Despite the evidence of the relation between childhood maltreatment and externalizing problems in adolescents, the factors that mediate this link are still understudied. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of mentalization and aggression justifying beliefs and the moderating effect of gender on the link between childhood maltreatment and externalizing behavior problems amongst Lithuanian adolescents. Participants (n = 315; 46% girls) filled in the Youth Self-Report 11–18, Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Reflective Function Questionnaire for Youths and Beliefs Legitimizing Aggression Scale. A moderated serial mediation model was applied for data analysis. The results showed that the indirect effect of childhood maltreatment through low mentalization and aggression justifying beliefs on externalizing problems was significant for girls only. Findings of this study add to the understanding of the differences in factors involved in the development of externalizing problem behavior in adolescent girls and boys. A gender-specific approach would be important while considering possible avenues for prevention and intervention efforts when mentalization and aggression justifying beliefs are included as targets.

Adolescents were a particularly vulnerable group at the time of the pandemic. Restrictions applied during quarantine brought a lot of stress and challenges for the youth. The aim of this study was to reveal how adolescents cope with challenges faced during the lockdown due to COVID-19. Twenty four 13–17-year-old adolescents participated in a qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews via Zoom. Findings revealed seven themes related to youth coping behavior during lockdown: 1. withdrawal behavior, 2. focus on particular activities, 3. social support seeking within family and via the internet with friends, 4. expression of overwhelming emotions, 5. protest against quarantine restrictions, 6. attempts to maintain “active oneself”, 7. search for the personal meaning of the lockdown. Understanding the coping behaviors and helping adolescents reflect their mental states in stressful situations could be effective interventions in order to reduce the risk of future psychological problems.

Child attachment undergoes major changes during middle childhood. Maternal reflective functioning (RF) is hypothesized to be an important correlate of a child’s attachment security during this period; however, the child’s gender role in this association has not been examined yet. In the present study, we used 64 mother-child (6–11 years old) dyads from a community sample to analyze the association between maternal RF and child attachment security and whether this link is moderated by gender. Maternal RF was assessed on the Parent Development Interview Revised (PDI-R2) and child attachment classifications were examined by the Child Attachment Interview (CAI). Results revealed the positive and statistically significant association between maternal RF and child attachment security in the whole sample. Further evaluations of this link in the groups of girls and boys separately indicated its significance for girls only. Finally, moderation analysis demonstrated the relation between child attachment security and maternal RF to be moderated by gender. These findings provide a new knowledge on gender role in attachment security in relation to maternal RF as well as suggest possible differentiation in the correlates on the pathway of secure attachment between girls and boys during middle childhood.

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), originally validated in English-speaking women, has become a widely used tool for assessing eating pathology. However, its original factor structure has often failed to replicate in diverse populations. This study aimed to examine the factor structure and assess the measurement invariance of the EDE-Q 6.0 in a representative sample of young men and women in Lithuania. The study included 800 participants aged 18–30 years, representing a demographically diverse sample of young adults in Lithuania. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the structure of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0) and establish a configural model. Measurement invariance was assessed across sexes. Convergent validity was evaluated using the Level of Personality Functioning Scale—Brief Form 2.0 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. The original four-factor structure of the EDE-Q 6.0 was not supported. Instead, CFA indicated that a three-factor, seven-item model provided the best fit to the data (EDE-Q 7). The identified factors were Dietary Restraint, Shape/Weight Overvaluation, and Body Dissatisfaction. This model demonstrated excellent fit indices and measurement invariance across sexes. However, women reported significantly higher scores on all subscales compared to men. EDE-Q 7 exhibited adequate convergent validity, correlating with measures of personality functioning, anxiety, and depression. The three-factor, 7-item measure is a brief, valid, and reliable measure of eating disorder psychopathology for Lithuanian young adults. The study tested how well the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0) works for young adults in Lithuania. The questionnaire was originally developed in English, but past studies have shown that its structure doesn’t always fit well in different populations. The study included 800 men and women aged 18–30 from the community. Using statistical analyses, the researchers found that the original four-part structure of the questionnaire did not fit the Lithuanian data. Instead, a shorter version with seven questions grouped into three factors—Dietary Restraint, Shape/Weight Overvaluation, and Body Dissatisfaction—worked best. This new version, called EDE-Q 7, was consistent for both men and women, though women tended to score higher on all scales. The shorter questionnaire also showed good validity, meaning that higher scores were linked with more difficulties in personality functioning, anxiety, and depression. To conclude: EDE-Q 7 is a brief, reliable, and valid tool for measuring eating disorder symptoms in Lithuanian young adults.

Somatic complaints are highly prevalent among young adults and can significantly impair both psychological well-being and physical functioning. This study aimed to examine the associations between somatic complaints, mentalization, and stress coping strategies in young adults, a triad that remains underexplored in the current literature. A sample of 115 individuals (49 men, 66 women) aged 18–29 years completed an online survey assessing somatic complaints (Giessen Subjective Complaints List-24), mentalization (The Mentalization Scale, Dimitrijević et al., 2018), and stress coping strategies (Lithuanian Coping with Stress Questionnaire – Revised, Valickas et al., 2010). A network analysis approach was used to explore the complex interconnections among these constructs. Findings revealed that motivation to mentalize and self-oriented mentalization were the most central variables in the network, highlighting their importance in regulating stress and somatic symptoms. Notably, lower self-mentalization was strongly associated with greater somatic complaints and the use of maladaptive coping strategies. Somatic symptoms formed a densely connected subnetwork, with emotional venting emerging as the strongest directly linked maladaptive strategy. Conversely, adaptive coping strategies were positively associated with various dimensions of mentalization and appeared to buffer the impact of stress on somatic health. These results underscore the importance of self-reflective and motivational components of mentalization, as well as adaptive coping, in understanding and addressing somatic complaints. Enhancing these factors may offer promising therapeutic targets for interventions to reduce somatic symptom burden in young adults.

Background: Adolescence represents a critical developmental period marked by significant vulnerability to depression, a condition with heterogeneous presentations that complicate clinical management. The co-occurrence of personality dysfunction with depression is known to indicate greater severity and poorer prognosis, yet specific features of this comorbidity in adolescent clinical samples require further delineation. This study aimed to compare clinical and psychosocial correlates in depressed adolescents with and without impaired personality functioning. Methods: The clinical sample comprised 73 adolescents (aged 12–17; 83.6% female) diagnosed with depression or reporting clinically significant depressive symptoms. Participants completed self-report measures assessing personality functioning (LoPF-Q 12–18), childhood maltreatment (CEQ), psychopathology (YSR 11-18), mentalizing capacity (RFQY-8), borderline traits (BPFS-C), and self-harm behavior. Based on LoPF-Q 12-18 T-scores, participants were categorized into two subgroups: depression without personality dysfunction (T ≤ 64; n=20) and depression with personality dysfunction (T ≥ 65; n=53). Results: Results indicated that adolescents with co-occurring depression and personality dysfunction exhibited significantly lower functioning across all personality domains compared to those with depression alone. This subgroup also reported an earlier onset and higher frequency of self-harm, more severe suicidal ideation, elevated borderline traits, and greater impairments in mentalizing. Furthermore, they demonstrated higher levels of internalizing, affective, conduct, and PTSD symptoms, alongside greater exposure to emotional neglect. Conclusion: Impaired personality functioning in depressed adolescents is associated with elevated and multifaceted patterns of symptoms, including subjective distress and risky behaviors. These findings underscore the necessity of routinely assessing personality functioning in adolescents with clinically significant depressive symptoms to enable early identification and the development of tailored, integrated interventions for this high-risk subgroup.