The Relationship Between Violence Exposure and Perceived Cognitive Difficulties in Adolescents: ​The Mediating Role of Mental Health

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between violence, mental health problems, and perceived cognitive difficulties among U.S. high school students, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES), this study addressed two primary questions: 1) Is involvement in or exposure to violence associated with perceived cognitive difficulties in adolescents? and 2) To what extent does mental health mediate this relationship? Findings identified several factors related to violence that were associated with perceived cognitive difficulties in adolescence, including weapon-carrying at school, feeling unsafe at school, being threatened or injured with a weapon at school, physical fighting, and exposure to community violence. Mental health significantly mediated these relationships, although the magnitude and influence of this mediation differed across the examined variables. These findings highlight the nuanced interplay between violence exposure, mental health, and cognitive functioning in adolescents.