The study included students from fifth through ninth grades, spanning the transition from late childhood into early adolescence. Just over half of the participants, 52.4 percent, were female. Rather than calculating a single average wellbeing score for the entire sample, the research team examined how students’ responses clustered across multiple socioemotional indicators. This matters because two students with the same overall score could have very different psychological profiles: one might show broadly strong resources, while another could have pronounced strengths in some areas alongside serious difficulties in others. Covitality is designed to capture this interaction. It is a “meta-construct,” meaning that it describes the combined and potentially synergistic influence of several first-order characteristics rather than a single trait.

To detect these patterns, the researchers conducted a series of latent profile analyses, or LPA. In this person-centered method, the statistical model assumes that an unseen categorical variable—profile membership—helps explain the way observed scores are distributed. The analysis compares solutions with different numbers of groups and evaluates which one best represents the data without creating unnecessary complexity. Each student is assigned a probability of belonging to every profile, with the final classification generally reflecting the group for which that probability is highest. Unlike a simple ranking, LPA is intended to reveal configurations of characteristics: groups of students whose wellbeing indicators rise and fall together in recognizably different ways.

The analysis produced an optimal four-class solution. The profiles formed an ordered range from low-risk to high covitality, indicating that the groups differed in their overall level of socioemotional wellbeing as well as in the pattern of strengths represented by the measures. The researchers describe the four classes as distinct across all of the covitality dimensions assessed in the study. The result does not mean that every young person fits neatly into one permanent category, nor does it establish that psychological wellbeing progresses through four fixed stages. Instead, the profiles offer a snapshot of statistically distinguishable patterns within this particular group of students. Because the study is based on observed associations, the categories should be understood as tools for identifying needs, not as diagnoses.

The profiles also differed according to sex and age. The source material does not report the detailed size or composition of each class in the abstract, but it states that all four profiles showed differences by these demographic characteristics. Such variation is important because adolescence is a period of rapid social, emotional and developmental change. Wellbeing can shift as students encounter new academic expectations, changing peer relationships and increasing pressure to define their identity. A group-level average may conceal those differences, while a profile-based approach can show whether particular combinations of strengths and difficulties are more common at different ages or among different groups of students. The findings do not, however, demonstrate that sex or age causes a particular wellbeing pattern.

Bullying behavior was another factor associated with the four profiles. Students in the different covitality groups differed in their reported bullying experiences or behaviors, linking the psychological-strength patterns to the social environment of school. The study’s design does not establish whether bullying lowers covitality, whether lower covitality increases vulnerability to involvement in bullying, or whether both are shaped by broader conditions such as school climate, peer networks or family circumstances. That distinction is crucial. Bullying is not simply an individual problem that can be solved by strengthening a student’s personal coping skills. Effective prevention may also require changes in supervision, school norms, reporting systems, peer dynamics and adult responses. Still, identifying how bullying involvement aligns with different socioemotional profiles could help schools target prevention more precisely.

Life satisfaction likewise varied across the four classes. In adolescent research, life satisfaction generally refers to a young person’s global evaluation of how well life is going, rather than a temporary mood or a measure of clinical symptoms. It can reflect experiences at home, school and among peers, as well as a student’s expectations and sense of personal competence. By examining life satisfaction alongside covitality, the researchers connected internal psychological resources with a broad indicator of subjective wellbeing. Students with stronger, more integrated socioemotional profiles tended to occupy a different position on this measure than students in lower-covitality groups, according to the study. Yet the cross-sectional findings cannot show whether improving socioemotional skills would directly raise life satisfaction.

The practical promise of the research lies in its potential use as an early-warning and prevention framework. A universal school screening program could theoretically identify students with broadly strong resources, students with intermediate or uneven patterns, and those showing a high-risk configuration. Educators and mental-health professionals could then combine universal support with more specific interventions instead of treating all students as though they faced identical challenges. A student experiencing bullying may need safety planning and a coordinated school response; another with low life satisfaction may benefit from support involving family relationships, school attachment or emotional skills; a student with high strengths might be encouraged to act as a positive peer influence. The study does not test any intervention, so these applications remain implications rather than proven outcomes.

The researchers emphasize that the findings are intended to inform prevention programs and tailored interventions for Chilean students. The work was supported by Chile’s ANID FONDECYT Regular program and the Universidad del Desarrollo, with additional support for Daniel Miranda from the Center of Social Conflict and Cohesion Studies and the Millennium Nucleus on Inequalities and Digital Opportunities. Ethical approval was obtained from the Universidad del Desarrollo, and the procedures were reported to follow the Declaration of Helsinki. The data are available from the authors upon reasonable request. Taken together, the study’s central message is that adolescent wellbeing is multidimensional: understanding how psychological strengths co-occur may reveal needs that disappear when every student is reduced to a single score. The four-profile map is not a final verdict on young people’s mental health, but it offers a more detailed starting point for finding support before difficulties become entrenched.

The research, published in Educational Psychology in Practice, surveyed 78 educational psychologists working across England. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 63%, said their local authority had an EHCNA backlog. Among those who knew the number of outstanding cases in their area, the average backlog exceeded 220 assessments. Although the survey represents a relatively small professional sample, its findings offer a snapshot of the operational pressure facing a workforce positioned at the intersection of education, psychology, healthcare and public law.

An EHCNA is a formal process used to determine whether a child or young person requires an Education, Health and Care Plan, or EHCP. The assessment brings together information about learning, communication, behaviour, physical health and emotional development. Educational psychologists contribute specialist evaluations of cognitive, social, emotional and educational functioning, helping local authorities decide what support is legally required. Once issued, an EHCP is legally binding and can specify provisions such as specialist teaching, speech and language therapy, assistive technology or therapeutic support.

The study found that 65% of educational psychologists believed the rising demand for statutory SEND work was reducing their capacity to deliver early intervention and other preventative services. These services can include consultation with teachers, classroom observation, staff training, direct work with pupils and advice to families. Technically, early intervention aims to modify the learning environment and support developmental pathways before problems become entrenched. In practice, however, professionals may be diverted from this work when statutory assessments carry legal deadlines and the consequences of delay include formal complaints or appeals.

The pressure is intensified by several structural factors. England is facing an estimated 40% shortage in the educational psychology workforce, while demand for EHCNAs continues to rise. Tribunal appeals involving SEND decisions have reportedly increased by 36%, adding further administrative and evidential demands. Educational psychologists must often prepare detailed reports capable of withstanding legal scrutiny, attend meetings and respond to disputes over a child’s provision. As the number of cases increases faster than professional capacity, local authorities can struggle to meet statutory timelines, creating a cycle in which delay generates more parental concern, legal challenge and workload.

To manage the accumulated cases, 57% of respondents said their local authority relied on locum, associate or agency educational psychologists. External professionals can provide valuable additional capacity, particularly when permanent recruitment is difficult. Yet respondents questioned whether a rapidly assembled workforce can always deliver consistent practice. Differences in training, supervision, assessment frameworks and familiarity with local services may affect how information is gathered and interpreted. Continuity can also matter: children, families and schools may have to repeat sensitive information to multiple professionals when cases are transferred between staff.

Remote assessment was another concern raised in the research. Digital consultations can reduce travel, increase scheduling flexibility and make specialist input available across wide geographic areas. However, psychological assessment is not simply a document-based exercise. Direct observation of a child’s communication, attention, interaction, emotional regulation and response to tasks can provide information that is difficult to capture through video calls or written reports. Respondents were concerned that some assessments might occur without meaningful direct engagement with the child or young person, potentially weakening the quality and individualisation of the final EHCP decision.

The findings point to a technical problem as well as a staffing problem: the system is allocating scarce specialist expertise primarily to high-stakes statutory decisions rather than to interventions that could reduce future demand. An educational psychologist’s role includes understanding how a child’s characteristics interact with teaching methods, classroom structures and wider social conditions. When that expertise is concentrated on producing legally compliant assessments, schools may receive less consultation on adapting instruction or building inclusive support systems. The result could be a feedback loop in which unmet needs become more complex, increasing the likelihood that families seek statutory assessment.

Despite these pressures, the educational psychologists surveyed described a potential route towards a more collaborative SEND system. They envisaged greater emphasis on support within mainstream schools, earlier access to psychological expertise and less adversarial relationships between families, professionals and local authorities. The proposed “Experts at Hand” model was identified as one possible way to make specialist advice more accessible. By bringing educational psychology and related expertise closer to schools and families before difficulties reach the statutory threshold, such an approach could help shift the system from crisis response towards prevention. The researchers nevertheless indicate that reform will require sustained investment, stronger workforce planning and safeguards to ensure that speed does not replace assessment quality.

Dr Helena Bunn, Programme Director for the Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at UEL and co-author of the study, said the research highlights both the essential contribution of educational psychologists and the strain placed on them by an increasingly stretched SEND system. The findings do not suggest that statutory assessment is unnecessary; rather, they show that a service dominated by backlogs may be unable to perform its broader public-health and educational function. Clearing existing cases while rebuilding permanent capacity could determine whether educational psychology remains primarily a gateway to legal provision or becomes, once again, a readily available source of early scientific support for children, families and schools.

Subject of Research: Educational psychologists, Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment backlogs, and early intervention in England’s special educational needs and disabilities system.

Web References: https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2026.2701789

References: Educational Psychology in Practice, DOI: 10.1080/02667363.2026.2701789

Keywords: Educational psychology, special educational needs and disabilities, SEND, EHCNA, EHCP, early intervention, educational assessment, inclusive education, education policy, child psychology, workforce shortages, England.

The principal investigator, Professor Andre Sourander, led a screening effort that involved over 11,000 school-age children aged 10 to 13 years during their annual health check-ups. By deploying a concise five-item version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire, the researchers effectively identified children who potentially suffered from anxiety. In the subsequent phase, those who indicated positive signs underwent a detailed evaluation using a more extensive 41-item questionnaire. This meticulous two-stage approach allowed for a robust understanding of anxiety prevalence within the school population.

The results were startling: a staggering 80% of the participants screened positively for anxiety disorders, showcasing the marked prevalence of anxiety issues among this age group. This high diagnostic rate emphasizes the necessity for early identification and intervention, as many initial signs of anxiety are subtle and may go unnoticed by caregivers. The study underlines the urgent need to enhance awareness regarding childhood anxiety, especially given that untreated anxiety can have severe and long-lasting ramifications in adulthood, including depression and substance abuse issues.

Another critical finding of the research indicated that less than 5% of the children sampled had received medication for their anxiety, while just 13% had sought specialized mental health care within the previous six months. These figures illuminated the concerning reality of a significant gap in the treatment of anxiety disorders among children, signaling an underutilization of available mental health resources. Professor Sourander remarked on this discrepancy and emphasized the vital importance of addressing untreated anxiety in this vulnerable demographic.

The efficacy of the Master Your Worries program was put to the test with 465 participants from the screened population taking part in a randomized controlled trial. Children enrolled in this intervention were provided with resources grounding in cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, coupled with weekly telephone coaching to sustain engagement and guide progress. In contrast, the control group received psychoeducational materials that emphasized independent learning and study, but did not offer the same level of interaction or tailored support.

Remarkably, those children participating in the Master Your Worries program experienced a notable reduction in symptoms associated with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and separation anxiety. Notably, the program appeared to be particularly beneficial for those children who were diagnosed with anxiety disorders, as they reported substantial improvements. Such targeted interventions underscore the importance of tailoring mental health programs to meet the specific needs of individuals grappling with more severe anxiety.

The structured program lasts for ten weeks and integrates engaging digital resources along with weekly exercises designed to equip children with tools to manage and cope with anxiety effectively. Previous evaluations of the program revealed that a high completion rate among participating children and overwhelming satisfaction among their families suggested the program’s effectiveness in providing meaningful mental health support.

Interestingly, the control group, while not receiving the same depth of intervention, also experienced significant improvements over the six-month follow-up. Both children and their parents reported enhancements in anxiety symptoms, daily functioning, and overall quality of life. Additionally, parents noted marked improvements in their well-being, further delineating the ripple effect of addressing children’s mental health issues on family dynamics.

As the study reveals, recognizing anxiety symptoms within the school healthcare framework and implementing low-threshold psychoeducation could greatly benefit children experiencing anxiety and their families. These findings hold substantial implications for developing early interventions that are easily accessible and integrated into existing educational systems, significantly enhancing overall mental health outcomes in children.

The expanding recognition of anxiety disorder prevalence among children and adolescents is even more critical in the context of rising global anxiety rates. Recent trends indicate that anxiety has surged significantly among adolescents in the past decade, illustrating a pressing challenge for mental health services and highlighting the need for effective early intervention strategies. Without timely identification and treatment, untreated anxiety during childhood can forecast a range of mental health challenges in later life, including serious issues such as suicidal ideation and substance abuse.

Given the compelling nature of the findings, Professor Sourander advocates for continued research into the effective management and treatment of anxiety disorders within school-age populations. Implementing evidence-based treatment approaches is essential, as they can pave the way for healthier emotional development and robust coping mechanisms for the future. The implications of this study warrant further exploration and a concerted push towards the integration of mental health literacy and early intervention programs in educational settings, thus fostering a more supportive atmosphere for children grappling with anxiety symptoms.

In summary, the University of Turku’s innovative study contributes critical insights into the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for treating anxiety among children, underscoring the urgent necessity for early intervention in addressing mental health challenges in younger populations. The extraordinary impact of the Master Your Worries program offers a promising avenue for effectively helping children navigate their anxiety and emerge with improved mental health outcomes.

Subject of Research: Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety
Article Title: Internet-Based Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy Intervention Master Your Worries With Telephone Coaching for Anxious Finnish Children Aged 10-13 Years: A Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial
News Publication Date: 4-Feb-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.11.024
References: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Image Credits: University of Turku

Keywords: Childhood Anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internet-Based Therapy, Mental Health, Early Intervention, Anxiety Disorders, Population-Based Study, School Health.