title: Environmental risk and protective factors of adolescents' and youths' mental health: differences between parents' appraisal and self-reports.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the effect of parents' mental health, life events, and home life (among other factors) on adolescents'/youths' mental health, whether such an effect varies when several variables are assessed jointly, and also whether the informant source of the mental health problem modifies the estimations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a representative sample of 454 Spanish adolescents/youths studied longitudinally (2 assessments, 3 years apart). We considered factors associated with adolescents'/youths' mental health (conduct, emotional, and hyperactivity scores [SDQ]): risk factors (parents' mental health and life events) and mediators (social and financial support). Structural equation modeling was applied. We constructed two models: (a) with parents' SDQ responses and (b) with self-reported SDQ responses (in a subsample of N = 260).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Model fit was adequate for parents' appraisal. Parents' mental health (p < 0.05) and undesirable life events (p < 0.05) were the most important risk factors. The same model showed poorer fit when self-reported measures were used. Home life exerted a stronger protective effect on adolescents'/youths' mental health when reported by adolescents/youths. The negative effect of parents' mental health was significantly protected by home life in emotional [-0.14 (0.07)] and hyperactivity scores [-0.2 (0.08)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even in the presence of other factors, parents' mental health has an important effect on adolescents'/youths' mental health. Good levels of home life are protective, especially when adolescents'/youths' mental health is self-reported.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villalonga-Olives
authors.forename: Carlos Garcia
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Forero
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maydeu-Olivares
authors.forename: Josué
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almansa
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Palacio Vieira
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Valderas
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rajmil
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires