Journal of Adolescence

Understanding the immigrant paradox on health outcomes among UK's immigrant adolescents will greatly complement the research on immigrants that has already been established there by economists and interdisciplinary fields. This study used the first Longitudinal Study of Young People in England 2004–2010 database (N = 15,770) to determine a) whether there was evidence of the immigrant paradox on internalizing mental health symptoms between first generation (n = 753) and second plus generation (n = 3042) 14/15 year old immigrant adolescents in England and b) whether differences (if any) were moderated by ethnicity group membership (Black African, Black Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Asian Other, White Immigrant). Findings demonstrate that overall first generation adolescent immigrants had statistically fewer internalizing symptoms as compared to second plus generation, and that this was especially true for Black African adolescents. Effect sizes measures however indicated that these differences were negligible. Implications for protective factors and future studies are briefly discussed.

Research with anxious and depressed adults has suggested that anxiety is related to an increased anticipation of both negative memories and negative expectancies whereas depression is related to a reduction in positive memories and expectancies. The present study examined whether anxiety and depression in 123 school‐aged adolescents would show the same pattern. Small groups completed a memory and future thinking task in which they were asked to generate future and past, positive and negative events. Adolescents with higher levels of depression and those with higher levels of anxiety reported significantly more negative events relative to controls, but neither group generated fewer positive events. The results provide support for the involvement of cognitions in mood disturbance although do not support the idea that these cognitions are different in anxiety and depression.

A cohort study on a sample of 327 high school students was carried out between 1983 and 1985. Health and behaviour problems were investigated. During adolescence psychosomatic, depressive and behavioural problems appear to be common. The majority of young people suffer at least one problem at 18 years of age. The type of problems are closely related to gender: among boys behavioural problems (BP), such as alcohol or drug consumption, tobacco smoking and violence, are important; among girls sleep disorders, headaches and depressive symptoms (PDS) are frequent.

During adolescence sex differences become clearly established. Between 16 and 18 years of age the average number of behavioural problems rises from 0·5 to 1·5 for boys and remains stable (around 0·5) for girls. During the same period the PDS average rises from 1·6 to 2·0 for girls and remains stable (around 0·7) for boys.

Even if there exists a correlation between BP and PDS (this correlation is higher in the early age than later on), one type of problem is always predominant, according to sex.

BP as well as PDS are related to the intolerance of frustration. Authors conclude that these problems must be considered as the expression of the inability to metabolize or cope with the conflict.

The field of intervention and prevention research is rapidly growing. In this general discussion of the studies in the special issue on intervention and prevention with adolescents, we highlight some of the challenges facing researchers in this field. One is the community perspective. Family and school are the primary settings for intervention research today, and this special issue covers various approaches to family‐ and school‐based interventions. Taking a community perspective, the question becomes how these different interventions can be co‐ordinated across contexts and be integrated in a local community's broader intervention policies and activities. Another challenge for intervention and prevention research is to use better designs in order to better understand how interventions into young peoples′ lives affect their future health and adjustment. Overall, the studies in this special issue illustrate well the many challenges that intervention researchers face when they go from theory to practice.

This study investigates the types and behavioral associations of peer status in school‐bound young adults in the Netherlands. We argue that adolescent peer popularity and its link with aggressive and norm‐breaking behavior result from adolescents' desire to create an image of maturity among their peers. We expect that in young adults who are approaching working life, peer status is defined by affective measures of status and prosociality rather than adverse behaviors. Analyses revealed a three cluster solution of (1) liked, (2) liked‐popular and (3) neutral members of the peer group, showing that status is primarily defined by being well‐liked, though popularity remains relevant. Status was primarily associated with prosocial behavior, especially for females. Peer status in young males remained associated with overt aggressive behavior.

Hysteria is a topic which has produced a plethora of articles on adults but, in comparison, there is a scarcity when it involves children and young adolescents. There is considerable confusion in definition, classification, incidence and management. More agreement seems to be found when conversion reactions are specifically considered.

This article attempts to present the dilemma that confronts the clinician when faced with an individual patient with a conversion reaction. This may especially apply to the present day practitioner who is likely not to have had much personal experience in managing this condition. Some of the relevant literature is summarized and the five patients are presented in tabular form and individually, together with their outcome at follow‐up. The findings are discussed and some conclusions are drawn.

The frequency of health care use is crucial for adolescent well‐being and health systems. The present study was the first to test a set of variables in a representative sample of Greek adolescents in order to identify factors that predict health care use and contribute to improving health service planning. Questionnaires were administered to a random sample of adolescents (N = 1 194) aged 11–18 years and their parents (N = 973) in 2003. Data from 894 participants with full data were analyzed. Parents' education, adolescents' chronic health needs, physical well‐being and emotional/behavioural problems as well as parent‐child relationship were independent predictors of health care use, although some factors, such as gender, age, type of residence, family affluence, social support and parental health status that previous research identified as predictors were not confirmed. Beyond the need of health care, other factors also play an important role in the utilization of health services by adolescents and their families.