Adolescents Archives

04.29.2024 Exterior view of a typical American school building

The New School

Diversion programs are perceived by school staff as effective methods to prevent adolescent substance use, but they are not often implemented in school settings. Instead, they turn to punishment-based strategies.

Fellow Lia Musumeci

02.21.2024 Young man sitting on stairs with head in hands, representing struggles with mental health

Structural Racism Harms Teen Mental Health

As neighborhood disadvantage increases, the adolescents living there show greater mental health concerns, including an increased risk of depressive symptoms and suicidality.

Guest Author Julia Acker

01.24.2024 young man with smoke in front of his face, implying youth vaping

The Secret World of Youth Vaping

Vaping is a growing trend among youth, and kids are going to great lengths to hide their vaping behaviors from their parents, teachers, and other adults in their lives.

Guest Author Lori Crane

01.23.2024 (on left) Timing of first exclusionary school discipline (ESD) event: among all students, pattern of average GPA by year of first ESD event. (on right), Repeat annual ESD events: among students whose first ESD was in year 1

(on left) Timing of first exclusionary school discipline (ESD) event: among all students, pattern of average GPA by year of first ESD event. (on right), Repeat annual ESD events: among students whose first ESD was in year 1

Excluded from the Honor Roll

Black and Latine students experience expulsions or suspensions from school more often than their peers, facing nearly 10 and 3 times more exclusionary punishments than White students, respectively.

Fellow Caroline Dignard

12.07.2023 Kadijah Booth Watkins headshot

Khadijah Booth Watkins

Khadijah Booth Watkins, associate director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Residency Training Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, discusses some of the greatest threats to adolescent mental health and how we can build resilience among this population.

Fellow Sean Hagan

10.31.2023 prevalence of drug and alcohol use among early adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Early Adolescent Substance Use During COVID-19

While alcohol use steadily declined among early adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of drugs modestly increased.

Fellow Kara Schmidt

10.30.2023 dark hallway lined with jail cells, depicting incarceration and the prison system

Mortality After Youth Incarceration

Young people incarcerated in adult prisons and jails were 60% more likely to die before age 39 compared to those with placements in youth facilities.

Fellow Caroline Dignard

10.26.2023 bar graph depicting rates and types of homelessness by gender identity among homeless youth

Homelessness and Health Among Gender Minority Youth

Gender minority youth are more likely to experience homelessness—and its resulting safety and health concerns—than their cisgender peers.

Fellow Adna Jaganjac

10.04.2023 image of dimly lit school hallway

Disparities in Mental Health Services in Schools

The availability of school-based mental health services varies geographically, with rural and suburban areas being less likely to offer diagnostic assessments and treatment services than urban areas.

Guest Author Janessa Graves

body.tag .page-numbers { pointer-events: auto; }