Stephanie Plenty

My work sits at the nexus of psychology and sociology, addressing inequalities in adolescents’ and young adults’ well-being, and the importance of social contexts for positive development. Specific ar

School Psychology International, vol. 36,  no. 3,  pp. 283-300. Abstract This study examined how psychosocial conditions at school are associated with prosocial behaviour, a key indicator of positive me

Deviant Behavior Volume 36, Issue 7, pages 565-580. DOI:10.1080/01639625.2014.951569 Abstract This study examines if graffiti initiation leads to greater deviant behavior. Swedish students (N = 1,010) co

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(1), 156; doi:10.3390/ijerph15010156 Abstract This study addressed school-contextual features of social disorder in relation to sixth-grade students’ experienc

Journal of Adolescence, Vol 66, pp. 21-30, doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.04.005. Abstract This study examined socioeconomic differences in risk behaviours according to youth-oriented measures of eco

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), 2143, doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102143  Abstract Stress, and stress-related health complaints, are common among young people, espe

Substance Use & Misuse, doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2018.1517172. AbstractBackground: Alcohol use in adolescence predicts future alcohol misuse. However, the extent to which different patterns of adol This study investigated how adolescent trajectories of alcohol consumption during the school years predict alcohol misuse at age 19 years. Data were drawn from 707 students from Victoria, Australia, longitudinally followed for 7 years. Five alcohol use trajectories were identified based on the frequency of alcohol use from Grade 6 (age 12 years) to Grade 11 (age 17 years). At age 19 years, participants completed measures indicating Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED), dependency – Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and social harms. At 19 years of age, 64% of participants reported HED, 42% high AUDIT scores (8+), and 23% social harms. Participants belonging to a steep escalator trajectory during adolescence had twice the odds at 19 years of age of high AUDIT scores and social harms, and three times greater odds of HED than participants whose alcohol use slowly increased. Stable moderate consumption was also associated with an increased risk of HED compared to slowly increasing use. Abstinence predicted a reduced likelihood of all forms of misuse at 19 years of age compared to slowly increased alcohol use. Trajectories of drinking frequency during adolescence predict alcohol misuse at age 19 years. Although rapid increasing use presents the greatest risk, even slowly increasing drinking predicts increased risk compared to abstinence. The findings indicate that alcohol policies should recommend nonuse and reduced frequency of use during adolescence.

in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence  AbstractEquitable access to high-quality schools is important for student achievement. However, the increasing attention placed on adolescent mental health promotio

SSM - Population Health, Volume 15, 2021 AbstractMental health problems are associated with a greater risk of being Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) during young adulthood. Yet evidence

Social Science & Medicine – Population Health, 15, 100873 Abstract Mental health problems are associated with a greater risk of being Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) during young adu