Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren
Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in child–adult relationships due to the COVID–19 pandemic and help–seeking intention. Moreover, this study investigated the role of loneliness in those relationships. Methods: We recruited children in grades 5–9, aged 10–15, using a nat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000897 |
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| author | Nihaal Rahman Kazue Ishitsuka Aurélie Piedvache Mayumi Hangai Naho Morisaki |
| author_facet | Nihaal Rahman Kazue Ishitsuka Aurélie Piedvache Mayumi Hangai Naho Morisaki |
| author_sort | Nihaal Rahman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in child–adult relationships due to the COVID–19 pandemic and help–seeking intention. Moreover, this study investigated the role of loneliness in those relationships. Methods: We recruited children in grades 5–9, aged 10–15, using a nationally representative 2–staged cluster sampling method. Help–seeking intention was determined using a single question answered upon reading a hypothetical scenario of a child with depressive symptoms. We used modified Poisson regression models to investigate the relationship between changes in child–adult relationships and help–seeking intention, and mediation analysis to assess the role of loneliness in those relationships, respectively. Results: Among 2187 adolescents, 623 (28.5 %) of children reported that they would not seek help if experiencing depressive symptoms. When adjusting for covariates, the children who reported considerably less time to talk with family or considerably reduced ease of talking with teachers or adults reported lower help–seeking intention (RR = 0.49 [95 % CI: 0.34–0.68] and 0.47 [95 % CI: 0.25–0.79], respectively). Loneliness mediated 63 % (95 % CI: 56–70 %) of the relationship between time to talk with family and help–seeking intention and 62 % (95 % CI: 51–73 %) of the relationship between ease of talking with teachers or adults and help–seeking intention. Conclusion: We observed that worsened child-adult relationships decreased help–seeking intention among children. Loneliness served as a partial mediator within both associations. Interventions targeted towards improving child–adult relationships and reducing loneliness may improve help–seeking intention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c668abc22d3e4bffbf8804d7dbc59456 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-9153 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-c668abc22d3e4bffbf8804d7dbc594562025-08-22T04:58:32ZengElsevierJournal of Affective Disorders Reports2666-91532025-07-012110095910.1016/j.jadr.2025.100959Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildrenNihaal Rahman0Kazue Ishitsuka1Aurélie Piedvache2Mayumi Hangai3Naho Morisaki4Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA, USADepartment of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Life Course Epidemiology, Integrated Center for Women's Health, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan; Corresponding author at: Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan.Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Okura-2-10-1, Setagayaku, Tokyo, JapanBackground: The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in child–adult relationships due to the COVID–19 pandemic and help–seeking intention. Moreover, this study investigated the role of loneliness in those relationships. Methods: We recruited children in grades 5–9, aged 10–15, using a nationally representative 2–staged cluster sampling method. Help–seeking intention was determined using a single question answered upon reading a hypothetical scenario of a child with depressive symptoms. We used modified Poisson regression models to investigate the relationship between changes in child–adult relationships and help–seeking intention, and mediation analysis to assess the role of loneliness in those relationships, respectively. Results: Among 2187 adolescents, 623 (28.5 %) of children reported that they would not seek help if experiencing depressive symptoms. When adjusting for covariates, the children who reported considerably less time to talk with family or considerably reduced ease of talking with teachers or adults reported lower help–seeking intention (RR = 0.49 [95 % CI: 0.34–0.68] and 0.47 [95 % CI: 0.25–0.79], respectively). Loneliness mediated 63 % (95 % CI: 56–70 %) of the relationship between time to talk with family and help–seeking intention and 62 % (95 % CI: 51–73 %) of the relationship between ease of talking with teachers or adults and help–seeking intention. Conclusion: We observed that worsened child-adult relationships decreased help–seeking intention among children. Loneliness served as a partial mediator within both associations. Interventions targeted towards improving child–adult relationships and reducing loneliness may improve help–seeking intention.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000897Help-seekingLonelinessChild-adult relationshipsMediation analysis |
| spellingShingle | Nihaal Rahman Kazue Ishitsuka Aurélie Piedvache Mayumi Hangai Naho Morisaki Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren Journal of Affective Disorders Reports Help-seeking Loneliness Child-adult relationships Mediation analysis |
| title | Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren |
| title_full | Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren |
| title_fullStr | Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren |
| title_short | Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren |
| title_sort | impact of changes in adolescent adult relationships on help seeking intention among japanese schoolchildren |
| topic | Help-seeking Loneliness Child-adult relationships Mediation analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000897 |
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