Social support and emotional well-being among boarders and day school students: A two-wave longitudinal study

Abstract

The present study assessed the impact of boarding school experience on the emotional well-being of primary school students and explored the associations between parent and peer support and students’ emotional well-being using a two-wave longitudinal design. The participants were 289 primary school students (45.3% boys; 55.4% boarders) from fourth to sixth grades in mainland China. Children reported parent and peer support and emotional well-being at the beginning of the first semester (Time 1) and two months later (Time 2). Results showed no significant difference in emotional well-being between boarders and day school students. Cross-lagged path models showed that peer support was positively associated with children’s later overall emotional well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness. Parent support was negatively associated with children’s later overall emotional well-being and happiness. Multi-group analysis revealed that boarders’ peer support, rather than parent support, was positively associated with emotional well-being. For day school students, parent support was negatively related to later emotional well-being, whereas peer support was positively associated with later happiness. Implications for educators, child service providers, and parents were discussed.