Background: The COVID-19 outbreak has major psychosocial consequences on the global population and specialists report that youth may be significantly impacted. Adolescents and young adults, for whom social life is an important protective factor, had to face a new isolation caused by social distancing and home schooling. This study aims to explore youth's profiles of adaptation to COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Quebec, Canada, and the risk factors and strengths associated with each profile. Methods: A sample of 4936 youth living in Quebec were recruited on social media and filled out an online survey during the lockdown of the first wave of COVID-19. They completed measures of psychological distress, positive adaptation (well-being, resilience), risk factors (alexithymia and emotional dysregulation), COVID-related worries and fear of contamination and COVID-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results: The results of the latent class analysis showed four patterns of adjustment. The Resilient group (36.6% of the sample) showed the highest probability of a positive adaptation. The High distress class (29.5%) reported clinical distress, low to moderate symptoms of PTSD and fear of contamination and no significant well-being. The Moderate symptoms class (17.55%) showed moderate levels of distress and COVID-related symptoms, with half of the group still showing significant well-being. The Traumatized class (16.35%) reported the worst adaptation. Correlates significantly differentiated profiles. Limitations: The study relied on a convenience sample and a cross-sectional design. Conclusion: Disentangling the diversity of adaptation profiles may orient more adapted resources for youth in need during this unprecedented crisis.

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Objectives Despite the large body of research on violence against women, violence that specifically targets women’s reproductive autonomy and control over their reproductive health, called reproductive coercion (RC), is poorly documented in Canada. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of RC behaviors in an adult Canadian community sample and to explore associated factors. Study design A self-report online questionnaire was administered from September 2020 to April 2021 in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited via social media, sexual and reproductive health clinics, community-based anti-violence organizations, and the project’s partner organizations. The questionnaire contained validated RC questionnaire items and new items drawn from previous qualitative work. The sample comprised 427 participants, mostly self-identified as women (92%), aged 18 to 55 years (M = 29.01; SD = 6.64). Descriptive analyses and binary logistic regressions were conducted using SPSS 27. Results The results of this study show that 63.9% of participants reported at least one lifetime experience of RC. According to our data, contraceptive sabotage was the most common form (62.8%). Of the participants who had been pregnant, 9.8% reported control of pregnancy outcomes. Each RC category shows a different pattern of correlates. The findings also reveal that intimate partner violence (IPV) increases the likelihood of contraceptive sabotage. Moreover, the study suggests that low education level and IPV increase the risk for control of pregnancy outcomes. Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of RC in the lives of many Canadian individuals with the capacity to be pregnant, and they highlight certain factors that place individuals at greater risk for RC. This knowledge can inform the development of prevention efforts and clinical interventions.

Childhood maltreatment and neglect are associated with a host of negative outcomes. Yet, some children show resilience despite their exposure to these traumatic events. Several protective factors have been documented in the literature, but few studies focus on protective factors in the child’s community that can promote resilience. The purpose of this review was to provide a comprehensive portrait of the impact of community protective factors on the resilience of abused and neglected children. The databases PsycNet and PubMed were used to screen the literature relying on the following inclusion criteria: (1) published in English or in French; (2) report empirical and quantitative data; (3) include a minimum sample size of 30 participants; (4) rely on a sample of maltreated children or adolescents under the age of 24; (5) examine the associations between community protective factors and indicators of psychological adaptation; and (6) include outcome measures that assessed either positive adaptation or the absence of symptomatology in participants. Of the 9,553 articles identified, 44 studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. Although many protective factors show significant results, several methodological limitations remain to be examined to affirm that these community variables have a significant impact on the level of resilience of maltreated children. Since child maltreatment is a systemic issue, it remains important to fully understand how community protective factors operate on the resilience of these children as it can greatly inform practitioners and community institutions on how to intervene with populations at risk of maltreatment.

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This study presents an exploratory mixed-method descriptive analysis of psychological distress, challenges encountered and coping strategies of youth during the first wave of COVID-19. A total of 4 914 Quebec youth, aged 14 to 25 recruited through social media completed an online survey on the impact of the pandemic on their daily life, psychological distress and post-traumatic growth. They were also invited to answer two open-ended questions regarding the difficulties they experienced and their coping strategies. Overall, 26.6% of youth showed serious psychological distress and 20.3% displayed probable PTSD symptoms related to the COVID-19. Comparative analyses revealed that youth identifying as gender and sexual minorities were more vulnerable to distress during the first wave of the pandemic. While few sociodemographic variables distinguish youth reporting post-traumatic growth from those who do not, the former group was more likely to seek and receive social support. Qualitative data highlighted difficulties that were common to many respondents including lack of social contacts, the lockdown itself, and problems related to disruptions of educational and academic activities. Youth also mentioned three main strategies they used to cope: maintaining social contacts, engaging in leisure activities and physical exercise. While many youths have encountered compelling challenges during the lockdown of the first wave of COVID-19, some report having relied on efficient coping strategies to deal with the situation. Support services should be implemented to help the youth cope with the pandemic while considering their diverse needs.

Objectifs : La présente étude a pour but de valider une version franco-canadienne de l’échelle de résilience Connor-Davidson Resilience scale (CD-RISC 10; Campbell-Sills & Stein, 2007; Hébert et al., 2018) auprès d’une population de mères d’enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle. Méthode : Un échantillon de 361 mères a été recruté dans différents centres d’intervention du Québec spécialisés en agression sexuelle. Les participantes ont complété le CD-RISC 10 ainsi qu’un questionnaire mesurant la détresse psychologique, les symptômes de stress post-traumatique et le sentiment d’empowerment pour évaluer les liens entre ces mesures et le CD-RISC 10. Résultats : Les résultats d’une analyse factorielle confirmatoire confirment une structure unifactorielle expliquant 62,49 % de la variance et les valeurs des indices de fidélité reflètent une bonne consistance interne (α = ,86; H = ,90; ω = ,89). Comme attendu, les scores sur l’échelle de résilience sont négativement corrélés à ceux aux échelles de symptômes de stress post-traumatique (r = - 0,24, p < ,01) et de détresse psychologique (r = - ,34, p < ,01), ainsi que positivement corrélés à la mesure du sentiment d’empowerment (r = ,30, p < ,01). Implications : Le CD-RISC 10 est un outil adapté et rapide qui permet d’évaluer adéquatement la résilience dans cette population clinique.