Social Relationships and Youth Mental Health

What is it about?

This paper explores age and gender differences in the quality of adolescents' relationships with their parents, peers and romantic partners. It also examines how positive and negative qualities in these relationships (e.g. support, companionship, criticism, exclusion) are linked to young people's mental health.

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Why is it important?

Key findings indicate: - Girls had more positive relationship with their mothers and best friends than boys - Younger adolescents had more positive parental relationships than mid/late adolescents - Criticism from parents was linked to more negative mental health. - Adolescents who were more satisfied in their relationships with parents, friends and romantic partners had better mental health, suggesting it is important to foster positive social relationships for teenagers, e.g. through social skills programmes in schools. - High levels of disclosure in parent and friend relationships was linked to negative mental health. This suggests teenagers experiencing distress may disclose this to parents and peers, who may not have the knowledge to respond appropriately, thus allowing adolescents to discuss problems in a negative manner and focus on negative feelings. This highlights the importance of developing programmes that train parents and adolescents to provide appropriate and effective support to young people experiencing distress.