Researchers have found that adolescents who report strong relationships with their parents have better long-term health outcomes. Study findings suggest that investments in improving parent--adolescent relationships could help improve general health, mental health and sexual, health while also reducing substance use in young adulthood.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on adolescent mental health and substance use, according to a new population-based study based on survey responses from a sample of over 64,000 13- to 18-year-olds assessed prior to and up to two years into the pandemic.

Hair analysis could be the key to understanding adolescent drug usage, as a new study uncovers almost double the number of children were found to be using substances than those who admitted to in a US survey.

Multiple births, a short interval between pregnancies and mothers with a maternal physical or mental health condition are more at risk of having a low birth rate baby. Every year 20 million children are born with a birth weight below 2,500 grams, and considered low birthweight (LBW) babies The study looked to understand the risk factors for LBW so that resources and interventions could be scheduled effectively.

Adolescent chimpanzees share some of the same risk-taking behaviors as human teens, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts, according to new research. The study gets at age-old nature/nurture questions about why adolescents take more risks: because of environment or because of biological predispositions?

Teens who reported feeling optimism, happiness, self-esteem, belongingness and loved were more likely to reach their 20s and 30s in good cardiometabolic health compared to teens with fewer of these positive psychological assets. The association was especially strong among Black youth.