Jonathan Smith

Body image concerns may contribute to school disengagement during late childhood, but this has not been well investigated. This study examined longitudinal associations between different dimensions of body image (body dissatisfaction and weight perception) and school engagement (affective, behavioural, and cognitive) in a sample of 9- to 12-year-old Canadian children ( N = 1,070) over 8 months. Results indicated that children’s body dissatisfaction predicted decreases in cognitive engagement only. Also, lower levels of all types of school engagement predicted increases in body dissatisfaction and/or weight perception—suggesting bidirectional influences. Gender analyses indicated that body dissatisfaction predicted lower cognitive engagement among girls only, whereas lower behavioural engagement predicted increased body dissatisfaction among boys only. These findings suggest that body image and school engagement influence one another in gender-specific ways, highlighting the potential value of tailoring early prevention and intervention efforts in these areas to the distinct developmental needs of boys and girls.

Background: Research is needed to better understand mental health (MH) problems among higher education (HE) students and how to address them. The Observatory on Student Mental Health in Higher Education (OSMHHE) brings together 350 members across Quebec (Canada) and internationally. Its mission is to develop, promote, and disseminate knowledge to foster a culture that supports student MH in HE. Objective: This study aims to describe the OSMHHE’s research protocol, which consists of three objectives: (1) establishing a portrait of students’ MH and its determinants, (2) identifying and evaluating a variety of MH practices, and (3) assessing the implementation and impacts of the OSMHHE as a knowledge mobilization infrastructure. Methods: Objective 1 will be achieved through a provincial survey using a cross-sectional, repeated-measures design with 2 data collections (November 2024 and 2026) targeting the entire Quebec HE student population. Dimensions, indicators, and scales were selected based on conceptual frameworks, a systematic literature review, and Delphi methods. Analyses will include descriptive statistics by education levels; inferential analyses comparing subpopulations; multiple regressions, logistic models, and linear mixed models to identify MH determinants; and repeated-measures ANOVA to examine temporal changes. Objective 2 will evaluate the implementation, sustainability, scale-up, and impacts of MH practices using mixed methods. Analyses may include descriptive and comparative statistics, correlations, structural equations modeling (path analysis), and qualitative content or thematic analyses. Objective 3 will draw on the framework of Ziam et al to assess knowledge mobilization strategies. A developmental evaluation approach and convergent mixed methods design within a case study will be used to assess the OSMHHE’s implementation and impacts. Qualitative data will include semistructured individual and group interviews with OSMHHE members, addressing topics such as roles, decision-making processes, facilitators and barriers, and outcomes. Additional qualitative sources will include diverse documents (eg, meeting agendas, reports). Quantitative data will come from questionnaires completed by members examining levels of engagement and satisfaction, challenges and barriers, and impacts of the OSMHHE’s activities and knowledge mobilization practices. Qualitative data will be analyzed using content analyses. Quantitative data will be examined using descriptive, comparative, and correlational analyses. Results: This project is funded from February 2023 to February 2028. The first provincial survey took place in November 2024, collecting data from 32,212 students in 77 HE institutions. Analyses are underway, and a first report was released in November 2025. Approximately 20 student MH practices are currently being evaluated. Conclusions: The OSMHHE provincial survey will provide portraits of students’ MH in HE in Quebec and its determinants to better guide MH practices and institutional decision-making. Evaluating MH practices will advance knowledge of their effectiveness. Assessing the implementation of the OSMHHE will help deepen our understanding of knowledge mobilization infrastructures designed to support student MH in HE.

Background: Children's exposure to climate change information through educational and media channels can lead to experiencing eco-anxiety. When children use maladaptive coping strategies such as avoidance and de-emphasizing the seriousness of the threat, their anxiety and distress levels increase significantly. Research indicates that creative arts and existential psychology interventions grounded in self-determination theory may promote healthier coping mechanisms like creating meaning. Methods: This randomized cluster pilot study examined whether a creative arts and philosophical inquiry intervention could foster adaptive coping strategies in elementary school children. Eighty-seven students across four classrooms participated. The experimental group ( n = 46) received a seven-week intervention addressing eco-anxiety themes, while control groups ( n = 41) remained on a waiting list. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessed climate change coping strategies, eco-anxiety dimensions, and self-determination. Results: Results showed significant decreases in overall eco-anxiety, affective eco-anxiety, and rumination eco-anxiety scores from pre- to post-intervention, regardless of group assignment. No significant interaction effects emerged between the intervention and time on any of the measured variables, indicating the intervention did not produce differential outcomes compared to the control condition. Implications: Results suggest that discussing climate change in the classroom through artistic creation and philosophical inquiry did not promote adaptive coping nor impact eco-anxiety. The observed reductions in eco-anxiety across both groups could reflect external factors or contamination effects rather than intervention effectiveness. Future research should employ longitudinal designs with larger, more diverse samples and incorporate more sensitive measurement tools, shorter questionnaires, and child-appropriate assessments to better understand intervention impacts on children's climate-related mental health.

The transition to adulthood is a vulnerable period for the development of body image issues, which can increase the risk of behavioral disorders such as body dysmorphic and eating disorders. This study explored whether adherence to physical activity guidelines moderates the association between recreational screen time and body dissatisfaction in early adulthood. A sample of 1,475 young adults (mean age 18.81 years, 60.9% female) from 17 French-speaking public colleges in Quebec, Canada, completed self-report questionnaires in Fall 2021 and Winter 2022. Participants reported their daily recreational screen time, engagement in physical activity over the past 3 months, and sociodemographic characteristics. The analysis, based on multivariate linear regression, showed that higher screen time was associated with greater body dissatisfaction, but this relationship was weaker among participants who met the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines. These findings suggest that adherence to physical activity guidelines may buffer the negative effects of recreational screen time on body dissatisfaction in young adults, highlighting the value of promoting physical activity in interventions aimed at reducing body dissatisfaction.

Being in contact with and being offered the opportunity to create art in its various forms has been shown to contribute to young adolescents’ development and flourishing. Indeed, it allows them to develop their innovation and critical thinking skills, while also favouring introspection, awareness, and regulation of their emotions, and building social skills. Through works of art, students are also in contact with pieces that echo their own existential questions and that widen their horizons, which can help further their understanding of the world that surrounds them and themselves. This better understanding, in turn, can fulfil their basic psychological need for self-determination, which has been shown to be beneficial for psychosocial adjustment. Interventions that cultivate self-determination, such as art-based interventions and the use of material culture, also promote citizen engagement and wellbeing in young adolescents. This chapter is divided into two sections and presents results from studies conducted in the province of Quebec, Canada pertaining to: (1) the impact of art-based interventions on young adolescents’ (ages 11–12) mental health and wellbeing; and (2) how the use of material culture can help adolescents (ages 13–15) think critically and foster their self-determination.

This study investigated the associations between classroom climate dimensions (academic support, emotional support, and classroom organization) and basic psychological need satisfaction in students with special educational needs (SEN). It also examined whether anxiety symptoms and gender moderate these associations. Students in Grades 5 and 6 ( N = 365; 59.3% boys) provided self‐reports on classroom climate and need satisfaction. Child anxiety was assessed via parent report. Multivariate linear regression models were performed, controlling for child age, household income, and school socioeconomic index, and included interaction terms for classroom climate dimensions, anxiety, and gender. Findings indicate that all dimensions of classroom climate were significantly associated with greater satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The positive association between academic support and the need for relatedness was stronger at higher levels of anxiety, suggesting that academic support may be particularly important for the sense of belonging of these students. No significant interactions with gender were found. Our findings carry important practical implications for teachers, highlighting the need to enhance academic support, emotional support, and classroom organization to foster the psychological need satisfaction of students with SEN. These implications extend to both classroom practices (e.g., practical strategies and adaptations) and opportunities for professional development.