ERIC Number: EJ1392877
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Sep
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1866-2625
EISSN: EISSN-1866-2633
Perception of Friendship Quality and Mental Health: School Goal Structures as Moderators
Diaconu-Gherasim, Loredana R.; Nicu?a, Elena Gabriela; Crumpei-Tanasa, Irina; Opariuc-Dan, Cristian
School Mental Health, v15 n3 p1003-1016 Sep 2023
Perception of friendship quality has been shown to be a key ingredient for children's mental health, however, less is known about how the learning environment might impact these relations. This study investigated how children's perceptions of friendship quality are related to their mental health (i.e., satisfaction with life and depressive symptoms) and whether school goal structures are potential moderators for these relations in a sample of elementary school children. A sample of 423 fourth-grade students (M[subscript age] = 10.85, 46.33% boys) and their teachers (N = 24) participated in the study. Children filled out questionnaires assessing friendship quality, satisfaction with life, and depressive symptoms. Teachers completed a scale evaluating their perception of the school goal structures. Results indicated that children who reported high positive friendship quality were more satisfied with their lives, whereas children who reported high levels of negative friendship quality experienced lower levels of life satisfaction and higher levels of depressive symptoms. School mastery goal structures reported by teachers moderated the relation between children's perception of friendship quality and their depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Further, school performance goal structures reported by teachers moderated the relation between children's perception of negative friendship quality and their depressive symptoms. The results seem to suggest that the effects of mastery goal structure are not always positive, whereas a performance goal structure might sometimes be beneficial for students' mental health.
Descriptors: Friendship, Mental Health, Educational Environment, Childrens Attitudes, Life Satisfaction, Depression (Psychology), Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Elementary School Students, Grade 4, Goal Orientation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A