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Research on Building Strong Social Connections to Support Teen Mental Health

Peer support and school belonging are key protective factors that help teens avoid common mental health struggles and risky behaviors.

Over the past decade, young people around the world have been facing more mental health challenges. One reason for this may be that they are losing positive friendships and connections.

A research article published in Mental Health & Prevention found that positive relationships with peers can reduce stress, improve mood, and lower the risk of problems like bullying or substance use.

For example, programs called Social Network Interventions (SNIs) encourage young people to look out for one another and share good behaviors. Schools and communities can play an important role by creating environments where these healthy connections are maintained.

Understanding the Research

To better support young people’s mental health, researchers are looking into social connections (especially friendships and school relationships) and how they can help prevent problems like depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

This research article focuses on two key areas: peer relationships and school connectedness, and how interventions in these areas can strengthen mental health during adolescence.

Let’s break down the key findings on peers, social networks, and school connectedness:

  • Peer connections matter: Teens start looking to peers more than parents for support and guidance, and the relationships they have with their peers can strongly influence their mood and behaviors. However, many struggle to reach out due to shame or fear of judgment, or wanting to handle problems on their own.
  • Social network interventions (SNIs) are effective for reducing bullying and risky behaviors: These are strategies that improve the influence of peers in a positive way. For example, well-connected students in a peer network can be trained to support their friends, spread healthy habits, or reduce harmful behaviors. In a randomized controlled trial, this approach led to a 25 % reduction in bullying compared to schools that did not use the intervention.
  • School connectedness can help prevent common mental health problems: Interventions involving 497 to over 5,000 students that built supportive relationships, social skills, and a sense of belonging led to lower depressive symptoms and improved self-esteem.

Practical Strategies for Parents and Caregivers

The good news is that parents and caregivers can support healthy peer and school relationships in simple ways. If you’re looking for ideas, here are some steps you can try:

Discuss and model social skills

You can help them develop important skills like listening, sharing, and resolving conflicts by showing these behaviors yourself.

For example, if a disagreement arises at home or they mention a conflict at school, calmly talk through it and explain your thought process — this gives your teen an example of how to handle similar situations with their friends and classmates.

Check in on their feelings

Sometimes teens need a little nudge to open up about what’s going on in their social lives. Make it a habit to ask questions about their day, friends, or how they’re feeling.

During dinner or car rides, you might ask, “How did things go with your friends at school today?” Even casual moments, like walking the dog or preparing a snack together, are opportunities to check in.

Praise their efforts to make friends or help others

If your teen tries something simple — like talking to a new classmate, inviting someone to join a group activity, or helping a peer with homework — take a moment to notice and comment on it.

You might tell them: “I saw you asked Sam to join your project today. That was really considerate,” or “It was great how you helped Mia with her homework.” This shows your teen that their efforts matter. They will feel proud of their social skills and be more willing to reach out to others.

The researchers are suggesting that while we know social disconnection is linked to poor mental health in young people, we don’t yet fully understand the specific factors that are driving it.

They’re calling for future studies to go beyond simply showing correlations (e.g., “less connection is associated with more depression”) and instead look into the underlying mechanisms.

Help your teen practice the skills that matter most. With our Social Skills Worksheets, teens can develop the tools they need for positive friendships and better connections.

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