Background: This study analyzes the relationship between depression and anxiety levels and positive and negative affect, self-esteem, and perceived social support from family and friends in an early and middle adolescent sample. These are psychological variables that are often associated with the prediction of emotional disorders, especially depression. Methods: Participants (N = 467) were a representative sample of this group of adolescents and were recruited from schools in the city of Concepción, Chile. Part of the sample (N = 177) was assessed three additional times—at one-, two-, and four-month intervals. Results: Results showed a practical stability of all measures across the four intervals, with no significant differences between sexes. Anxiety and depression displayed a similar pattern of significant relationships with affectivity, self-esteem, and social support. Depression had a higher correlation coefficient (−0.47) with positive affect, and so did anxiety with negative affect (0.58). Conclusions: Taking into account 23 initial scores on affectivity, self-esteem, and social support in predicting both depression and anxiety scores at one-month, two-month, and four-month intervals, positive affect was present in three regression analyses, predicting depression scores; negative affect was present in anxiety scores. Results are discussed according to previous findings, as well as the tripartite model.

Background: The aims of the study were to establish an adjustment model to analyze the relationship among mindfulness, balanced time perspective (BTP) and psychological well-being (PWB) in college students and to explore gender differences among the variables. Method: The sample consisted of 380 college students, 220 women and 160 men, uniformly distributed according to the university’s faculties. Results: The results indicate that the synergy between mindfulness and BTP predicts the variance of PWB by 55%. Regarding gender differences, it was found that women have a greater tendency towards Past Positive than men and men a higher tendency towards Present Hedonistic than women. In addition, in the group of women, a stronger relationship was found among the variables and, consequently, a greater predictive value for PWB (58%), displaying an enhanced disposition to high PWB compared to men. Conclusions: Together, mindfulness and BTP promote optimal psychological functioning and alleviate or reduce discomfort. Thus, their promotion and training in universities is especially important given the high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students.

Bilaterally symmetric organisms need to exchange information between the two sides of their bodies in order to integrate sensory inputs and coordinate motor control. This exchange occurs through commissures formed by neurons that project axons across the midline to the contralateral side of the central nervous system. The posterior commissure is the first transversal axonal tract of the embryonic vertebrate brain. It is located in the dorsal portion of the prosomere 1, at the caudal diencephalon. The axons of the posterior commissure principally come from neurons of ventrolateral and dorsolateral pretectal nuclei (parvocellular and magnocellular nucleus of the posterior commissure, respectively) that extend their axons toward the dorsal region. The trajectory of these axons can be divided into the following three stages: 1) dorsal axon extension towards the lateral roof plate; 2) fasciculation in the lateral roof plate; and 3) midline decision of turning to the ipsilateral side or continuing to the opposite side. The mechanisms and molecules that guide the axons during these steps are unknown. In the present work, immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses were performed, with results suggesting the participation of EphA7 in guiding axons from the ventral to the dorsal region of the prosomere 1 through the generation of an axonal corridor limited by repulsive EphA7 walls. At the lateral roof plate, the axons became fasciculated in presence of SCO-spondin until reaching the midline. Finally, EphA7 expression was observed in the diencephalic midline roof plate, specifically in the region where some axons turn to the ipsilateral side, suggesting its participation in this decision. In summary, the present work proposes a mechanism of posterior commissure formation orchestrated by the complementary expression of the axon guidance cues SCO-spondin and EphA7.

The high prevalence of mental disorders related to anxiety and depressive mood during childhood and adolescence requires a constant screening of the levels of such variables. For that purpose, instruments that are valid, reliable and easy to administrate are needed. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) represents an instrument with those characteristics. The aim of this study was to adapt the HADS, in a representative sample (between 8 and 16 years old) of Chilean children and adolescents. The study was conducted in four stages: cognitive interviews (N=10), confirmatory factor analysis (N=467), test-retest with two weeks (n=126) and one-month (n=227) intervals. The results indicated that the adapted HADS, with an extension of 12 items, would have a structure of two factors (anxiety and depressive mood), adequate reliability for the anxiety subscale (n = .75), but not for depression (n = .65), an absence of a significant correlation between factors, and differences according to gender and type of school. It is concluded that the adapted HADS is reliable for its use with Chilean adolescents. This study supports the two-factor structure of anxiety-depression. However, the structure of three factors also reached significant adjustment coefficients.

Having or being a crush is a little-studied aspect of adolescent romantic experiences. Guided by sexual selection theory, this study addresses the question of “who fancies whom?” by examining which adolescents are most fancied, who fancies others the most, and how romantic interest relates to (dis)similarities between individuals. Cross-sectional data were collected from the Peers and Emergence of Adolescent Romance (PEAR) study, which included 1,895 participants from a large secondary school with four locations in the northern Netherlands. To account for the interdependence of social network ties, Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) were used to examine how individual characteristics and dyadic perceptions (including popularity, physical attractiveness, and aggression), as well as contextual factors, such as being in the same grade and school location, are jointly associated with patterns of romantic interest within peer networks. Results showed that adolescents were more likely to be fancied if they were considered popular and had more friendship connections. Physical aggression also increased the likelihood of being fancied. Adolescents who were more socially engaged, including those with larger friendship networks or relationally aggressive behaviors, nominated more peers as crushes, whereas popular students were more selective. Proximity and shared school context were also associated with nomination patterns. Overall, these findings demonstrate how social visibility, status, and individual strategies of romantic pursuit are associated with early adolescent crush patterns, consistent with sexual selection processes.