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In the Context of Adult Support: The Influence of Peer Support on the Psychological Well-Being of Middle-School Students

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Abstract

This study examines the influence of adult and peer support on the psychological well-being of middle-school students. Using data representing 13,843 middle-school students from seven U.S. states, which were collected with the School Success Profile, hierarchical regression analysis is used to examine a hypothesis in 2 models of relationships: continuity/cognitive and compensatory/competition. Results support the continuity/cognitive model, and indicate peer support is an important contributor to middle-school students’ psychological well-being at various levels of adult support. When adult support is low, high levels of peer support do not improve psychological well-being. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD, 21801, USA

    Rachel L. Buchanan

  2. School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Gary L. Bowen

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  1. Rachel L. Buchanan
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  2. Gary L. Bowen
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Correspondence to Rachel L. Buchanan.

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Buchanan, R.L., Bowen, G.L. In the Context of Adult Support: The Influence of Peer Support on the Psychological Well-Being of Middle-School Students. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 25, 397–407 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-008-0143-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-008-0143-z

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