Objectives: Neurodiversity affirming frameworks are a paradigm shift from a deficit-focused approach to autism to recognizing autism as a heterogeneous constellation of differences in abilities and strengths. This article completed a literature review and data synthesis to (1) identify autistic strengths used in the design of psychosocial interventions, (2) propose mechanisms of change that explain strength-based psychosocial intervention effects on mental health and wellbeing outcomes, and (3) integrate findings in a conceptual model for testing in future research studies. Methods: A search for articles was completed in June 2023 and resulted in 24 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The Distillation and Matching Model methods were used to code articles and subsequent conceptual groupings generated categorical domains included in the conceptual model. Results: Autistic strengths identified in the design of psychosocial interventions were grouped into four domains: (1) perceptual, (2) reasoning, (3) expertise, and (4) character strengths. Mechanisms of change were grouped into four domains: (1) affective, (2) behavioral, (3) cognitive, and (4) physiological. The resulting conceptual model presents autistic strengths that can be leveraged in psychosocial interventions and potential mechanisms of change that explain intervention effects on mental health and wellbeing. Conclusions: Growing focus on the translation of positive psychology has resulted in strength-based psychosocial intervention programs. However, intervention strategies have not leveraged the diverse array of autistic strengths identified by autistic individuals, their families, and their communities. Furthermore, research is needed to determine mechanistic paths by which strength-based interventions achieve positive effects on mental health outcomes in autistic children and adolescents.

Background: The transition from childhood to adolescence is a uniquely sensitive period for social and emotional learning in the trajectory of human development. This transition is characterized by rapid physical growth, sexual maturation, cognitive and behavioral changes and dynamic changes in social relationships. This pivotal transition provides a window of opportunity for social emotional learning that can shape early adolescent identity formation and gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of a social emotional learning intervention for very young adolescents (VYAs) to improve social emotional mindsets and skills.Methods: Discover Learning is a social emotional learning intervention designed for VYAs (10-11 years of age) to support development of social emotional mindsets and skills from four primary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The intervention delivered three different packages of learning experiences to three arms of the study. 528 VYAs were randomized to each of the three study arms (A-Content learning, B-Content learning and reflection, and C-Content learning, reflection and experiential practice). A quantitative survey was administered to all participants before and after the intervention to capture changes in social emotional mindsets and skills. A discrete choice experiment measured changes in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors.Results: 528 VYAs were included in the analysis. Participants in all three arms of the study demonstrated significant improvements in social emotional mindsets and skills outcomes (generosity, curiosity, growth mindset, persistence, purpose and teamwork). However, Group C (who received experiential social learning opportunities in small, mixed-gender groups and a parent and community learning components demonstrated larger treatment effects on key outcomes in comparison to Groups A and B. Results indicate Group C participants had greater change in gender equity outcomes (OR = 1.69, p = <0.001) compared to Group A (OR = 1.30, p = <0.001) and Group B (OR = 1.23, p = 0.004).Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that social emotional learning interventions targeting VYAs can improve social emotional mindsets and skills and gender equity outcomes. The findings indicate the importance ofexperientiallearning activities in mixed-gender groups during the unique developmental window of early adolescence. The study also provides support for the inclusion of parental/caregiver and community engagement in programs designed for VYAs.Trial registration: Retrospectively registered on July 7^th, 2020.NCT0445807

Youth in conflict and post-conflict settings are exposed to a variety of potentially-traumatic events that impact their mental health and well-being. The purposes of this study were to examine coping strategies among conflict-affected youth exposed to potentially-traumatic events and the relationship to psychological symptoms and well-being in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A total of 434 male and female youth (ages 10–15 years) completed data collection with a trained Congolese interviewer. The survey instrument included measures of exposure to potentially traumatic events, an adapted coping strategies checklist, and measures of psychosocial distress and well-being. Exploratory factor analyses was used to identify coping strategies and Hierarchical regression was used to assess how coping strategies were associated with psychological symptoms including internalizing and externalizing problems and well-being outcomes including prosocial behavior and self-esteem. Exploratory Factor analysis suggested four coping strategies; problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance and faith-based strategies. Problem-focused coping strategies were associated with greater internalizing and externalizing problems and lower prosocial behavior in both boys and girls. However, when problem-focused strategies were used with emotion-focused coping strategies, the result was fewer internalizing problems in girls and fewer externalizing problems in boys and girls. Emotion-focused, avoidance and faith based strategies were associated with better self-esteem. These results suggest a complex relationship between coping strategies, psychological symptoms and well-being and contradict evidence that problem-focused strategies benefit mental health while emotion-focused strategies harm mental health, particularly in conflict and post-conflict settings. The results suggest coping flexibility, or use of multiple coping strategies may be particularly useful to improving mental health and well-being. The need for context specific understandings of coping strategies in conflict-affected populations is highlighted by the results of the study.

Research has demonstrated the importance of understanding risk factors for mental health and wellbeing. Less research has focused on protective factors that protect mental health and promote wellbeing in diverse contexts. Estimating structural paths from risk protective factors to psychopathology and wellbeing can inform prioritization of targeted investment in adolescent health programs that seek to modify factors that are most closely associated with mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors (e.g. emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical neglect, stigma) and protective factors (e.g. community relationships, self-esteem, and autonomy) among adolescent orphans, protective associations with depression, anxiety and externalizing behaviors and promotive associations with hope, happiness, and health. The analytic sample was collected between January and March of 2019 and included 350 adolescent orphans ages 10–15 from three districts in Tanzania. Participants completed survey interviews, 75–90 min in length, that measured risk and protective factors, psychological symptoms, and mental wellbeing measures. Results of the fitted structural equation model indicated that structural paths from protective factors to psychopathology (β = −0.53, p = 0.015) and mental wellbeing (β = 0.72, p = 0.014) outcomes were significant. Structural paths from risk factors to psychopathology (β = −0.34, p = 0.108) and mental wellbeing (β = −0.24, p = 0.405) were not significant. In a sample of vulnerable youth, protective factors (e.g. community relationships, self-esteem, and autonomy) were significantly associated with reduced depression, anxiety and externalizing behaviors and increased hope, happiness, and health in a structural equation model that included risk factors (emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical neglect). Results suggest that strong community relationships, self-esteem and autonomy may be important modifiable factors to target in intervention programs aimed at supporting adolescent mental wellbeing.

This study aimed to assess the impact of sources of social support and dimensions of self-efficacy on psychological symptoms and mental wellbeing among early adolescents. A total of 274 adolescents aged 10–14 from Darjeeling, India, participated in the study. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) were utilized to assess dimensions of protective/promotive factors. Nested multivariable regression models assessed associations between age, gender, social support, and self-efficacy on psychological symptoms (internalising, externalising, and total difficulties) and mental wellbeing outcomes (mental wellbeing, optimism, and resilience). Results indicated that 13% of early adolescents screened positive for clinical depression and 44% reported poor mental wellbeing. Emotional and academic self-efficacy, along with family support, were significantly associated with reduced psychological symptoms. Conversely, social, and academic self-efficacy, along with support from friends, were linked to higher levels of mental wellbeing. Regression analyses revealed that dimensions of social support and self-efficacy explained a greater proportion of variability in mental wellbeing outcomes (R² = 0.37–0.64) than in psychological symptom outcomes (R² = 0.19–0.22), suggesting a stronger promotive effect on mental wellbeing compared to a protective effect on psychological symptoms during early adolescence. Findings suggest the urgent need for early mental health intervention to strengthen systems of social support and support self-efficacy among early adolescents. Multi-level or sequential interventions that target protective and promotive factors are a key strategy to addressing the global youth mental health crisis.

Background: Inequitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors, are shaped by learning experiences during key developmental stages in an individual’s life course, and can have negative impacts on health and well-being outcomes. Very early adolescence represents one stage when formative learning experiences about gender inequity can have the potential to support or hinder more equitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate the effect of a gender transformative, social emotional learning intervention for very young adolescents (VYAs) that included experiential learning with peers, parents/caregivers and community members. Methods: This study examined the effects of an intervention designed to provide social emotional learning opportunities for adolescents ages 10–11 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The qualitative sample included 279 participants. Qualitative methods included 102 in-depth interviews with VYAs, 22 focus groups with 117 VYAs, 60 in-depth interviews with parents/caregivers and 54 participant observations. A grounded theory approach was used to identify emergent themes. Results: Participants reported growth in targeted areas of social emotional mindsets and skills, including a shift in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. VYAs reported that experiential learning in mixed gender teams provided opportunities to actively practice and reflect on gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. VYAs also reported active practice of social emotional mindsets and skills with peers, parents/caregivers and the community. Parents/caregivers reported changes in VYAs’ social emotional mindsets and skills within the home, with the community and with siblings and peers. Both adolescents and parent/caregivers reported positive change towards more equitable gender norms, beliefs and behaviors through participation in experiential learning activities and reflective discussions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that an intervention providing social and emotional experiential learning opportunities during the developmental window of very young adolescence can be effective in transforming gender norms, beliefs and behaviors. Involvement of peers, parents/caregivers and community members was effective at supporting learning social emotional mindsets and skills in VYAs. Findings encourage local and global adolescent programming to include gender transformative content paired with social emotional experiential learning with peers, family and the community and can stimulate positive change in gender norms, beliefs and behaviors to promote gender equity.