Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents: Theoretical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives

Thông tin sách: Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents: Theoretical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives (Paperback, 303 trang) – American Psychological Association, 2025. Ngôn ngữ: Tiếng Anh.

This book summarizes the psychological research on the concept of mattering in children and adolescents, and outcomes associated with the presence or absence of feelings of being valued by others. 

“This valuable book more than meets the objectives set: to more fully understand how the concept of mattering, of feeling valued, affects one's life and life circumstances. The book aims to be a "catalyst" -- through research and attention to the voices of youth, this book offers resources and a course of action for those who can provide a message of value that is intrinsic to a fulfilled life… It fills in the gaps of even the best research on child development. Everybody who has kids, knows kids, or works with kids, read this book!” --Doody's Review, 4 stars, 96 scoreMattering, the felt experience of being valued and necessary to others, is a unique and complex psychological construct. Differences in children’s sense of mattering to their family, friends, and significant others predict consequential outcomes at the individual, relationship, and societal levels.Gordon Flett offers important, evidence-based insights from the psychological literature, drawing clear links between a lack of mattering and measures of children's depression, anxiety, suicide risk, aggression and violence. Conversely, he shows how mattering to others is reflected in measures of resilience, adaptability, motivation, and performance. Crucial links are also explored between social marginalization and mattering, and case material is used throughout the book to illustrate key points. The clinical chapters  describe mental health interventions that measure and address issues related to children’s sense of mattering in family, school, and community contexts.

Editorial Reviews Review

Social Sciences: Psychology and Applied Social Work

― PROSE Award Finalist

This important book brings a focus to mattering in its own right, offering much needed solutions. It aims to instill a sense of mattering in people of all ages, especially young people.

-- British Journal of Educational Studies

Children who feel valued in this way, and who believe that what they do adds value, generally come to understand that they matter. And a sense of mattering makes kids more likely to be happy, resilient, academically high-achieving, and satisfied with their life, as well as less likely to struggle with perfectionism or addiction, Gordon Flett, the author of the American Psychological Association’s Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents, told me.

-- The Atlantic

This is such a fascinating book with a powerful message: All young people need to feel that they matter. A must-read for anyone interested in the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. -- Rory O’Connor, PhD, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, and author of When It Is Darkest: Why People Die by Suicide and What We Can Do to Prevent It

From the first page, Dr. Flett draws readers into a fundamental understanding of the need for children and adolescents to feel that they matter. He explores what mattering is, why it is important, and the potential consequences to youth from feeling that they don’t matter, including addiction, aggression, depression, and suicide. A leader in the field of mattering research, Dr. Flett works to ensure that people of all ages feel that they are important to and valued by others. -- Robin Kowalski, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States

In an engaging style, Dr. Flett makes a clear case for why “mattering matters” to the healthy development of children and adolescents. This groundbreaking resource provides a comprehensive summary of the theory and research on mattering, and is a must-read for clinicians, researchers, educators, and trainees who are interested in supporting resilience and flourishing among our next generation. -- Randi E. McCabe, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association; and coauthor of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Groups

If you’ve ever wondered what truly makes children and adolescents feel seen, valued, and connected, this book is for you. It introduces the powerful idea of “mattering”— a concept that many don’t realize is central to everything from mental health to motivation and social development. With clear insights and real-world examples, the book helps parents, educators, and anyone who cares about young people understand how deeply mattering impacts their lives and well-being. -- Virgil Zeigler-Hill, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Oakland University, Oakland, MI, United States

Gordon Flett’s work offers a comprehensive assessment of early life experiences of mattering to others. This book will benefit clinicians, academic researchers, and parents. I highly recommend it. -- John Taylor, PhD, Professor and Director of the Center for Demography and Population Health, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States

Dr. Gord Flett has taken up the scholarship of mattering, and its implications for children and youth, in an energetic and compelling manner. Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents: Theoretical, Clinical, and Research Perspectives is a critical addition to the necessary discussion of how to prevent maltreatment, emotional abuse, and neglect, as well as violence to self and others. This book should be required reading for public health officials who seek to build multisystemic resilience, promote mental health, and reward good citizenry. In short, this evidence-based presentation attests to the finding that people who feel they matter, do things that matter. Now, more than ever, we need this book to guide us towards a reinvigoration of positive relationality. -- Christine Wekerle, PhD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada About the Author Gordon L. Flett, PhD is professor in the department of psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is the global academic leader in the field of mattering, having published some 40 publications on the topic, including a special issue on mattering that appeared in the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment (2022) and was the first to appear in any journal. He is an associate editor of Canadian Psychology journal and the former director of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research. Dr. Flett is also internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to research and theory on the role of perfectionism in pathology. He is the author, with Paul L. Hewitt, of Perfectionism in Childhood and Adolescence: A Developmental Approach (2022), published by APA Books. His other research interests include the nature and correlates of suicidality in the elderly. Dr. Flett is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, which has cited him as one of the top 25 most productive authors in psychology. His work on mattering has been featured in the New York Times and has been the topic of interviews in Scientific American and the Wall Street Journal.