The mediating role of school belonging in the relationship between socioemotional well-being and loneliness in primary school age children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: In recent years, school belonging has been associated with wellbeing and has been targeted in mental health promotion programmes in schools. Less attention has been paid to the relationship between school belonging and loneliness, especially during primary school years. This study aimed to first analyse the relationship between socioemotional well-being, school belonging and loneliness during primary school years, and secondly, according to the belonginess hypothesis, to examine the role of school belonging as a mediator of the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness. Methods: Children (N = 517) of primary school age were recruited from three schools in London to participate in a mental health screening, which involved the completion of standardized self-reported scales for sense of school belonging, loneliness and socioemotional wellbeing. Results: Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that although correlated, socioemo-tional wellbeing does not predict loneliness. However, in line with belonginess hypothesis, school belonging partially mediated the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school age children. Conclusions: Our findings provide novel data concerning the key role of school be-longing in shaping the relationship socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school years. This has implications for practitioners working to promote health and wellbeing in schools. KEY POINTS What is already known about the topic: High levels of school belonging have been associated with academic success and better long-term developmental outcomes. Loneliness has been recognised as a potential risk factor related to socioemotional wellbeing of children The relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness has mostly been investigated in secondary school adolescents and young people. What this topic adds: School belonging partially mediates the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school age children. The effect of school belonging on loneliness could reveal important pathways for the development of related evidence-based interventions. Effects of school belonging on loneliness can be seen as early as in primary school age, which has implications for early intervention.