Moving Away From Deficits: Promoting Prosocial and Positive Late Childhood and Early Adolescent Competencies to Reduce Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors

Connell discusses the study of Rougeaux et al in which they explore the importance of promoting positive late childhood and early adolescent aptitudes, in this case, mental health competence (MHC), to reduce adolescent health risk behaviors. Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study, Rougeaux et al have identified ways in which MHC in late childhood and early adolescence (at age 11 years) can reduce problem behavior in mid-adolescence (age 14 years). Rougeaux et al offer important insight into how we can leverage - and support - child and adolescent strengths in new and meaningful ways to reduce adolescent health risk behaviors. And increasing MHC will undoubtedly have the kinds of positive trickle forward effects that are the goals of all prevention and intervention programs, improving not only adolescent experiences hut adult outcomes as well.