Adolescent Peer Research Articles

Companion animals and profiles of peer social behavior in adolescence.

Relationships with companion animals have been associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior and lower levels of socioemotional difficulties for children and adolescents. Companion animals may be supportive of developing prosocial behavior in youth through practice with positive social interactions and the development of empathy and reciprocity skills. The goal of this study was to use a person-centered approach to investigate if living with a pet (including pet species) is associated with profiles of adolescent peer social behaviors (i.e., prosocial, aggressive), and size of their peer network. This study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®, a large, nationally representative data set of American adolescents. In a cross-sectional sample of 5218 adolescents, we found that youth clustered into four different distinct profiles of peer social behavior. Female youth living with dogs were less likely to be in the High Aggression profile as compared to youth without pets or youth with other types of pets. However, having a pet was not associated with whether youth were in the profiles characterized by prosocial behaviors or size of peer network. Overall, future research should explore how gender intersects with companion animal interactions-both in terms of frequency of interactions as well as relationship quality/emotional attachment-as well as examine these relationships over time to assess causality.

A prospective study of the relative contribution of adolescent peer support quantity and quality to depressive symptoms.

During adolescence, peer support has an increasingly important role in identity formation and well-being. Prior research has identified that lack of social support from peers in adolescence is a potent risk factor for depression. Two ways that social support has been operationalized is by the number of one's friends (i.e., 'quantity') and perception of one's network (i.e., 'quality'). Typically, these aspects of peer support are assessed separately. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 3,857), this study sought to test whether (1) adolescent depression relates to having fewer friends versus lower quality friendships, (2) these aspects of adolescent peer support prospectively predict depression in adulthood, (3) gender moderates the effects of peer support on depression, and (4) these aspects of peer support buffer the effects of stressful life events on depression. Peer support quality uniquely predicted depression in adolescence and adulthood among both males and females. The effect of peer support quality on depressive symptoms, however, was greater for females than males. By contrast, peer support quantity did not uniquely predict depression for males or females. Qualitative aspects of adolescent peer support uniquely contribute to mental health not only in adolescence, but in adulthood as well. Potential processes through which peer support relates to depression are discussed, as well as implications for treatment.

Self-esteem and negative affectivity as mediators of the prospective links between adolescent interpersonal peer problems and disordered eating behaviors

The current prospective study examined whether both self-esteem and negative affectivity mediate subsequent associations between interpersonal peer problems (i.e., peer victimization, peer rejection, lack of friendships) and disordered eating behaviors (i.e., loss of control while overeating, emotional eating, restrained eating) in adolescents using secondary data. The sample included 2051 adolescents (Mage baseline = 13.81, SDage baseline = 0.72; 48.5% female) who participated in a longitudinal project, which includes three annually collected waves of data. Participants completed self-report and peer-report measures describing interpersonal problems with peers, and self-report measures describing negative affectivity, self-esteem, and disordered eating behaviors. The results provided no support for either self-esteem or negative affectivity as mediators of the associations between interpersonal peer problems and disordered eating behaviors two years later. However, self-esteem was more robustly linked to all three types of subsequent disordered eating behaviors than negative affectivity. This highlights the importance of adolescent's self-evaluations in the development of disordered eating behaviors.

Parents' Awareness of Bullying Involvement in Relation to Physician Practices: Implications for Practice Modifications.

Background Bullying is a complex abusive behavior with potentially serious consequences. Persons who bully and those who are bullied have consistently been found to have higher levels of depression, suicidal ideation, physical injury, distractibility, somatic problems, anxiety, poor self-esteem, and school absenteeism than those not involved with bullying. Objectives To our knowledge, no study has compared physicians' practices of bullying prevention across different hospital settings and the effect of these practices on parents' level of awareness. This article represents a subset (phase I) of the inter-departmental quality improvement study for comparing practices of healthcare professionals regarding bullying prevention between the pediatric outpatient clinic and child & adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic, and parents' awareness about provider's anti-bullying practices. Methods Phase I was conducted as a cross-sectional study with the target population of adolescents (age 12-17 yrs) and corresponding guardians, seeking care from healthcare providers (residents, fellows and attendings) in the child & adolescent outpatient psychiatry clinic and pediatric outpatient clinic. It targeted both patients and providers, with adolescents/guardians completing questionnaire about bullying experiences, physician's anti-bullying practices during past healthcare visits and adolescent Peer Relations Instrument. Providers answered questions about bullying assessing practices, level of self-preparedness and limitations. Results Data were analyzed in SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) and SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and Chi-square tests were used for analyses of variables, and cross-comparing results for particular subsets. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed. Among the provider surveys, self-reported level of preparedness (on a scale of 1-5; 1- least, 5-most) for assessing bullying was more in Psychiatry providers (Median 4, Mean 4.1) as compared to Pediatric providers (Median 3, Mean 2.9). In the first evaluation, very unprepared, unprepared and neutral (1, 2, 3) responses were contrasted with prepared to very prepared responses (4,5).The second evaluation excludes the neutral responses (3) and tests responses for the unprepared group (1,2) with the prepared group (4,5).The first evaluation resulted in Chi-Squared = 6.810, significant at p = 0.05 and the second evaluation resulted in Chi-squared = 4.774, also significant at p = 0.05. Conclusions This study identifies differences in healthcare professional's anti-bullying practices and helps in identifying limiting factors. This identification of the practice gap helps in developing interventional strategies to improve the assessment of bullying situations across specialties.

Mother-Adolescent Agreement Concerning Peer Victimization:Predictors and Relation to Coping.

The current study analyzed adolescent, maternal, and family factors associated with mother-adolescent agreement on reports of verbal, relational, and physical forms of peer victimization. It also assessed the relationship between mother-adolescent agreement and adolescents' coping response to peer victimization. The sample consisted of 783 adolescents (337 male, 446 female) between the ages 13-15 and their mothers. Consistent with previous research, results showed mother-adolescent agreement to be low, with kappa coefficients ranging from .15 to .30 on items measuring adolescent peer victimization. A multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that adolescent factors (age, gender, depression symptomology), maternal factors (depression symptomology, history of victimization), and family cohesion were significantly related to mother-adolescent agreement on reports of peer victimization. Lastly, mother-adolescent agreement on reports of adolescent peer victimization was associated with adolescents' increased use of adult support seeking and problem-solving and decreased use of passive-coping, distancing, and revenge-seeking as a coping response to peer victimization.

The Place of Sick Peers in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: Advantage, Disadvantage, and What Makes Barriers to the Encounter.

Purpose: The appreciation of peer support can vary from one country to another due to the cultural and relational differences. This study explores what perceptions French adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in post-treatment for cancer have of the place of sick peers during their treatment and what can make barriers to meet them. Methods: A semistructured interview has been proposed 6 months after the end of cancer treatments. A thematic analysis has been conducted to highlight the major themes and subthemes identified through the participants' discourses. Results: Twelve AYAs (mean age 23 y.o., standard deviation = 2.8; min = 19; max = 26) from two French cancer centers were interviewed. Five major themes were identified, but only two were presented in this article: the place of peers and the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic on AYA facilities. AYA peers with cancer major theme demonstrated that meeting sick peers has benefits (e.g., identification, understanding, support, feeling of normalcy) but also has disadvantages (e.g., negative emotional influence). The benefits of peer-to-peer meetings seem to outweigh the disadvantages. Nevertheless, AYAs can face social barriers to this kind of relationship (e.g., fatigue, need to focus on oneself, confrontation to cancer and negative events, feeling of unnatural meeting). Finally, patients' encounters and the normal functioning of AYA facilities have been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Even if AYA services systematically suggest a meeting with other sick peers, it is important to reiterate this proposal since the needs can evolve over time. It can also be interesting to propose places of life outside the hospital to make the encounters more comfortable and natural for AYAs. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03964116.

Pathways from peers to mental health: Adolescent networks, role attainment, and adult depressive symptoms

Both adolescent peer networks and adult role attainment affect mental health in adulthood. However, whether adult roles mediate associations between adolescent networks and adult mental health is unclear. Using path analysis with survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 8543) in the United States, we examine the direct impact of adolescent (grades 7–12) popularity (received ties) and sociality (sent ties) among school peers on adult (ages 33–43) depressive symptoms, and we assess mediation pathways through four key adult roles: marriage, employment, education, and residential independence. We then examine whether pathways differ across men and women. Results indicate that adolescent popularity, or how others view an adolescent's position in the peer network, benefits adult mental health through the attainment of marriage, employment, and education. Residential independence is a significant mediator for popularity in models for men. Sociality, or how an adolescent views their own position in the peer network, relates to adult depressive symptoms through the attainment of a college degree for women and marriage for men. Sociality also directly predicts lower depressive levels, independent of adult role attainment, in models for women. Overall, results indicate gendered pathways for how adolescent networks relate to mental health decades later through adult roles.

Associations of peer generational status on adolescent weight across Hispanic immigrant generations: A social network analysis

BackgroundChildhood obesity disproportionately impacts Hispanics in the United States (US), the nation's largest ethnic minority population. However, even among Hispanic children, those born in the US are at increased risk of developing obesity than those not born in the US (i.e. first-generation Hispanics). The objective of this study is to assess whether ethnic and generational differences in the friend networks of Hispanic adolescents moderate the association between immigrant generation and weight. MethodsWe analyzed data from first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation Hispanic 12 to 19 year-old participants in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the association between generational status and body mass index (BMI), and whether the ethnic and generational composition of friends moderated that association. ResultsHigher generational status was associated with higher BMI. The ethnic and generational composition of friends was not independently associated with BMI among Hispanic adolescents. However, a social network with a greater proportion of second-generation Hispanics was positively associated with BMI among first-generation Hispanics, and negatively associated with BMI among second-generation Hispanics. ConclusionsThe generational status of peers in Hispanic adolescents’ social networks, particularly the proportion that are second-generation Hispanic, moderates the positive association between immigrant generation and BMI. Moreover, this moderation effect is different across immigrant generations so that the proportion of second-generation adolescents within a social network is associated with higher BMI in first-generation Hispanic adolescents, but with lower BMI among those who are second-generation. These results were confirmed in sensitivity analyses. Our findings suggest that the generational composition of social networks alters the association between the generational status and weight of Hispanic adolescents, and thus that social factors within those networks may contribute to those associations.

Culturally adapting a mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention to support the mental health of adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in Uganda.

The dual burden of living with HIV and negotiating life stage changes has been identified as a contributing factor to lapsed adherence among adolescents with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. While psychosocial support can promote medication adherence, most interventions in use with adolescents were originally developed for the general population creating a gap in appropriate support. Life-stage-appropriate, evidence-based psychosocial support interventions have been used with young people in high-income contexts, prompting interest in their use in low-income contexts. However, many interventions are less effective when implemented outside of their original settings, hence the need for modifications before implementation. We aimed to culturally adapt an evidence-based psychosocial support intervention designed to improve the mental health of young people for use among adolescents with HIV in a sub-Saharan African context and to explore the acceptability of the adapted intervention among adolescents. We engaged thirty stakeholders (n = 30) in Kampala, Uganda including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, HIV counselors, religious leaders and adolescent peers from December 2021 to April 2022 to modify an evidence-based intervention for adolescents. Key adaptations included simplifying the language, adding local practices, integrating locally relevant slang and stories into therapy, introducing racially-congruent visuals and cards representing emotions, and adjusting therapy materials for use in resource-constrained settings. We then tested the acceptability of the intervention in a small sample of service users using a qualitative approach. We recruited nine adolescents with HIV from a participating clinic in Kampala, delivered six 90-minute sessions of the adapted intervention across three weeks and conducted in-depth interviews to assess the acceptability of the intervention. We used thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data. The adapted intervention was perceived as acceptable among adolescents with HIV, with many stating that it helped them overcome fears, increased their self-acceptance, and gave them the confidence to make careful health-enhancing decisions.

Susceptibility to Peer Pressure Among Adolescents: Biological, Demographic, and Peer-Related Determinants


 
 Peer influence is widely held as a significant factor in adolescent development. Peer pressure is the influence that a peer group or individual exerts that encourages others to change their attitudes, values, or behaviors to conform to group norms (Brechwald & Prinstein, 2011). Among adolescents, peer pressure can have a dramatic influence on various behaviors, including engagement in unsafe sex practices and substance use. The objective of this paper is to identify the variables associated with adolescents’ susceptibility to peer pressure. Specifically, this paper will focus on race, age, and perceived gender roles as determinants of adolescent peer conformity.
 

The Mediating Effects of Peer Relationship and Self-Esteem on the Relations Between Subjective Socioeconomic Status and Subjective Well-Being for High School Students

To explore senior high school students’ subjective socioeconomic status influence on their subjective well-being, and the role of self-esteem and peer relationships in it, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 394 high school students from the first grade to the third grade in Beijing using the Adolescent Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Peer Relationship Scale, and Subjective Well-being Scale. The results show that: (1) Subjective socioeconomic status can positively predict subjective well-being; (2) Self-esteem and peer relationship play a completely mediating role in the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. Therefore, the improvement of high school students’ subjective well-being can be achieved through the dual path of intervening in students’ self-esteem level and improving their peer relationships.

Self-Esteem and Peer Pressure in Adolescent Males using Drugs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and peer pressure in drug abusing male adolescents. In the light of earlier literature, it was hypothesized that there will be high prevalence of peer pressure and low self-esteem in adolescent males with drug abuse and there will be a negative relation between self-esteem and peer pressure in drug abusing male adolescents. For this study, 155 male adolescents (10 to 19 years) were chosen through convenient sampling from different drug rehabilitation centers in Karachi. The participants belonged from madrasa and school. Proper ethical considerations were maintained and permissions were taken from different rehabilitations centers for data collection. Adolescent Self Esteem Questionnaire and Peer Pressure Scale were used for this study. Findings indicated high prevalence of low self-esteem (44%) and consecutively high incidence of peer pressure (73.5%) in adolescent males with drug abuse. Moreover, the study proved that a significant negative relationship exists between self-esteem and peer pressure among adolescent males with drug abuse (r = -0.75, p = 0.05). The study has implications for psychologists, counselors, educationist and government for managing self-esteem and peer pressure in students

Thank you to The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health's statistical and peer reviewers in 2022

Thank you to The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health's statistical and peer reviewers in 2022

Patterns of relational aggression, narcissism, and self-esteem: Adolescents’ social goals unraveled

This study applies latent profile analysis to identify profiles of adolescents differentiated on levels of relational aggression (RAgg), self-esteem, and narcissism. To understand the social aspects of these profiles within the adolescent peer context, we compare them to their reported social goals of dominance, popularity, and intimacy. Greek junior high school students ( N = 2,207), selected via random stratified cluster sampling, aged 13–16 ( M = 14.04, SD =.81), completed a self-report survey. Based on self-esteem, narcissism, and RAgg scores, four groups emerged: the group with the lowest scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“low risk”), the group with the highest scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“relational aggressors with narcissistic self-esteem”), the group with moderate scores in RAgg, narcissism, and self-esteem (“moderate risk”), and the group with high RAgg and narcissism scores but low self-esteem (“relational aggressors with vulnerable self-esteem”). Relational aggressors with high narcissism and self-esteem scored higher on social goals than those with vulnerable self-esteem (high narcissism but low self-esteem). Preventive policies should replace excessive and unconditional praise with more realistic self-esteem sources and teach adolescents how to respond to negative feedback and to cope with ego threats or social placement concerns.

Peer influence on prosocial behavior in adolescence

Peer relationships are crucial for the formation and development of prosocial behavior among adolescents. However, most studies have focused on harmful behaviors and risky behaviors of adolescence, and previous verifiable work has often focused on peer relationship influences for antisocial behavior in adolescents. The research on the influence of adolescent peer relationship on prosocial behavior is relatively insufficient, especially the lack of systematic reviewing articles. This article presents peer influence can affect the prosocial behavior by demonstrating social and prosocial behavior in adolescent stage, exploring the importance of peer relationship, decision information of peers and peer intimacy. Moreover, this paper reviews recent experiential studies to explain the mechanism of peer influence on adolescent prosocial behavior from the perspectives of social learning and conformity theory and gender differences. This paper builds a higher study basement for future prosocial behavior field. Limitations of differences between different prosocial behaviors, and the influence level from peers are also worth investigating in the future.

Predictors of depression among adolescents joining selected public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya

AbstractDepression is common among adolescents more so during the transition to secondary school, and the psychosocial and emotional changes that accompany adolescence. This study sought to assess the prevalence and predictors of depression among students joining public secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study was carried out at five selected public secondary schools in Nairobi County covering 539 students between the ages of 11 and 18 years. The Patient Health Questionnaire‐Adolescent version (PHQ‐A) was used to collect data on depression. For suicidal behavior, the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire‐revised version was used. The Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument was used to assess bullying victimization. These were augmented by a sociodemographic questionnaire. Depression prevalence rates were generated using a generalized linear model customized with a log link and a Poisson distribution for a common binary outcome. The prevalence of depression was found to be 14.5%, with a mean PHQ‐A score of 6.16 (SD = 3.16). Predictors of depression were suicide risk (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 3.07, confidence interval, CI [1.94–4.88]; p < .001) and lifetime alcohol use (aPR = 2.24, CI [1.36–3.68]; p = .001). Depression is prevalent among adolescents joining secondary schools in Nairobi County. Counselor‐led school‐based cognitive behavioral therapy could be a sustainable strategy for reducing depression symptoms and guiding preventive efforts among adolescents in this context.

A developmental cascade model of adolescent peer relationships, substance use, and psychopathological symptoms from child maltreatment

IntroductionAlthough previous studies have demonstrated high intercorrelations among deviant peer affiliation, substance use, externalizing and internalizing symptoms in adolescence, these studies have been limited because they did not examine 1) the associations over time by assuming one particular sequence; and 2) child maltreatment effects. MethodsThis study included 617 adolescents (54.3 % girls, 55.6 % Black) at-risk of maltreatment living in the U.S and primarily low-income. Deviant peer affiliation was assessed at ages 12, 14, and 16 using 13 items from the modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior and Monitoring the Future Survey. Externalizing and internalizing symptoms were measured at ages 12, 14, and 16 using the Child Behavior Checklist. The number of substances used (ages 12, 14, 16, and 18) were created by summing the self-reported alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Each type of maltreatment (birth to age 12) was assessed using the self-report. ResultsAutoregressive cross-lagged structural equation modeling explained the stability effects within each domain, as well as how different maltreatment types affect diverse developmental processes. Cross-lagged results showed the socialization effects of peers on substance use, whereas the peer selection effects on externalizing symptoms. Physical abuse was only associated with externalizing symptoms, while sexual abuse was associated with both externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Additionally, emotional abuse was associated with deviant peer affiliation and substance use. ConclusionsIdentifying the underlying reciprocal processes offers a deeper understanding of peer relationships in the substance use and externalizing symptoms among at-risk of maltreatment sample.

Is it my fault? The role of the feeling of guilt in adolescent peer victimization.

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between feelings of guilt, peer victimization in school, and loneliness based on adolescents' gender. A total of 671 Spanish students (50.7% boys), aged 10-16 years old (M = 13.04, SD = 1.80) from six public primary and secondary schools participated in the study. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (3 × 2) was calculated. Adolescents with high levels of guilt presented greater physical, verbal, and relational victimization, as well as higher levels of loneliness. In addition, boys high in guilt had the highest scores in overt physical victimization, while girls high in guilt had the highest levels of loneliness. Results obtained suggest that adolescents with greater feelings of guilt feel responsible for being victims of peer aggression and for feeling lonely. These findings suggest the need to address the feeling of guilt, taking into account the gender perception.

Clinical features of adult patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder presenting for medical stabilization: A descriptive study.

The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical features of adult patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) to better understand the medical findings, psychological comorbidities, and laboratory abnormalities in this population. We completed a retrospective chart review of all adult patients with a diagnosis of ARFID, admitted for medical stabilization, between April 2016 and June 2021, to an inpatient hospital unit, which specializes in severe eating disorders. Information collected included anthropomorphic data, laboratory assessments, and medical history at time of admission. One hundred and twenty-two adult patients with ARFID were identified as meeting inclusion criteria for the study. The most common ARFID presentation was "fear of adverse consequences." The majority were female (70%), with an average age of 32.7 ± 13.7 years and mean percent of ideal body weight (m%IBW) of 68.2 ± 10.9. The most common laboratory abnormalities were low serum prealbumin and vitamin D, hypokalemia, leukopenia, and elevated serum bicarbonate. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were anxiety and depressive disorders, and the most common medical diagnoses were disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). This is the largest study to the authors' knowledge of medical presentations in adult patients with ARFID. Our results reflect that the adult patient with ARFID may, in some aspects, present differently than pediatric and adolescent patients with ARFID, or from ARFID patients requiring less intensive care. This study highlights the need for further investigation of adult patients with ARFID. ARFID is a restrictive eating disorder first defined in 2013. This study explores the medical presentations of adult patients (>18 years old) with ARFID presenting for specialized eating disorder treatment and identifies unique features of the adult presentation for treatment, compared to pediatric and adolescent peers.

Factors associated with bullying victimization among adolescents joining public secondary schools in Nairobi county Kenya: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUNDBullying victimization in adolescence exposes young people to both short- and long-term mental health problems. These include depression and suicidality, whose prevalence has been on the rise around the world. Bullying, though officially banned in Kenyan secondary schools since 2013, has remained ubiquitous to the present day. This study aimed to elucidate the factors associated with bullying victimization among adolescents joining Form one at public secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya.METHODOLOGYThis was an analytical cross-sectional design. Data were collected one month after the adolescents had joined secondary school. Data was collected from 539 adolescents attending 5 schools using the self-reported Adolescent Peer Relations questionnaire to assess bullying victimization as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Prevalence rates were generated using a generalized linear model (GLM) customized with a log link and a Poisson distribution for a common binary outcome.RESULTSIn the univariable analysis, 85.7% (n=462) reported experiencing any bullying victimization. Of those who had depression, 93.5% (n=220) had experienced bullying victimization. The difference in prevalence rates between those who were depressed and those who weren’t was statistically significant in the multivariable analysis (adjusted prevalence rate, aPR=1.33; 95%CI=1.05-1.68, p=0.033). Boys were more likely to experience physical victimization compared to girls (aPR=1.27; 95%CI=1.02-1.58, p=0.031).CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of bullying victimization is quite high, and the presence of depression and sex are significant factors associated with the risk of bullying victimization. Anti-bullying interventions in secondary schools should include a component of depression screening and treatment.