Interpersonal emotion regulation and family functioning in the relationship between anhedonia and depressive symptoms in adolescents: a moderated mediation model

Background: Awareness of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFSRHS) is an important starting point for enabling young people to identify and seek appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and care. However, awareness of these services may vary across settings, including higher education institutions. Objective: To determine the level of awareness of YFSRHS among undergraduate students at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Malimbe Campus. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at SAUT Malimbe Campus. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of 109 questionnaires distributed, 108 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ awareness and reported sources of information. Results: Of the 108 respondents, 96 (88.9%) reported having heard of YFSRHS, while 12 (11.1%) had not. Social media was the most frequently reported source of information (44.0%), followed by friends or peers (41.0%) and health facilities (36.0%). University programmes and posters or advertisements were reported less frequently. Conclusion: Most respondents had heard of YFSRHS, with social media and peer networks serving as prominent information channels. Strengthening accurate information through these channels, alongside university-based communication, may help address the awareness gap among students who remain unreached.

This mixed-methods study examined whether first-year teachers could improve relationships with students through Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Fifty novice teachers implemented one of three PBIS strategies: daily one-on-one conversation, verbal praise, or immediate rewards with 192 selected students over a two-week period. Teacher-student relationships were measured using the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) before and after the intervention. Results showed significant reductions in conflict (t(191) = 7.14, p < .001, d = 0.98) and moderate increases in closeness (t(191) = –7.11, p < .001, d = 0.67). No significant differences emerged across grade levels, teacher and student gender, or PBIS strategy type. Thematic analysis of teacher reflections highlighted improvements in engagement, cooperation, emotional regulation, and relational trust. Although the study was limited by its two-week duration and reliance on teacher self-reports, the findings demonstrate that even brief PBIS interventions can yield measurable relational benefits. Implications are discussed for teacher preparation programs and school-based practice. Keywords: teacher-student relationships, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), teacher preparation programs, first-year/novice teachers, school climate.

Family co-responsibility links family involvement with students' socioemotional needs and with the actions carried out by the school. This study aimed to understand, from the perspective of education professionals, family co-responsibility for the socioemotional support of basic education students in public schools. A qualitative study with a descriptive design and an interpretive orientation was conducted. Data were collected through an asynchronous, self-administered open-ended questionnaire completed by three professionals with different profiles and were examined through qualitative content analysis and source triangulation. The results show heterogeneous family involvement and support practices that combine educational monitoring with emotional support. Participants distinguished between having communication channels available and sustaining ongoing coordination with families. The barriers identified were mainly located in family and socioeconomic conditions, and no barriers were explicitly attributed to the school. Family-school collaboration was recognized as relevant to addressing socioemotional needs. Based on the professionals' perceptions, the study concludes that family support integrates educational and socioemotional dimensions and gains meaning through its connection with the school, within a co-responsibility in which both settings play distinct and complementary roles.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic created social disruptions, leading to high levels of mental health problems for adolescents. Interpersonal stressors, such as lack of familial support, peer victimization, and discrimination, may have further exacerbated teen mental health issues. Yet, the psychological impact of interpersonal stressors and their interactive effects with high levels of loneliness remains unknown. In this pre-registered study , conducted in November and December 2020 (approximately eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic), we used a diverse sample of adolescents from across 43 U.S. states with elevated depressive symptoms (n = 2,452, ages 13–16) to examine how familial support, peer victimization, and discrimination are concurrently associated with mental health outcomes. Results indicated that perceived discrimination was the strongest standardized correlate across continuous internalizing outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and hopelessness), whereas lack of familial support was the primary correlate of suicidal ideation; if youth reported a lack of familial support, they were over three times as likely to report suicidal ideation. Loneliness significantly moderated the cross-sectional links between lack of familial support and depressive symptoms, as well as perceived discrimination and hopelessness. Simple slope probing demonstrated a distress ceiling effect: interpersonal stressors were most strongly associated with elevated distress among youth reporting low baseline loneliness, whereas youth experiencing high loneliness exhibited consistently elevated distress regardless of stressor exposure. These findings underscore interpersonal stressors and loneliness as high-priority targets for youth prevention and intervention programs, particularly during periods of widespread social disruption.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the internalised stigma and self-esteem in adult outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) attending a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Iraq, and to explore the relationship between these variables. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study among 120 adults with MDD who attended psychiatric outpatient clinics of Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk, Iraq. All participants filled out a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Internalised Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and simple linear regression. Results: The overall mean ISMI score was 2.90 (SD = 0.42), with the highest scores for stereotype endorsement (M = 3.16) and alienation (M = 3.14) and the lowest for stigma resistance (M = 2.19). The overall mean RSES score was 2.29 (SD = 0.38). There was a negative correlation between internalised stigma and self-esteem (r = −0.338, p < 0.001). Self-esteem was statistically associated with internalised stigma (β = −0.338, t = −3.897, p < 0.001), explaining 11.4% of the variance (R² = 0.114) in simple linear regression. Conclusions: In this single-centre sample of adults with MDD, internalised stigma and self-esteem were inversely related. Since the study is a cross-sectional design, the association observed cannot be considered a causal relationship. The results provide a basis for consideration of the psychosocial aspects of routine psychiatric care (stigma and self-esteem) and for further longitudinal and multicentre research to establish temporal relationships and to determine potentially modifiable factors.