The Impact of Friendship on Mental Health Amongst Adolescents
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The Impact of Friendship on Mental Health Amongst Adolescents
1.0 Literature review
1.1 Introduction
Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant changes in social relationships and mental health. Also, friendship’s impact on adolescents’ mental well-being is a crucial aspect of this developmental stage. Furthermore, the influence of close friendship strength and broader peer group desirability on adolescent mental health is crucial for well-being. Moreover, friendship is important in mitigating depression risk factors such as stress and trauma. From such perspectives, it is important to note that there are many cases where adolescents face different challenges in their lives, some of which require them to be within a social capacity that allows them to seek help or support from their peers to overcome them. This implies that the friendship aspect can be seen as an aspect that could facilitate the creation of an environment that fosters emotional growth to a point where different issues or challenges can be navigated and overcome. Ultimately, this paper sheds light on the importance of friendship interventions and the social context surrounding adolescent mental health and offers valuable insights for future policy changes.
1.2 Review
The impact of friendship on depression risk factors among adolescents is significant. The study by Gossage et al. (2022) found out if there is a significant amount of social support from friends in buffering risk factors like family conflict and academic stress and how friendship networks provide emotional support leading to lower depression risk among adolescents (Gossage et al., 2022). On the other hand, Manchanda et al. (2023) revealed that peer support programs and social skill-building activities could facilitate the development of strong and supportive friendships, thereby improving adolescent mental health outcomes (Manchanda et al., 2023). Furthermore, both studies underscore the importance of friendship in mitigating depression risk factors.
Similarly, the study by Nar et al. (2019) revealed that the quality of close friendships during adolescence directly influenced mental health (Nar et al., 2019). In comparison, Hartas (2021) investigated the social context of adolescent mental health and found there was a positive impact of strong friendships on adolescent mental health well-being (Hartas, 2021). Although both studies emphasize the importance of friendship for mental well-being, Narr et al. reliance on self-reported data and Harta’s broader scope might present limitations. However, both articles provide valuable insights into the role of friendships in shaping adolescent mental health outcomes.
1.3 Conclusion
In conclusion, friendship plays a significant role in adolescent mental health. Also, the influence of friendship and peer group desirability helps in mitigating depression risk factors and improves mental health. Furthermore, the quality of friendship influences mental health outcomes. This may be due to different reasons, such as the idea that human beings are social beings, and in many cases, the strength of a social circle, such as a friend group, maybe the determinant of the mental wellness of the individuals in the said group. However, this paper identified gaps in information, including the need for more research on friendship intervention effectiveness in diverse settings and the exploration of peer group dynamics. Therefore, the research aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the vital role friendships play in shaping adolescent mental well-being and inform potential interventions for mental health among adolescents.
2.1 The Methodology
2.1 Research Question
The main research question explored in the articles is the impact of social factors on adolescents’ mental health and well-being. The question focuses on the different roles that different social interactions create, especially regarding the needs of adolescents’ mental health. These approaches are considered predictors of the mental health of adolescents.
2.2 Research Design
It can be noted that the research design employed in these articles is primarily quantitative and descriptive. This is based on the idea that it is essential to create a sense of understanding of the way that the presence of individuals such as friends and parents can act as an important factor in the understanding of different mental wellness aspects that affect adolescents. The descriptive aspect, in this case, facilitates the understanding of the preference that is depicted by different adolescents in terms of the idea of social interactions. An aspect such as the use of social media is therefore considered.
2.3 Population and Sample
The study conducted by Narr et al. (2017) made use of a sample size of 184 individuals, 98 of whom were girls and the other 86 boys. This study recruited children in the seventh and eighth grades, who all came from a suburban area. The other study by Hartas (2018) targeted 11884 young people, who included different individuals from different families, including young people who were triplets and twins. The study by Manchanda et al. (2023) uses research from 24 articles to study the characteristics of individuals between the ages of 10 and 24. The study by Gossage et al. (2022) used 1398 Pacific children born at a South Auckland hospital in New Zealand in the year 2000. This was based on a longitudinal study.
2.4 Ethical Consideration
All four studies adhered to the ethical requirements of scientific studies by first getting approval from the ethics committee. Participants and their parents or legal guardians signed a consent form before data collection. Finally, the identity of the participants was kept confidential, and the participants reserved the right to discontinue the research at any stage with no consequence. This element allowed for the creation of a sense of safety in the sense that it removed the aspect of pressure that may have been present, and this is based on the idea that people respond better when whatever interactions they are having are not based on an approach that is full of pressure.
2.5 Data Collection Tools
The study by Gossage et al. (2022) made use of secondary research from data collected from an existing longitudinal study that was done using 1398 Pacific children born at a South Auckland hospital in New Zealand in the year 2000. The study conducted by Narr et al. (2017) used data collected from a longitudinal study already in place. The study by Manchanda et al. (2023) used a systematic review that focused on data collected about youth. The other study by Hartas (2018) used a survey.
2.6 Data Analysis
The study employed different analytical methods, such as inferential statistical analysis. It is also important to note that correlation is used to determine how ideas such as friendship impact the sense of mental well-being of adolescents. The studies focus efforts on using data that has also been analyzed by other researchers, which makes the outcome of the study susceptible to different limitations of bias that can be present in the data analysis.
3.1 Expected Findings
The study aims to investigate how the quality of friendships and the desirability of peer groups influence the mental health of adolescents. In such a case, different sources are reviewed to look into the significant roles of social interactions and how such aspects can be tied to the idea of mental wellness in the sense that these roles determine the ability of an adolescent to have good mental health. The studies reviewed find that strong and supportive friendships uniquely help adolescents navigate the different challenges they may be facing. In such a case, the presence of these friendships acts as good emotional support to ensure that the adolescent can overcome the different challenges that may be present in their lives. The inquiries made by the different researchers promote the sense of inquiry into how the sense of well-being concerning depression levels, peer group desirability, and friendship quality. As expected, the studies consider that there is a need for ethical considerations to be made, especially considering the age bracket that the research intends to work with. For this reason, the participants and their parents or guardians will have to give their approval.
The studies provide that strong and supportive friendships and desirable peer groups are expected to be associated with reduced depression risk factors and better mental health outcomes among adolescents. In such a case, the hypothesis is expected to prove correct using the data collected through the approaches presented in the methodology section. By looking into how aspects such as supportive friendships and desirability in peer groups affect the mental state of adolescents, it can be expected that different individuals, including teachers, mental health promoters, and policymakers, will benefit from the provided insights. It is also expected that the adolescents will benefit, given that they will better understand how friendships and a sense of belonging affect their mental health. The research is also important because the study’s results can contribute to the ideas being considered during policymaking, especially regarding aspects that can be tied to friendship and mental wellness. The study is also essential for researchers who work in the field of child psychology, and this is based on the idea that it provides a framework to analyze the way that different environmental conditions affect the ability of adolescents to function in society, especially in relation to their development across different stages of growth.
References
Gossage, L., Narayanan, A., Dipnall, J. F., Iusitini, L., Sumich, A., Berk, M., Wrapson, W., Tautolo, E. S., & Siegert, R. (2022). Risk factors for depression in Pacific adolescents in New Zealand: A network analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 311, 373–382.
Hartas, D. (2021). The social context of adolescent mental health and well-being: Parents, friends, and social media. Research Papers in Education, 36(5), 542-560.
Manchanda T, Stein A, Fazel M. (2023). Investigating the Role of Friendship Interventions on the Mental Health Outcomes of Adolescents: A Scoping Review of Range and a Systematic Review of Effectiveness. Int J Environ Res Public Health.
Narr, R. K., Allen, J. P., Tan, J. S., & Loeb, E. L. (2019). Close Friendship Strength and Broader Peer Group Desirability as Differential Predictors of Adult Mental Health. Child development, 90(1), 298–313.
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