Jun Li

This study examines whether perceived social support from family, peers, and teachers exhibits reciprocal relations with depressive symptoms (transactional model), acts as a protective factor (social causation model), or emerges as a consequence of depressive symptoms (symptoms-driven model) among South Korean multicultural adolescents. A four-wave longitudinal dataset from a nationally representative cohort ( N = 1,500; 50.67% female; M _age = 10.98 years, SD = 0.37) was analyzed using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. At the between-person level, all three perceived support sources were negatively associated with depressive symptoms across both the joint and bivariate models ( rs = −0.69 to −0.63, ps < .001). At the within-person level, perceived family support predicted subsequent decreases in depressive symptoms in both modeling frameworks ( βs = −0.07 to −0.05, ps < .05), and perceived peer support similarly emerged as a significant prospective predictor when modeled independently ( βs = −0.07 to −0.06, ps < .05). Depressive symptoms did not predict changes in any perceived support source in either framework. The findings support a source-specific social causation model, with perceived family support emerging as the primary within-person protective factor, and highlight the family system as a pivotal intervention target for alleviating depressive symptoms in this vulnerable population.

Multicultural adolescents experience higher levels of depressive symptoms than their non-multicultural counterparts. Although depressive symptoms vary by sex, few studies have examined sex-specific trajectories and their protective predictors, particularly among multicultural youth. Using nine annual waves of nationally representative longitudinal data from multicultural adolescents in South Korea (N = 1,500; 50.67% girls; M_age = 10.98, SD = 0.37), this study identified the sex-specific depressive symptom trajectories and their early intrapersonal and interpersonal predictors. Latent class growth models identified four trajectories for girls: low stable (30.43%), low increasing (36.12%), high-increasing then plateauing (19.29%), and high decreasing (14.16%). Three trajectories emerged for boys: low stable (46.76%), moderate increasing (43.21%), and high-increasing then plateauing (10.03%). After adjusting for age and socioeconomic status, multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that higher self-esteem significantly distinguished the resilient low stable group from the low increasing and high decreasing trajectories for girls, as well as the high-increasing then plateauing trajectory for boys. Furthermore, perceived family and friend support were associated with a lower likelihood of the high-increasing then plateauing trajectory in girls. For boys, teacher support predicted a lower risk of the moderate increasing trajectory. The findings underscore the importance of considering sex differences in understanding the progression of depressive symptoms and the key protective factors among multicultural adolescents, providing valuable insights for prevention and intervention efforts.

Theoretical and empirical evidence have suggested that peer victimization is associated with adolescent problematic Internet use. However, the relationship between peer victimization and adolescent problematic Internet use remains inconsistently interpreted, with empirical findings showing varying correlations. This meta-analytic review thus aimed to examine the overall association between peer victimization and adolescent problematic Internet use, and to further explore the moderators that influence this association. Following a search of seven databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsycArticles, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ERIC, and CNKI) and auxiliary searches, data from 55 studies ( N = 249,892 adolescents) yielding 114 effect sizes were synthesized using advanced three-level meta-analytic models in R. The meta-analysis revealed that peer victimization was significantly and positively related to adolescent problematic Internet use ( r = .237, p < .001), representing a small effect size. This relationship, however, was moderated by several key factors. Specifically, publication year, data type, and measures of both peer victimization and problematic Internet use emerged as significant moderators, while culture showed a marginally significant moderating effect. In contrast, no significant moderation was found for sex, age, publication status, or the type of problematic Internet use. These results were not affected by publication bias. The findings provide a more comprehensive insight into the link between peer victimization and adolescent problematic Internet use, highlighting that interventions addressing adolescent problematic Internet use should be aware of the potential impact stemming from peer victimization experiences.

Basic psychological needs frustration varies across life domains, highlighting the need for domain‐specific assessment instruments. However, a psychometrically sound scale to measure students' basic psychological needs frustration within the school context has not yet been established. This study therefore aimed to develop and validate the Students' Basic Psychological Needs Frustration at School Scale (SBPNFSS). Data were collected from a large convenience sample of Chinese students aged 7–19 years, and the scale's psychometric properties were systematically evaluated through a three‐study procedure. In Study 1 ( N = 1,186), the scale was developed and its underlying structure was explored; exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and exploratory graph analysis (EGA) revealed a correlated three‐factor structure comprising autonomy frustration, relatedness frustration, and competence frustration. In Study 2 ( N = 1,614), this three‐factor structure was cross‐validated in an independent sample using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), showing very good model fit. Evidence was provided for the scale's convergent and discriminant validity and internal consistency. Criterion‐related validity was supported by significant associations with depression and anxiety symptoms and self‐esteem; full scalar measurement invariance was also established across gender, age, and socioeconomic status. In Study 3, the 1‐month longitudinal follow‐up ( N = 1,441) supported the scale's test‐retest reliability and longitudinal measurement invariance, and demonstrated its predictive validity through significant associations with future student engagement and school affect. Overall, the findings provide strong preliminary support for the SBPNFSS as a reliable and valid tool for assessing students' basic psychological needs frustration at school.

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization frequently co-occur and correlate significantly with mental health outcomes. However, little is known about the joint trajectories of traditional and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among youth during the transition into adolescence or their prospective associations with mental health outcomes. This 3-year longitudinal study addressed these research gaps by collecting six waves of survey data from 2,154 Chinese elementary school students (54.87% boys, M _age = 9.61, SD = 0.65 at baseline). Parallel process latent class growth modeling revealed four distinct joint trajectory groups: uninvolved (77.8%, consistently low traditional and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization), traditional bullying victimization (12.4%, stable high traditional bullying victimization alongside low traditional perpetration and low cyberbullying perpetration and victimization), traditional bullying perpetration (7.1%, stable high traditional bullying perpetration alongside low traditional victimization and low cyberbullying perpetration and victimization), and fully involved with predominant cyberbullying perpetration (2.7%, initially low involvement across all bullying behaviors but later markedly elevated, particularly in cyberbullying perpetration). Notably, no trajectory characterized solely by cyberbullying perpetration and/or victimization was identified. Results indicated that boys exhibited higher odds than girls of being classified in the traditional bullying perpetration and fully involved with predominant cyberbullying perpetration groups compared to the uninvolved group. Furthermore, the highest frequencies of internalizing and externalizing problems and the lowest levels of well-being were observed for youth in the fully involved with predominant cyberbullying perpetration group, followed by those who were persistently involved in one predominant bullying experience, and finally, those in the uninvolved group. These findings advanced the literature by elucidating the nature of joint trajectories of traditional and cyberbullying and their prospective associations with mental health outcomes, highlighting the significance of developing targeted interventions for different groups to reduce mental health problems and enhance well-being.

Gut microbiome-modulating agents (MMAs), including probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics, are shown to ameliorate type 1 diabetes (T1D) by restoring the microbiome from dysbiosis. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the impact of MMAs on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and biomarkers associated with (T1D). A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, National Knowledge Infrastructure, WeiPu, and WanFang Data up to 30 November 2023. Ten randomized controlled trials (n = 630) were included, with study quality evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Random-effect models with standardized mean differences (SMDs) were utilized. MMA supplementation was associated with improvements in HbA1c (SMD = −0.52, 95% CI [−0.83, −0.20]), daily insulin usage (SMD = −0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.76, −0.07]), and fasting C-peptide (SMD = 0.99, 95% CI [0.17, 1.81]) but had no effects on FBG, CRP, TNF-α, IL-10, LDL, HDL, and the Shannon index. Subgroup analysis of HbA1c indicated that a long-term intervention (>3 months) might exert a more substantial effect. These findings suggest an association between MMAs and glycemic control in T1D. Further large-scale clinical trials are necessary to confirm these findings with investigations on inflammation and gut microbiota composition while adjusting confounding factors such as diet, physical activity, and the dose and form of MMA intervention.