Mental and Behavioral Health among Vulnerable Adolescents: Perspective, Associated Factors, and Empowerment Programs

A special issue of Adolescents (ISSN 2673-7051).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2022) | Viewed by 7680

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Interests: adolescent risk-taking behaviour; health promotion; student health; health-promoting university; school-based programmes, alcohol and other drugs; prevention; co-creation; social norms theory; game-based learning; virtual reality
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Guest Editor
Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Interests: children and adolescents behavioral health; adolescents lifestyle; health education and health promotion; community-based health programs; migrants and refugees

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of vulnerability refers to people who are exposed to risks more often than other populations or their peers. Existing evidence suggests that adolescence itself can be described as a vulnerability factor. Due to the physical and mental effects of puberty as well as the need to take up new social roles and respond to challenges, adolescents are highly exposed to mental, behavioral, and social risks and threats. These risks can increase severely among adolescents who belong to one or more vulnerable groups such as orphans, refugees, or adolescents with mental or physical disabilities.

In the past few years, the search for effective ways to improve the health status of vulnerable groups of adolescents has accelerated. However, there are still a lot of shortcomings that need to be addressed, especially with respect to skills-based health programs and empowerment approaches.

The Special Issue welcomes original research, brief reports, methodological papers, systematic reviews, perspectives, project reports, and commentaries addressing any aspect of vulnerable adolescents’ mental and behavioral health such as need assessments, associated factors, and experimental programs, specifically with the empowerment perspective.

Prof. Dr. Christiane Stock
Dr. Marjan Mohammadzadeh
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. Adolescents is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • vulnerable adolescents and youth
  • mental and behavioral health
  • empowerment
  • positive/risk behaviors
  • self-care and self-management
  • health promotion and interventions
  • education and training
  • associated and risk factors
  • gender dimension
  • parents and caregivers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Do We Learn to Internalize Stigma from Our Parents? Comparison of Internalized Stigmatization in Adolescents Diagnosed with ADHD and Their Parents
by Gül Dikeç, Öznur Bilaç, Cansın Kardelen and Şermin Yalin Sapmaz
Adolescents 2022, 2(4), 439-447; https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2040034 - 29 Sep 2022
Viewed by 2809
Abstract
This study compared internalized stigmatization levels of adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with those of their parents. The study’s data were collected from 107 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and their parents between July 2020 and March 2021. The adolescents [...] Read more.
This study compared internalized stigmatization levels of adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with those of their parents. The study’s data were collected from 107 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and their parents between July 2020 and March 2021. The adolescents were followed up in the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic of a university hospital in western Turkey. The information forms for adolescents and parents, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale—Adolescent Form (ISMI-AF) and the Parental Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (PISMI), were used to collect the data. There was no statistically significant difference between the total scores of internalized stigma and subscale mean scores of the adolescents and their parents (p > 0.05); only the subscale scores for stereotype endorsement were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05). PISMI scores affected ISMI-AF scores, which can be interpreted as parents’ perspectives and attitudes toward stigmatization affecting adolescents. For ADHD, whose frequency is increasing daily, intervention studies should be conducted to reduce adolescents’ and parents’ internalized stigma and to enhance the educational outcomes of adolescents. Full article
15 pages, 524 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Decisional Drivers of Deviance: A Qualitative Study of Institutionalized Adolescents in Malaysia
by Kishwen Kanna Yoga Ratnam, Nik Daliana Nik Farid, Li Ping Wong, Nur Asyikin Yakub, Mohd Alif Idham Abd Hamid and Maznah Dahlui
Adolescents 2022, 2(1), 86-100; https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents2010009 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3561
Abstract
Adolescents who break the law or deviate from social norms are often criminalized as their behavior is perceived as resulting from conscious choices. However, it is likely that such choices result from their circumstances, namely the failure of their proximal environment to safeguard [...] Read more.
Adolescents who break the law or deviate from social norms are often criminalized as their behavior is perceived as resulting from conscious choices. However, it is likely that such choices result from their circumstances, namely the failure of their proximal environment to safeguard their wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the background variables and choices that led these institutionalized adolescents down the road of deviance. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews, conducted between March and May 2018, with 18 participants aged between 15 to 19 years. Participants were purposefully sampled from various welfare institutions in the states of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. Audio recordings of interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. We found three core themes, (i) Sources of Distress, (ii) Drivers of Deviance, and (iii) Adjustment Strategies for Coping with Distress, which appeared to have influenced participants’ life trajectories and eventual institutionalization. The findings showed that participants were disadvantaged by backgrounds of risk and vulnerability, characterized by a lack of social support and opportunities for personal development, negative schooling experiences, and negative peer interactions. Substance abuse, which provided a coping strategy for the participants, may have further contributed to their delinquency. Drawing upon the socio ecological model (SEM), we systematically identify interventional opportunities at the individual, community, and policy levels to safeguard the wellbeing of at-risk adolescents. We make recommendations aimed at improving the family dynamics, promoting a healthy schooling experience, and transforming neighborhoods into a safe and nurturing environment. Full article
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