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Although both executive functions and internalizing symptoms go through important changes during adolescence, the role of executive functions in internalizing symptoms is unclear. Based on developmental cascade models of psychopathology, this study aimed to fill this gap by studying the bidirectional predictive relationship between executive functions (cognitive flexibility and selective attention) and symptoms of depression and social anxiety. A sample of 698 adolescents (40.8% girls) between 12 and 17 years of age (M = 14.59, SD = 1.36) participated in three waves over 1 year. They completed measures of executive functions and internalizing symptoms. Depressive symptoms predicted deficits in executive functions. Conversely, social anxiety symptoms predicted an improvement in cognitive flexibility. These results suggest that executive function deficits are not a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms but a consequence of them, and there are specific patterns of associations for depressive and social anxiety symptoms.

The role of testosterone, particularly in combination with cortisol, in aggression remains debated. According to the general aggression model, hormones interact with other variables, such individuals' knowledge structures, to predict aggression. This model may help explain inconsistent findings of previous research. Furthermore, the model posits that the influence of hormones on aggressive behavior is mediated by the individual's internal state. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to assess whether (1) testosterone and cortisol, alone and in interaction with aggression-related knowledge structures, predict aggression in a standardized laboratory paradigm and whether (2) this association is mediated by hostile attribution, anger, and arousal. By identifying key moderators and mediators, this study seeks to make a very novel contribution to the understanding of the role of testosterone in aggressive behavior. These objectives will also be assessed separately for males and females. The Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm will be used to assess aggression. The sample will include 110 youths aged 17-19 (50% male). Participants will provide saliva samples before and after completing the paradigm, along with measures of three aggression-related knowledge structures (justification of violence, hostility, and narcissism) collected before the paradigm. Measures of two mediators (hostile attribution, anger) will be obtained after completing the paradigm. Arousal levels (heart rate and skin conductance) will be recorded before, after, and while completing the paradigm. The hypotheses will be tested using path analysis models, examining both the testosterone/cortisol ratio and the interaction between testosterone and cortisol as well as both baseline hormone levels and changes in hormone levels. Although it may be limited by the use of saliva for measuring hormones, this study will enhance the current understanding of the role of testosterone and cortisol in aggressive behavior among youths by investigating novel hypotheses related to psychological moderating and mediating factors.

This study examined the reciprocal longitudinal relations between homophobic attitudes and homophobic bullying at school. Furthermore, the study also assessed the roles of exposure to homophobic bullying at school, homophobic language at home, and previous social interaction with individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) as predictors both of homophobic attitudes and bullying. A total of 791 adolescents (56.38% boys; ages 12-17; M = 13.96, SD = 1.18) completed measures of homophobic attitudes, carrying out homophobic bullying, exposure to homophobic bullying at school, exposure to homophobic language at home, and social interaction with individuals who identify as LGBT. The results indicated that homophobic attitudes at Time 1 (T1) predicted homophobic bullying at Time 2 (T2), and homophobic bullying at T1 predicted homophobic attitudes at T2. Moreover, exposure to homophobic bullying at school at T1 predicted homophobic bullying at T2. Some gender differences emerged in the relations between the variables, which suggests that prevention and intervention in homophobic bullying should be tailored to fit different individual needs.

This study examined the longitudinal relationships between three psychopathic trait dimensions (callous-unemotional, CU; grandiose-manipulative, GM; and impulsive-irresponsible, II) and their interaction in the prediction of psychological and physical child-to-parent violence (CPV). Furthermore, the study examined whether the predictive relationships were different for boys and girls. A total of 765 adolescents (463 girls), with a mean age of 15.28 years (SD = 1.04), completed measures of the psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) and psychological and physical CPV at the beginning of the study and six months later. At the cross-sectional level, all the psychopathic trait dimensions were related to psychological and physical CPV, although the effect sizes were small. At the longitudinal level, II predicted increased psychological CPV. A significant three-way interaction between the three psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) indicated that the longitudinal association between II and physical CPV was higher for adolescents with high CU and low GM. However, the predictive model did not differ for boys and girls.

During adolescence, there are important changes in both depressive symptoms and self-concept; thus, the present study aimed to examine the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on depression and self-concept in adolescents and test whether age moderated the changes. A sample of 300 students aged between 13 and 21 years ( M  = 16.13, SD  = 1.80), randomly assigned to either the MBI or a wait-list control group, completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Self-Concept Form-5 Questionnaire before and after implementation of the Learning to Breathe program. The intervention effects on the changes in some factors of depression and dimensions of self-concept were moderated by age. The intervention prevented increases in depression and somatic symptoms, decreased interpersonal difficulties, and increased social self-concept in older adolescents. However, in younger adolescents, there was an increase in depression, depressed affect, and somatic symptoms post-intervention. The effectiveness of mindfulness training was higher in the oldest adolescents, suggesting that MBIs should be even more precisely adapted for younger adolescents. Implications for the implementation of mindfulness programs in schools are discussed. Highlights This study examined the impact of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) on adolescents´ depressive symptoms and self-concept. Participants’ age moderated the effectiveness of mindfulness training. The MBI prevented increases in depression, depressed affect, and somatic symptoms, decreased interpersonal difficulties, and increased social self-concept in older adolescents. The findings suggest that MBIs should be even more precisely adapted for younger adolescents.

This study examines the level and shape of the trajectory of child-to-mother violence (CMV) and child-to-father violence (CFV) throughout adolescence and associations with exposure to family violence and substance use. An accelerated longitudinal design was used to assess the trajectories of CMV and CFV from age 13 to 17 in 1415 adolescents (712 boys). Measures were collected at four periods that were a year apart. Adolescents completed measures of CMV and CFV at each wave and measures of exposure to family violence and drug abuse at the beginning of the study. The results indicate a negative linear trend, which consists of a general decrease in violence, accompanied by a quadratic component with a peak at the age around 15. The level of CMV was higher than the level of CFV throughout adolescence. Exposure to family violence and drug abuse presented a different profile of association with the longitudinal components of CMV and CFV. The results suggest the importance of initiating interventions early, before age 13, to prevent the rapid peak of violence that occurs between ages 13 and 15.

The incremental theory of personality interventions (ITPI) teaches adolescents that people can change. Researchers have found that these interventions can reduce the perpetration of bullying and cyberbullying. Moreover, there is reciprocity between perpetrating bullying behaviors and being a victim of them. The objective of this study was to examine whether the ITPI reduces the reciprocity between victimization and perpetration of bullying and cyberbullying. A sample of 858 high school students (52% boys) aged 12 to 17 at pretest (M = 14.56, SD = 0.97) participated in a double-blind randomized controlled trial (452 participants were assigned to the experimental condition and 406 to the control condition). Measures of bullying and cyberbullying were taken at baseline, six-month, and 12-month follow-ups. The results indicated that victimization was a strong predictor of perpetration for bullying and cyberbullying over time. Perpetration was not a predictor of victimization. Consistently, for both forms of aggressive behavior, the intervention reduced the intensity of the association between victimization and perpetration. This effect was not moderated by the age or sex of the participants. Finally, the effectiveness of the ITPI was moderated by age. Specifically, among the youngest (< 14.48 years), those who received the ITPI showed a slight tendency to reduce aggressive behavior that contrasted with the growing trend in the control group. Among the oldest participants (> 14.48), the trajectories were similar in the two groups. Our findings show that influencing adolescents' reactions to peer aggression victimization is one of the mechanisms that could explain the beneficial effects of the ITPI and other preventive interventions.

Adolescence is often accompanied by an increase in stress and depression. Although there is considerable consensus about the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce these problems, the results for the role of dispositional mindfulness facets have been mixed. Recent studies have contributed to clarifying this role by identifying subtypes of individuals according to their profiles in mindfulness facets and examining the functioning of these profiles in relation to several self-reported indicators of wellbeing and health. The current study extends previous research by exploring mindfulness profiles in adolescents and by providing several sources of indicators (self-reports, parent-reports, and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis hormones) to examine the adaptive role of these profiles. A sample of 571 adolescents (50.61% girls; 12–17 years old) completed measures of mindfulness, depression, maladaptive schemas, and temperament (neuroticism, extraversion, and effortful control), and provided salivary samples for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. In addition, 331 adolescents’ parents completed measures of their children’ temperaments. The results of latent profile analyses supported a three-profile solution: (1) moderate mindfulness (65.5%), (2) judgmental observing (24.2%), and (3) nonjudgmentally aware (10.3%). The judgmental observing profile was associated with a worse adjustment, indicated by higher depressive symptoms, maladaptive schemas, perceived stress, stress-associated hormones, and neuroticism, as well as lower scores on extroversion and effortful control. This profile was more frequent among the oldest adolescents. In contrast, the nonjudgmentally aware group presented a better adjustment and was more frequent among the youngest adolescents. These findings have implications for preventive interventions. Analyzing the specific profile of each adolescent can help improve individual intervention, taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of each adolescent.

Violent family relationships exhibit different forms that tend to co-occur and perpetuate over time. Research that leads to a better understanding of the concurrence of adolescent perpetration of child-to-parent violence [CPV] and dating violence [DV] is necessary for the development and improvement of interventions. Thus, this three-year longitudinal study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the mutual influence of CPV and DV throughout adolescence, as well as the predictive role of potential common and modifiable cognitive risk factors. Participants were 673 high school students (54% girls; mean age 14.33 years, SD = 0.88) from Bizkaia (Spain), who completed self-report measures about CPV and DV perpetration, and the early maladaptive schemas of mistrust, grandiosity, and insufficient self-control at three time points with a one-year interval between them. Path analysis showed that CPV and DV were cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated. Moreover, DV at T2 mediated the longitudinal association between CPV at T1 and T2. Regarding the predictive role of early maladaptive schemas, the mistrust schema predicted an increase of DV perpetration at T2 and T3, whereas the grandiosity and insufficient self-control schemas predicted an increase of CPV at T2. Adolescents’ perpetration of violence towards parents and dating partners tends to co-occur, influencing each other throughout adolescence. Early maladaptive schemas play a relevant role in the explanation of these two forms of family and intimate violence, although intervention and prevention programs should consider those schemas that have shown greater influence on each type of violence.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress suffered by medical residents as the result of being on call for 24 hours, from a multidimensional approach. Two groups of medical residents selected according to their work shift, participated in the study: one group (n = 40) was sleep-deprived after having been actively on-call for 24 hours, and another contrast group (n = 18) had performed a normal work day and were not sleep-deprived. All participants completed pre-post measures during a 24 h cycle. These were administered on both occasions at 8 am. The measures included HRV, cortisol, cognitive performance and transitory mood. The effect of the group x phase interaction was significant for all variables analysed, indicating that doctors in the 24h on-call shift group showed significant deterioration in all physiological, performance and mood indicators in comparison with the participants in the group not on call. These results suggest the need to review medical on-call systems, in order to reduce the stress load, which has a direct effect on working conditions.