The prevalence of depression in females after puberty is twice as high as in their male peers. Considering numerous studies that associate the onset of depression with stress, we tested three hypotheses to elucidate the role of biological sex in stress‐induced depression on a sample of 1618 secondary school students from Zagreb, Croatia (Males, N = 671, Mage at baseline = 16.4 years, SD = 0.60; Females, N = 947, Mage at baseline = 16.3 years, SD = 0.65), in a three‐wave longitudinal study. The study tested the hypotheses regarding: (a) sex‐related differences in reciprocal causation of stress and depression, (b) the moderating role of biological sex in the effect of stress on depression, and (c) the mediating role of stress on the pathway from biological sex to depression. The data were analyzed using a random intercept cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) and standard moderation and mediation analyses. Females consistently reported higher levels of stress (Cohen's d ranged from 0.76 to 0.83) and depression (0.59 to 0.69) compared with their male peers. The hypothesis that biological sex moderates the effect of stress on depression was not supported, as the interaction between sex and subjective stress was mostly nonsignificant or small in magnitude, with standardized regression coefficients not exceeding .126. The hypothesis of sex‐differentiated reciprocal causation of stress and depression was also not supported since cross‐lagged relations were found to be mostly nonsignificant, indicating that the association between stress and depression rests largely on stable dispositions. The data supported the hypothesis of stress mediating the effect of biological sex on depression, with indirect effects ranging from 0.23 to 0.25 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.30). The findings suggest that the increased vulnerability of adolescent girls may lie in stable dispositions possibly responsible for higher sensitivity and less effective coping with stressful situations that lead to depression.

Background and Objectives: Adolescence is a critical yet vulnerable developmental stage, characterized by increased exposure to stressful life events (SLEs), which are strongly linked to the onset and progression of depression. Although mindfulness has been consistently associated with lower depressive symptoms, the mechanisms underlying this relationship—particularly in adolescents—remain underexplored. Prior research suggests that mindfulness operates through cognitive mechanisms, such as reduced rumination, enhanced emotional regulation, and greater cognitive flexibility. However, much of this work is cross-sectional, limiting causal interpretation and often overlooking distinctions between direct and indirect effects. This study aimed to clarify two proposed pathways through which trait mindfulness may reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents: (1) a direct pathway involving core cognitive–emotional processes, and (2) an indirect pathway, where mindfulness supports more adaptive stress appraisal. A secondary objective was to assess whether these indirect effects vary across different types of stressful life events. Materials and Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 3897 adolescents (M_age = 15.9; 51.2% female) across four waves spaced approximately six months apart. Structural equation modeling (AMOS) was used to evaluate both direct and indirect effects of trait mindfulness on depression, with stress domains included in separate analyses. Results: Trait mindfulness was strongly negatively correlated with depression (r = –0.39 to –0.56). The direct effect of mindfulness on depression was substantial (β = –0.60 to –0.74), while indirect effects via cognitive reappraisal were smaller (β = –0.10 to –0.26 for stress reduction; up to –0.17 for depression). Indirect effects varied across stress domains and were generally modest. Conclusions: Mindfulness appears to reduce adolescent depressive symptoms through both direct and indirect pathways. The more pronounced direct effect likely reflects underlying mechanisms, such as reduced rumination and enhanced emotional regulation. Although weaker, the indirect pathway—mediated by more adaptive stress appraisal—adds meaningful explanatory value. Together, these findings underscore mindfulness as a key protective factor and highlight its potential for informing targeted, resilience-based interventions in adolescent mental health.

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period for mental health, with depression increasing rapidly and often leading to lifelong consequences. In recent decades, the prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms among adolescents has steadily risen, making it a significant public health concern. While research supports the benefits of mindfulness-based practices in reducing adolescent depressive symptoms, the role of trait mindfulness remains underexplored. Although some studies suggest a link between trait mindfulness and lower depressive symptomatology, a longitudinal perspective could provide deeper insights into this relationship. Given adolescents’ heightened vulnerability to mental health issues, understanding the potential causal link between trait mindfulness and depression is crucial for both prevention and intervention efforts. Methods: This study examines the relationship between mindfulness and depression in a three-wave longitudinal study of 1618 secondary school students (Males: N = 671, M = 16.4 years, SD = 0.60; Females: N = 947, M = 16.3 years, SD = 0.65) using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. Results: Findings indicate that mindfulness and depression share a substantial proportion of variance (r = 0.48) at the stable trait level, suggesting that sustained attentional focus, a hallmark of mindfulness, is consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms. At the within-person level, momentary deviations from stable mindfulness levels in the first and second waves were linked to lower depressive symptoms in subsequent waves (β = −0.21, p = 0.016; β = −0.44, p = 0.03, respectively). These findings suggest that even temporary increases in mindfulness may provide additional protection against depression. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that trait mindfulness is associated with a reduced risk of developing depressive symptoms at both the between-person and within-person levels. Specifically, adolescents with higher stable levels of mindfulness tend to report fewer depressive symptoms over time, and even momentary increases in mindfulness beyond an individual’s typical level are linked to reductions in subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential of mindfulness-based interventions in mitigating adolescent depression and underscore the importance of cultivating mindfulness as a protective factor during this critical stage of development.

Although a number of studies reported negative associations between young people’s religiosity and risky sexual behavior, psychosocial mechanisms that might underlie these links have not been directly assessed. Utilizing structural equation modeling approach, the current study explored three such mechanisms: (a) internal motivation (internalization), (b) external motivation (peer influence), and (c) mixed motivation (collective identity), using data from a population-based online panel of 1,200 emerging Croatian adults aged 18–25 years. Observed mechanisms were gender-specific: while a combination of internal and external motivation was observed among female participants, both mixed and internal motivations were relevant for male participants. Contrary to expectations, the link between the mixed motivation mechanism and sexual risk taking was positive. Overall, the weak associations found in this study suggest that religiosity and personal faith do not play a substantial role in emerging Croatian adults’ sexual and reproductive health.

In this article, we describe the construct validation of a General Social Attitudes Scale (SAS_G), designed to measure the basic dimensions of social attitudes in both self-reports and peer-ratings. A large sample of Croatian university students (N = 452) used the SAS_G to describe their own social attitudes, which were also described by 452 of their acquaintances using the same instrument. All SAS_G subscales showed reasonably high internal consistency reliability estimates as well as appropriate convergent and discriminant validity based on self/peer correlations. Separate Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) of both self-reports and peer ratings yielded five replicable factors and acceptable indices of fit. However, the validation analyses against lexically based Saucier’s (2008 ) ISMS instrument showed little convergence, indicating that these two approaches to general social attitudes scale construction can lead to the identification of different basic constructs.

Background/Objectives: Internalizing problems commonly increase during adolescence, yet the precise nature of their reciprocal relationship with stress remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the directionality of this association by disentangling stable dispositional influences from dynamic, within-person processes. Specifically, we examined whether stress and internalizing symptoms exhibit bidirectional effects over time or are primarily shaped by enduring individual differences. Methods: A large, representative sample of 1618 secondary school students (671 males, 947 females; M = 16.3 years) completed measures of subjective stress, emotional problems, and peer problems across three time points spaced six months apart. Data were analyzed using the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM), which separates stable between-person variance from within-person fluctuations. Model fit was assessed using established criteria (CFI, TLI, RMSEA). Results: Subjective stress and emotional problems were strongly associated, whereas the relationship between stress and peer problems was weaker. In both domains, associations were largely explained by stable, trait-like individual differences. All cross-lagged effects at the within-person level were non-significant, indicating no dynamic, time-ordered influence between constructs. These findings provide no empirical support for the stress sensitization or stress generation hypotheses but are consistent with diathesis–stress models emphasizing enduring dispositional vulnerability. Conclusions: The results suggest that the link between stress and internalizing symptoms during adolescence primarily reflects stable personality-based factors, such as neuroticism or emotional instability, rather than reciprocal causal processes. Preventive interventions should target emotional regulation and resilience to mitigate the impact of dispositional vulnerabilities on adolescent mental health.