Youth are inundated with media products promoting risky health behaviors (RHBs), including substance use and risky sexual activity. Media literacy interventions emphasize critical media consumption to decrease RHBs. However, it is unclear whether they positively influence attitudes and behavioral intentions towards RHBs. We conducted meta-analyses of 15 studies (N = 5000) testing intervention effectiveness on media literacy skills and 20 studies (N = 9177) testing effectiveness on attitudes and intentions towards RHBs. We found positive effects on media literacy skills (Hedge's g = .417, [95% CI, .29-.54]) and attitudes and intentions (Hedge's g = .100 [95% CI, .01-.19]). Intervention medium and target behavior moderated intervention success on attitudes and intentions, but no moderators emerged for media literacy skills. These interventions produce positive effects on media literacy skills and positive but smaller effects on attitudes and behavioral intentions, depending on medium and target behaviour. Implications for adolescent health initiatives are discussed.A significant spike in risk-taking behavior often characterizes adolescence. Some risk-taking during this developmental period is generally normative, due to inhibitory control continuing to develop into late adolescence and early adulthood (Shulman, Harden, Chein, & Steinberg, 2016). However, the most recent findings of the Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Kann et al., 2016) reported that approximately 44% of sexually active high school students did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse and in the 30 days prior to the survey, 32% had drank alcohol and 22% had smoked marijuana. Unsafe sexual activity, drinking alcohol, and substance use have significant implications for health outcomes in adolescence, including increased odds of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (Harrison, Gavin, Hastings, & CDC, 2012), and injuries or accidents while drunk or high (Molcho, Walsh, Donnelly, Matos, & Pickett, 2015;Pulver, Davison, Parpia, Purkey, & Pickett, 2016). Longitudinal evidence also suggests that engaging in smoking during adolescenceand extending this behavior into young adulthoodis associated with poorer physical health and depression (Georgiades & Boyle, 2007). In addition, frequent marijuana use beginning in early adolescence is associated with a lower likelihood of completing post-secondary education (Maggs et al., 2015). Thus, finding effective prevention and intervention opportunities for health risk behaviors is a public health priority.Media messages encouraging risk behaviors such as substance use or unsafe sexual behavior can be especially powerful at influencing subsequent risk activity in adolescents (Austin & Knaus, 2000). For example, the promotion of alcohol consumption in media designed for adults may be consumed by teens, positioning alcohol consumption as a positive experience and influencing positive attitudes towards alcohol use. Furthermore, exposure to sexually explici...

No abstract

No abstract

Aim/Purpose: Although the high rates of stress and psychological distress in graduate students has been well-documented, Canadian samples are underrepresented in the extant literature. The present study explores prevalence rates of burnout and psychological distress in a sample of psychology master’s and doctoral students at a university in a large urban Canadian city, as well as factors relating to their well-being, social support and stress. Background: There are economic and productivity setbacks stemming from high stress and mental health challenges. Burnout and psychological distress of graduate students are associated with hindered academic progress, mental and physical health challenges, and reduced productivity. Further, emotionally exhausted doctoral students are at heightened risk for non-completion of their degrees. Methodology: Sixty-two psychology graduate students completed an online survey that assessed burnout, psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms), perceived social support, collegiate sense of community, financial strain, and rank-ordered nine domains of graduate school stressors. Contribution: The present paper contributes to the body of knowledge that graduate students residing in an urban Canadian city experience high rates of burnout and psychological distress. High levels of social support outside the academe were not protective factors in mitigating burnout. Findings: Participants reported high levels of perceived social support and sense of community. However, over half (60%) of respondents met criteria for burnout, and one in three students met criteria for problematic levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression. In a rank ordering question, “thesis, dissertation or other research”, “classwork” and “finances” ranked in the top three most stressful aspects of graduate school for respondents. Recommendations for Practitioners: Graduate students experience unique stressors related to their mental health and well-being that differ from undergraduate students and young working professionals. Mental health practitioners may be better equipped to support graduate students with knowledge of these specific factors impacting mental health and well-being. Recommendation for Researchers: Based on these findings, four areas of recommendations for psychology graduate institutions and training programs are discussed. These recommendations highlight the need for change across systemic levels and call for integrative efforts to improve wellbeing for psychology graduate students. Impact on Society: Enhancement of doctoral student well-being could contribute to long-term benefits in academia and in higher education. Future Research: The study took place before the emergence of COVID-19, which has undoubtably impacted graduate students globally. Research on student experiences during this unprecedented time is needed, as are additional supports (e.g., virtual programming to reduce social isolation; contingency plans for data collection).

Findings support the benefit of mindfulness treatment for enhancing attentional control in youth with ADHD and extend the literature by providing evidence of these gains at a neural level. Findings also offer methodological support for the use of active attention tasks when examining mindfulness-related attentional gains in youth with ADHD. Directions for future research are discussed.