The aim of this study was to analyze the reciprocal effects between prosociality, peer support and psychological well-being using a four-wave longitudinal study and a within-person analytical approach (random intercept cross-lagged panel model, RI-CLPM). A sample of 587 adolescents (males = 308; M_age = 14.23, SD = 0.58) enrolled in the first year of high school (9th grade) were recruited and followed over four years from 2016 (Time 1 [T1]) to 2019 (Time 4 [T4]). Once a year, they filled in a questionnaire measuring prosociality, peer support, and psychological well-being. The results from the RI-CLPM revealed that, at the between-person level, prosociality, peer support and psychological well-being were all positively associated. Conversely, at the within-person level and at all survey points, only psychological well-being positively predicted prosociality one year later. Specifically, we found that adolescents with higher levels of psychological well-being were more likely to show a tendency for prosocial behaviors over time. Promoting interventions aimed at enhancing psychological well-being may make adolescents more likely to engage in positive behaviors, such as prosocial ones, in a variety of contexts, thereby creating favorable social environments.

The present study was carried out based on the minority stress model. The purpose was to compare Italian and Spanish gay and lesbian youth on minority stressors and mental health outcomes and test the minority stress model in Italy and Spain. The sample consisted of 490 participants (307 Italians, M_age = 25.30 and 183 Spanish, M_age = 27.57). They completed an online questionnaire measuring everyday discrimination, coming out to family members, coming out to friends/one's social network, internalized sexual stigma, depression, and anxiety. A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to explore the effect of nationality on all measures. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the direct and indirect (through internalized sexual stigma) effects of stressors on mental health outcomes. The results demonstrate an impact of nationality on three dimensions: Spanish youth presented higher levels of everyday discrimination, while Italian youth had lower levels of both coming out to family members and coming out to friends/one's social network. Further, in both countries, all stressors had both direct and indirect (through internalized sexual stigma) associations with depression and anxiety. These findings have some social implications: studying the effect of nationality can be useful in suggesting changes in political and social macrosystems. Additionally, studying the associations among these variables is helpful for intervening more efficiently, for example, clinically, on the impact of minority stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Gay and lesbian young adults report worse mental health than their heterosexual counterparts due to social stigma. Nonetheless, factors such as social support may protect them against the negative effects of stigma. The current study compares Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese gay and lesbian young adults on three dimensions of social support (family, friends, and significant others) and on mental health indicators (depression and anxiety). It also explores the associations between social support and mental health among the three countries. To this end, a sample of 687 gay and lesbian young adults filled out an online questionnaire: 345 from Italy (M_age = 25.24, SD = 4.39), 193 from Spain (M_age = 27.44, SD = 5.05), and 149 from Portugal (M_age = 24.45, SD = 5.15). Italian participants reported lower levels of social support from family and friends than Spanish participants. Moreover, Portuguese participants reported higher levels of anxiety than Italian participants. The results of the survey further indicate that only social support from family was significantly and negatively associated with depression and anxiety in the three countries. Overall, the findings suggest that the mental health of gay and lesbian young adults can be improved through non-stigmatising cultures as well as family education.

School dropout is an issue that requires the attention of institutions. Related research indicates that both family (e.g., parental monitoring) and personal (e.g., academic motivation and school engagement) factors affect adolescents’ decision to quit school. As no studies have jointly examined these variables in Italian adolescents over time, this two-wave study aimed to investigate the role of parental monitoring in the relationships among academic motivation, school engagement, and dropout intention. This study enrolled 377 adolescents (boys = 178; M_age = 14.41, SD_age = 0.72) from two public upper secondary schools in Italy, and followed them over 6 months from November 2024 (T0) to May 2025 (T1). They completed a questionnaire at T0 and T1 comprising the following measures: parental monitoring, academic motivation, school engagement, and dropout intention. Structural equation modelling showed a good fit to the data, χ²₍₅₄₎ = 84.589, p = 0.005, RMSEA = 0.04 [0.02–0.05], CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.02. At T0, parental monitoring was positively associated with academic motivation and school engagement and negatively associated with dropout intention. A positive reciprocal association was observed between academic motivation and school engagement at T0 and T1. Academic motivation and school engagement at T0 were negatively associated with dropout intention at T1. Parental monitoring at T0 had a significant indirect effect on dropout intention at T1 via academic motivation and school engagement at T0. These findings suggest that interventions targeting family and personal factors may reduce school dropout rates among adolescents.