - Bad Bunny
Source: Apple Music

Top Box Office Movies - Weekend of 6/2/23
1. Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Boogeyman
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
5.  Fast X
Source: Showtimes.com 

TV Shows Trending on Streaming Services - 6/9/23
 1. Silo - AppleTV+
2. The Idol - Max
3. From - Prime Video
4. Yellowstone - Peacock
5. Jury Duty - Prime Video
Source: Reelgood

Trending Today on YouTube - 6/9/23
 1. That Mexican OT - Johnny Dang (fea. Paul Wall & Drodi)
2. Game Theory: FNAF, I SOLVED Ruin!
3. Golden Buzzer: Putri Ariana receives the GOLDEN BUZZER
4. Apple Vision Pro Impressions!
5. Introducing Apple Vision Pro
Source: YouTube

Netflix Top 5 TV Shows in the U.S. Today - 6/9/23
 1. Manifest
2. FUBAR
3. All American
4. Perfil also
5. S.W.A.T.
Source: FlixPatrol

Doing Good for Others is Good for Children’s and Teens’ Mental, Physical Health

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by NewsWise.

Children and teenagers who volunteer tend to flourish mentally and physically, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.

The study, led by Kevin Lanza, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, human genetics, and environmental sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, was published recently in JAMA Network Open.

Overall, the research team found that youths who had volunteered in the past year were in better physical health, had a more positive outlook on life, and were less likely to have anxiety, depression, or behavioral problems compared to their peers who did not volunteer.

“These study results bring optimism that youth volunteering could be a win-win, where youth are serving society to their own benefit,” said Lanza, who is based in Austin. “Further, youths may be joined by household members and others while volunteering, strengthening social bonds while building community.”

Lanza’s team analyzed parent-reported data from a long-running national survey tracking the health and well-being of U.S. children and teenagers, focusing on nearly 52,000 children and teens ages 6 to 17 who were surveyed from 2019-2020. Of those respondents, one-third of children and just over half of teens had done volunteer work in the past year.

Parents whose kids volunteered were 33% more likely to say their child was in “very good” to “excellent” health compared to parents whose kids did not volunteer. Those parents were also between 18% and 35% less likely to say their child had battled depression or anxiety, or had behavioral problems, in the past year.

Moreover, children and teens who did volunteer work were 66% more likely to be “flourishing” – defined based on how parents answered questions about their kids’ curiosity, willingness to complete tasks, and ability to stay calm when faced with challenges.

Source: NewsWise
https://www.newswise.com/articles/study-doing-good-for-others-is-good-for-children-s-and-teens-mental-physical-health

Alcohol Dependency in Adolescence Linked with Later Depression Risk

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Adolescents who show signs of alcohol dependence are more likely to develop depression by their mid-20s, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) and University of Bristol researchers.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly but with no signs of dependency did not predict depression risk, according to the findings published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The study involved 3,902 people who are part of the Children of the 90s birth cohort study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children—ALSPAC).

The researchers found that people who appeared to be dependent on alcohol at age 18 (or at any age from 17 to 22) were more likely than their peers to have depression at age 24. Those with a score of zero on the alcohol dependence scale at age 18 face an 11% probability of depression by age 24, compared to 15% for those with a score of one on the scale (an increase from zero to one on the alcohol dependency scale represents a 28% increase in the probability of not being able to stop drinking once started and a 33% increase in the probability of failing to do what was normally expected of you).

Co-lead author Dr. Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) said, "By using a large, longitudinal dataset, we have found evidence that problematic drinking patterns in late adolescence may increase the risk of developing depression years later."

"Problematic drinking patterns could be a warning sign of future mental health problems, so helping young people to avoid problematic alcohol use could have long-term benefits to their mental health."

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-alcohol-adolescence-consumption-linked-depression.html

Social Stress, Problem-Solving Deficits Contribute to Suicide Risk for Teen Girls

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Teen girls who have greater difficulty effectively solving interpersonal problems when they experience social stress and those who experience more interpersonal stress in their lives are at greater risk of suicidal behavior suggests research published by the American Psychological Association.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among teens, and rates of suicidal behavior are particularly high among girls. Previous research has found that interpersonal stressors—such as conflict with peers, friends and family—are related to suicidal behavior. Some theories of suicidal behavior suggest that poor social problem-solving skills may contribute to the link, possibly because teens with poorer social problem-solving skills are more likely to see suicide as a viable solution to their distress when they feel they've exhausted other options.

The current study aimed to test these associations by considering both experimentally simulated and real-world measures of social stress. The research, "Social Problem-Solving and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescent Girls: A Prospective Examination of Proximal and Distal Social Stress-Related Risk Factors," was published online May 25 in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.

Participants were 185 girls ages 12 to 17 who had experienced some mental health concerns in the past two years.

"The findings provide empirical support for cognitive and behavioral theories of suicide that suggest that deficits in abilities to effectively manage and solve interpersonal problems may be related to suicidal behavior," said study lead author Olivia Pollak, MA, of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Clinically, this is notable, as problem-solving features prominently in several treatments for suicidal or self-harming behaviors."

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-social-stress-problem-solving-deficits-contribute.html

Study Links Ultra-Processed Food Consumption with Psychosocial Problems in Adolescents

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Adolescents who consume a greater amount of ultra-processed foods and drinks have more difficulties in terms of mental health, according to new research carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), which analyzes the habits of five hundred Spanish adolescents aged between 13 and 18.

The study, which also involves the Faculty of Medicine and the Institut de Neurociències, both at the UAB, and the Barcelona Public Health Agency, analyzes the relationship between the intake of ultra-processed foods and psychosocial difficulties—such as low mood, feelings of anxiety, attentional problems—and other behavioral symptoms, taking into account the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables and the weekly physical activity of the participants, variables that have proven to have positive effects on mental health.

The research showed a direct association between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages, emotional distress, and behavioral problems, with the association with low mood reported by adolescent participants being most significant.

"The association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and mood and anxiety problems in adolescents is consistent with previous studies carried out on similar samples," explains Pietro Tonini, ICTA-UAB researcher and first author of the study together with Marta Reales from IDIBGI, and adds that the results obtained indicate that the relationship between the consumption of these products and attentional and behavioral problems should be studied more in-depth.

The findings are published in the journal Nutrients.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-links-ultra-processed-food-consumption-psychosocial.html