Special Issues

Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health

Submission Deadline: 01 July 2026 View: 324 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Yanling Liu

Email: ssq@swu.edu.cn

Affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, Research Center of Mental Health Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: mental health education; new media and adolescent mental health


Dr. Shuai Chen

Email: chenshuai@m.scnu.edu.cn

Affiliation: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: mental health; internet addiction; video game use; longitudinal study


Summary

Adolescence is a critical period in individual development, marked by significant brain neuroplasticity, hormonal changes, and increasingly complex psychosocial challenges. Today's adolescents are growing up in a unique era, influenced by factors such as the proliferation of digital media and heightened academic pressure. The rising prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents globally has made this an important public health issue. This special issue aims to gather innovative research to deepen the understanding of risk and protective factors of adolescent mental health and social adjustment, as well as the underlying neurobiological and psychological mechanisms.

Potential themes include, but are not limited to:
1. The impact of early adversity on adolescent development.
2. Individual and contextual protective factors in coping with stress and adversity.
3. Digital media use and adolescent psychosocial development.
4. Neurobiological foundations of mental disorders in adolescents.

We invite scholars in related fields to submit original research articles or reviews. We particularly encourage submissions employing diverse methodologies—such as neuroimaging, scales, and behavioral experiments—to foster a comprehensive bio-psycho-social understanding of adolescent development.


Keywords

adolescents, mental health, social adjustment, internet use, adversity, resilience, brain

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    The Relationship between Parental Autonomy Support and Adolescent Academic Burnout: A Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Analysis

    Shuqing Wang, Xiuqiu Liu, Siqi Yu, Meili Zheng, Shuhua Wei
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.076977
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health)
    Abstract Background: While parenting is crucial for adolescents’ academic adjustment, few studies have examined how parental autonomy support affects academic burnout or the underlying psychological processes. This study examined the sequential mediating roles of growth mindset and self-esteem in the association between parental autonomy support and academic burnout, using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches. Methods: A total of 1032 Chinese junior and senior high school students were recruited through cluster sampling. Using self-report questionnaires, participants were assessed on parental autonomy support, growth mindset, self-esteem, and academic burnout. Data were analyzed using mediation modeling and latent profile analysis. Results:More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Latent Patterns and Transitions of Depressive Symptoms in Middle School Students: Stress Types, Life Satisfaction, and Gender as Predictors

    Shuhua Wei, Hongkun Ji, Fang Kong, Bijuan Huang
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.076393
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health)
    Abstract Background: Early adolescents (ages 11–15), mainly Chinese middle-school students, face academic tracking pressure for the high-school entrance exam and multiple stressors, with depressive symptoms detected in up to 21.9% of this group. Because this stage is a “critical window” for depression intervention and the Ministry of Education requires “stratified and classified interventions”, systematically identifying the patterns and dynamic transition patterns of adolescent depressive symptoms is of considerable practical and theoretical importance. This study aimed to identify the latent profiles and transitions of depressive symptoms among middle-school students and to examine how different types of stress, life… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Self-Presentation on WeChat Moments and Ego Identity in Emerging Adults: The Role of Online Positive Feedback and Gender

    Shuqing Wang, Xiaorui Zhu, Xin Gao, Jialing Deng, Xiumei Yan
    International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075412
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health)
    Abstract Background: Emerging adulthood is a critical period for ego identity exploration and consolidation, and self-presentation on social media constitutes a salient online context for this developmental process. However, limited research has explored the associations between self-presentation on WeChat Moments and ego identity. This study aims to examine these associations, focusing on the mediating role of online positive feedback and the moderating role of gender. Methods: Using a three-wave longitudinal design, this study followed 767 Chinese college students (Mean age = 18.96 years) through cluster sampling. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing self-presentation on WeChat Moments, online positive… More >

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