Objectives: There is growing interest in examining the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adolescent socioemotional development. This study aimed to examine changes in adolescent emotion regulation (ER), self-esteem (SE), and locus of control (LoC) from before to during the pandemic in a Brazilian birth cohort, and to investigate the variables associated with changes in those socioemotional competences. Methods: 1,949 adolescents from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort were assessed before (T1, November 2019 to March 2020) and during (T2, August to December 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic (mean ages [SD] = 15.69 [0.19] and 17.41 [0.26], respectively). Adolescents’ socioemotional competences were assessed, including ER, SE, and LoC. Sociodemographic, pre-pandemic, and pandemic-related correlates were examined as predictors of change. Multivariate latent change score models were used in the analyses. Results: There were significant mean increases in adolescents’ ER and SE (mean ER = 1.918, p < 0.001; mean SE = 1.561, p = 0.001) and a significant mean decrease (towards internalization) in LoC levels (MLoC = -0.497, p < 0.01) during the pandemic. Factors that predicted a lower competency increase included family conflicts, harsh parenting, and maternal depressive symptoms during the pandemic. Conclusion: Despite the stress imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adolescents of this cohort showed positive development in their socioemotional competences. Family-related factors emerged as important predictors of adolescent socioemotional adjustment during the study period.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the following risk behaviors: experimentation with cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, alcohol, substances, delinquent behavior, and sex at age 15, stratified by sex and socioeconomic position. We also investigated the prevalence of cigarette and alcohol experimentation at age 11 and the persistence and cumulative incidence of these behaviors between 11 and 15 years of age. Methods: In this cohort study, we included 3,491 11-year-olds and 1,949 15-year-olds from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort. All outcomes were identified via confidential questionnaires and were analyzed as binary variables. Results: At age 11, there was a higher prevalence of cigarette experimentation among boys. At age 15, there was a higher prevalence of experimentation with alcohol, cigarettes, and substances among girls; experimentation with cigarettes and sex were more prevalent among those in a low socioeconomic position. We found a high cumulative incidence of alcohol experimentation, as well as persistent alcohol experimentation, in both boys and girls. Conclusions: Further research should clarify causal paths of the high prevalence of risk behaviors during adolescence and its increase among girls.

Objective: Understanding the distal (≤ 6 years of age) and proximal (between 6 years of age and early adolescence) factors in adolescent risk behavior is important for preventing and reducing morbidity and mortality in this population. This study sought to investigate the factors associated with the following adolescent risk behaviors: i) aggressiveness and violence, ii) tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substance use, iii) depressive behavior and self-harm (including suicidal ideation and attempts), iv) sexual risk behavior, and v) multiple risk behavior. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify longitudinal studies that examined factors associated with adolescent risk behaviors. The PubMed, PsycINFO, and LILACS databases were searched. Results: Of the 249 included studies, 23% reported distal risk factors, while the remaining reported proximal risk factors. Risk factors were related to sociodemographic characteristics (neighborhood, school, and peers), family patterns, and the presence of other adolescent risk behaviors. Conclusion: Distal and proximal factors in adolescent risk behavior that are not exclusively socioeconomic, familial, environmental, or social should be explored more thoroughly.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and homotypic and heterotypic continuity of psychiatric disorders between ages 6 and 11. Methods: In 2004, all live births in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, were recorded (n=4,231). Psychiatric disorders were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). SDQ subscale scores (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems) were categorized as normal or abnormal. To examine associations between problems over time, odds ratios were computed using logistic regression. Results: Any SDQ difficulty was observed in 350 children (10.4%, 95%CI 9.4-11.5) at age 6 and 476 (14.2%, 95%CI 13.0-15.4) at age 11, with a higher prevalence among boys at both ages. Between ages 6 and 11, there was a 50 and a 45% increase in the prevalence of emotional and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms, respectively. Among those who had any SDQ difficulty at age 6, that status persisted in 81% at age 11. We found homotypic continuity of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems. Conclusions: Our results indicate an increasing incidence of psychiatric disorders in this age group, with rates of disorders and continuity patterns similar to those observed in other studies.