TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of School Connectedness and Friend Contact in Adolescent Loneliness, and Implications for Physical Health.
AU - Zheng, Yixuan
AU - Panayiotou, Margarita
AU - Currie, Dorothy
AU - Yang, Keming
AU - Bagnall, Charlotte
AU - Qualter, Pamela
AU - Inchley, Joanna
PY - 2022/10/19
Y1 - 2022/10/19
N2 - The current study investigated how adolescents’ loneliness relates to school connectedness, classmate support, teacher support, and offline and online communication with friends. We also examined the association between loneliness, physical health, and sleep. Data came from the Scottish Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC). The total sample was 2,983 adolescents (F = 1,479 [49.6%]) aged 14-17 years (M = 15.66, SD = .39) from 117 secondary schools in Scotland. Results showed that (1) higher teacher support, classmate support, and offline contact with friends predicted lower levels of loneliness, (2) online friendship engagement predicted higher levels of loneliness, and (3) poor health and sleep were positively associated with loneliness. The study offers new findings, highlighting the role played by classmates/peers and teachers in reducing loneliness. Supporting previous research, we also found associations between loneliness, poor sleep, and worse physical health.
AB - The current study investigated how adolescents’ loneliness relates to school connectedness, classmate support, teacher support, and offline and online communication with friends. We also examined the association between loneliness, physical health, and sleep. Data came from the Scottish Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC). The total sample was 2,983 adolescents (F = 1,479 [49.6%]) aged 14-17 years (M = 15.66, SD = .39) from 117 secondary schools in Scotland. Results showed that (1) higher teacher support, classmate support, and offline contact with friends predicted lower levels of loneliness, (2) online friendship engagement predicted higher levels of loneliness, and (3) poor health and sleep were positively associated with loneliness. The study offers new findings, highlighting the role played by classmates/peers and teachers in reducing loneliness. Supporting previous research, we also found associations between loneliness, poor sleep, and worse physical health.
U2 - 10.1007/s10578-022-01449-x
DO - 10.1007/s10578-022-01449-x
M3 - Article
JO - Child Psychiatry & Human Development
JF - Child Psychiatry & Human Development
SN - 1573-3327
ER -