Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
07:15
Author Spotlight: Understanding Adolescent Social Adversity Effects on Neurodevelopment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
2.2K
Negative automatic thoughts and emotional and behavioural problems in adolescence.
Eirini Flouri1, Constantina Panourgia1
1Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University of London, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, UK.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
|September 4, 2020
Summary
Increased life stress impacts adolescent emotional and behavioral problems. Negative automatic thoughts mediate this link, suggesting they are a key pathway for stress-related issues in teens.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Mental Health
- Stress and Coping
Background:
- Adverse life events (life stress) are linked to emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents.
- Understanding the mechanisms underlying this association is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether maladaptive cognitions or emotion regulation difficulties mediate the relationship between changes in life stress and adolescent emotional/behavioral problems.
- To identify specific cognitive and emotional processes that explain how life stress affects adolescent mental health.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 557 adolescents (aged 10-19) from a London secondary school participated.
- A multiple mediator model was used to assess five potential mediators: negative cognitive errors, negative automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression.
- Analyses controlled for demographic factors including gender, age, ethnicity, special educational needs, and family poverty.
Main Results:
- The mediators, collectively, explained the association between changes in life stress and adolescent emotional and behavioral problems.
- Only negative automatic thoughts significantly mediated this effect.
- Cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, dysfunctional attitudes, and negative cognitive errors did not contribute to the indirect effect beyond negative automatic thoughts.
Conclusions:
- Negative automatic thoughts were identified as the sole significant mediator in the pathway from increased life stress to emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents.
- This finding suggests that negative automatic thoughts are a critical mechanism through which life stress may negatively impact adolescent mental health.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
356
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
356
02:04Bullying
8.7K
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.7K
01:30Oppositional Defiant Disorder
416
A persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, defiant behavior, or vindictiveness characterizes Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Symptoms must occur over at least six months, involve interactions with individuals beyond siblings, and meet specific diagnostic criteria to be clinically significant. The disorder affects emotional regulation, social interactions, and behavior, often manifesting early in life and influencing long-term development and functioning.
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Diagnostic Criteria and...
416
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.6K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.6K
01:24Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
203
A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are...
203
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
296
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
296