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Impact of School-Based Interventions for Building School Belonging in Adolescence: a Systematic Review

Authors:
Kelly-Ann Allen at Monash University (Australia)
Kelly-Ann Allen
Negar Jamshidi at RMIT University
Negar Jamshidi
Emily Berger at Monash University (Australia)
Emily Berger
Andrea E Reupert at Monash University (Australia)
Andrea E Reupert
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A student’s sense of school belonging is critical to school success, yet internationally, a large proportion of secondary students do not feel that they belong to their school. However, little is understood about how schools can address this issue, nor what evidence-based interventions are available to increase belonging among secondary school students. The aim of this study is to identify and critically review the evidence on school-based interventions that increase a sense of school belonging in adolescents. Seven electronic databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from 1999 to February 2021 using ‘school belonging’ and ‘intervention’ amongst the key search terms. A total of 22 controlled trials were identified with 14 studies reporting effective school-based interventions for enhancing a sense of adolescent school belonging. Successful interventions targeted students’ strengths and promoted positive interactions between students and between school staff and students. Overall, this review found a paucity of interventions that intentionally aimed to develop adolescent school belonging. Inconsistencies in terminology use and definitions describing school belonging were identified even when similar measurement tools were utilised. Findings of this review have important practice implications and provide information to support schools to select evidence-based interventions to improve students’ sense of school belonging.
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REVIEW ARTICLE
Impact of School-Based Interventions for Building
School Belonging in Adolescence: a Systematic Review
Kelly-Ann Allen
1,2
&Negar Jamshidi
3
&Emily Berger
1
&Andrea Reupert
1
&
Gerald Wurf
1
&Fiona May
1
Accepted: 25 May 2021 /
#The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
Abstract
Astudent’s sense of school belonging is critical to school success, yet internationally, a
large proportion of secondary students do not feel that they belong to their school.
However, little is understood about how schools can address this issue, nor what evi-
dence-based interventions are available to increase belonging among secondary school
students. The aim of this study is to identify and critically review the evidence on school-
based interventions that increase a sense of school belonging in adolescents. Seven
electronic databases and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched
from 1999 to February 2021 using ‘school belonging’and ‘intervention’amongst the key
search terms. A total of 22 controlled trials were identified with 14 studies reporting
effective school-based interventions for enhancing a sense of adolescent school belonging.
Successful interventions targeted students’strengths and promoted positive interactions
between students and between school staff and students. Overall, this review found a
paucity of interventions that intentionally aimed to develop adolescent school belonging.
Inconsistencies in terminology use and definitions describing school belonging were
identified even when similar measurement tools were utilised. Findings of this review
have important practice implications and provide information to support schools to select
evidence-based interventions to improve students’sense of school belonging.
Keywords Adolescence .Interventions .School belonging .Social and emotional learning .
Systematic review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09621-w
*Kelly-Ann Allen
kelly–ann.allen@monash.edu
1
Educational Psychology and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton,
Australia
2
The Centre for Wellbeing Science, The Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
3
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT
University, Melbourne, Bundoora, Australia
Published online: 25 June 2021
Educational Psychology Review (2022) 34:229–257
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... School belonging is the degree to which students feel respected, accepted, incorporated, and supported by individuals within their school context [20]. School belonging has been identified as a predictor of several positive outcomes, such as improved psychosocial health [21], psychological wellbeing [15,22], positive school experiences [23], and reduced instances of bullying, violence, and substance abuse [24,25]. The benefits derived from a positive sense of school belonging have also been shown to be protective against mental health decline, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse in adulthood [21]. ...
... Personal factors such as greater happiness, psychological functioning, adjustment, self-esteem, and self-identity are also correlated with a sense of school belonging [26][27][28][29][30]. Despite this evidence, more needs to be understood regarding how to intentionally build a sense of belonging in schools, especially across cultures [23,24]. This is partly attributable to discrepancies in terminology and a lack of teaching practices explicitly targeting school belonging [15,24,31]. ...
... Despite this evidence, more needs to be understood regarding how to intentionally build a sense of belonging in schools, especially across cultures [23,24]. This is partly attributable to discrepancies in terminology and a lack of teaching practices explicitly targeting school belonging [15,24,31]. ...
Students' Perspectives on Fostering a Sense of School Belonging in Greece: Moving Beyond COVID ‐19
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  • Dec 2024
  • J SCHOOL HEALTH
Background Students' sense of school belonging is important for mental health, physical health, and academic performance. However, some students do not feel as though they belong in their schools. This study investigated Greek secondary school students' perspectives on practices that enhanced their sense of belonging during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Method An online survey used open‐ended questions to explore the views of 226 Greek secondary school students. Results Thematic analysis identified four teacher‐level practice themes: communication and understanding, respect and inclusion, support to become involved in the school community, and classroom structure. Four school‐level practice themes were identified: support and inclusion, psychological support and career guidance, improved school facilities and safety, and activities and opportunities for social connections. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity Teacher communication that fostered belonging included being approachable, understanding, and caring. Students valued inclusion, safety, and equality. Extracurricular activities and workshops strengthened belonging at school. Group work, creative lessons, and at the school‐level, opportunities for social connection, were also important for developing a sense of belonging. Conclusions By understanding different level factors linked to school belonging, schools and policymakers can better identify effective and appropriate practices that improve student belonging.
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... For example, having psychological knowledge that emotions are not linear but conflicting can help teachers understand and support their students. [40][41][42][43][44][45] ...
... The further goal is to identify a counseling approach or method incorporating these skills and techniques into teaching and training. [45][46][47][48][49][50][51] ...
Empowering Teachers in Schools with Basic Counseling Skills
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  • Jan 2024
Mental disorders are behavioral or psychological syndromes or patterns manifesting in individuals, indicating an underlying psychobiological dysfunction. The rising prevalence of mental disorders among children and adolescents is a significant public health issue, as a newly introduced lifespan approach stresses that childhood mental health issues lie on the developmental continuum and can manifest at different stages of life as severe mental health disorders. To assist the public health system in fulfilling this burgeoning and alarming need, in the last two decades, schools have moved towards achieving the goal of a health education system wherein student well-being and academic output are supported hand in hand. School-based interventions are sought to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma, which can prevent these disorders and promote wellbeing. The main rationale of the current review article is as follows. One in eight children and young people aged 5 to 19 years have at least one mental disorder. Research shows that high demand has caused a shortage of qualified school psychologists and counselors. Hence, there is a need for teachers to support the mental health team. It is seen that with the advantage of their direct contact with students, they can effectively support student wellbeing along with academic output. Also, there is a need for interventions to reduce stigma and increase mental health literacy. This may facilitate help-seeking and the use of mental health services by young people. Among other rationales are: it is seen that school-based interventions carried out by professionals in a school other than mental health professionals can prevent the onset of mental health issues by supporting students in dealing with minor mental health issues, improving mental health literacy, and reducing stigma. Hence, this review discusses and posits equipping teachers with basic counseling skills as a valuable strategy and methodology of intervention in school mental health programs
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... Taking into consideration the revealed positive outcomes of students' high sense of school belonging and the negative outcomes of a low sense of school belonging makes research progress in the field necessary and crucial. Knowing and understanding the predictors of school belonging is important not only for building theories of students' sense of school belonging [16] but also for designing evidence-based policy interventions and educational practices for its promotion [34]. This systematic review builds on an existing meta-study [6] and systematic review [35] in several ways to contribute to a thorough and in-depth understanding of the predictors of the sense of school belonging. ...
... The limited number of such studies not only limits the achievement of the aims of this systematic review and our ability to answer the second research question-"Do predictors of the sense of school belonging differ based on students' age, gender, minority status, academic achievement, and/or individual characteristics, and if so, how?"-but, more importantly, it also provides an important obstacle in planning evidence-based interventions for fostering school belonging among different groups of students, particularly those who are at risk of feeling alienated from school. Although there is evidence in favour of universal approaches that target all students (e.g., the whole-school approach) [34], Berryman and Elley [96] (pp. 989-990) noted that, "when the notion of belonging at school has been posited as having the same meaning and influence on educational experiences for all students then we are in danger of missing or trivializing the experiences for the marginalized, the othered or the alienated". ...
Addressing the Sense of School Belonging Among All Students? A Systematic Literature Review
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2024
The sense of school belonging plays an important role in students’ academic, behavioural, and psychological outcomes. Based on a systematic review, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and examining 86 studies conducted between 1990 and February 2023, the article addresses two research questions: (a) what are the predictors of the sense of school belonging at the individual, micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono levels of the bioecological model of human development; (b) do these predictors differ based on students’ individual characteristics, and if so, how. The findings reveal individual factors as important predictors of school belonging and indicate the lack of studies that take into consideration the interplay of different (micro, meso, exo, macro, chrono) levels in addressing the sense of school belonging. Considering the complexity and multi-factorial nature of the sense of school belonging, it calls upon further research, which would support the development of evidence-based interventions for fostering school belonging among different groups of students, particularly those who are at risk of feeling alienated from school, and thus promote equity in education.
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... However, it is more recently that a growing number of studies showed its relevance in relation with several academic well-being and success-related outcome variables. For instance, several meta-analyses showed that students' perception of teacher social support is related to students' achievement (Tao et al., 2022), positive academic emotions (Lei et al., 2018), and it is one of the main predictors of sense of belonging to school (Allen et al., 2018;Allen, Jamshidi, Allen et al., 2022). Recently, the role of teachers in the development of a growth mindset (the belief that intelligence can evolve; Yeager et al., 2022) has also been highlighted. ...
Teacher interactional justice and sense of belonging to school: examining the role of students’ socioeconomic status
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
  • Soc Psychol Educ
Teacher justice plays an important role in students’ learning and social outcomes and in the development of a high-quality teacher-student relationship. The present preregistered study aimed to contribute to the growing literature on teacher justice perceptions, with a focus on its interactional component. Teacher interactional justice was examined in association with students’ socioeconomic status (SES) and their sense of belonging to school. We expected to observe a negative link between interactional justice and student SES, with the lower the students’ SES, the higher their perception of interactional justice in the classroom. Moreover, we expected the association between teacher interactional justice and sense of belonging to school to be moderated by students’ SES, with a stronger positive association for low than for high SES students. A total of 529 (264 females, Mage = 12.61, SDage = 1.01) sixth- to ninth-grade students nested in 26 classrooms of two middle schools participated. Linear mixed effect models revealed that teacher interactional justice was negatively associated with students’ SES. However, the expected moderation effect by students’ SES was not observed. In addition, exploring the link with an observational measure of classroom climate, supplementary analyses revealed that teacher interactional justice was associated with positive climate and teacher sensitivity dimensions, providing evidences of its relevance to be considered as a full dimension of teacher social support. Implications for educational psychology and SES, along with limitations, are discussed.
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... Research demonstrates that the perception of belonging within an educational environment is positively correlated with heightened levels of happiness and enhanced psychological well-being among students [72]. Programs aimed at improving students' ability to manage their emotions and their skills for coregulating with classmates and educators effectively promote psychological well-being and social connections among primary and secondary school students [73]. For instance, a study carried out in the United States examined students in the 6th and 7th grades. ...
Sense of Happiness and Wellness Among Adolescents and Their School Environment
Article
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  • Jan 2025
Background: Happiness and health are crucial elements of adolescents’ lives that significantly impact mental well-being and societal engagement. This article hypothesizes that a suitable school environment may be one of the components that can impact students’ subjective feelings of happiness and health. This research aimed to determine the association between a negative school environment, such as experiencing bullying and feeling insecure at school, and students’ happiness and health. Methods: The study was conducted in 2023, surveying students in grades 7–10 from two Lithuanian cities and their districts. The study included 1992 students (females 50.2%) with a mean age of 14.53 ± 1.12. Results: It was observed that male students felt healthier and happier than females. Also, male students felt safer at school more often than females. A positive correlation was found between a student’s feeling of safety at school and their happiness and health. Regression analysis revealed that a feeling of safety at school was the most significant positive factor associated with male students’ sense of happiness and health. Also, the most important factors for females were a feeling of safety at school, bullying, and how often teachers stop bullying. Conclusions: It was found that feelings of insecurity at school, experiences of bullying, and how often teachers stop bullying can be associated with students’ subjective feelings of happiness and well-being. School environmental factors can affect students’ happiness and well-being differently depending on gender. It is essential to focus on vulnerable student populations when creating preventive programs to enhance adolescents’ sense of safety in schools.
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... In accordance with a comprehensive, multidimensional framework for understanding school belonging, the scale's dimensions encapsulate a range of psychological, cognitive, and emotional factors. These include general sentiments about the educational environment, the calibre of interpersonal relationships, feelings of inclusivity and respect, individual identity, and perceptions regarding the utility and efficacy of the educational program (as elaborated by Allen et al. 2016Allen et al. , 2018Allen et al. , and 2021. Response options on the scale ranged from 1, signifying 'strong disagreement', to 4, indicating 'strong agreement', with higher scores denoting a stronger sense of school belonging. ...
Adolescent School Belonging and Substance Use in Young Adulthood: Findings from a Multi-wave Prospective Cohort Study
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  • Jan 2025
  • Int J Ment Health Addiction
This study explored the longitudinal associations between multiple dimensions of school belonging during adolescence and substance use in young adulthood. Data were leveraged from the Australian Temperament Project, a comprehensive, multi-wave prospective cohort study. The current sample comprised 1565 participants (804 women). School belonging (1 wave; ages 15–16 years) was assessed using a condensed version of the School Life Questionnaire. Young adult substance use (3 waves; ages 19–28 years) assessments included binge drinking, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit substances. Higher levels of overall school belonging were associated with reduced odds of tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit substance use in young adulthood (ORrange = 0.74–0.76), but not binge drinking. The dimensions ‘positive affect towards school’ and ‘confidence in ability/success’ were independently associated with reduced odds of tobacco (OR = 0.74 and 0.82, respectively) and cannabis (OR = 0.78 and 0.77, respectively) use in young adulthood. Effects did not differ by gender. These findings suggest that school belonging, particularly the dimensions of positive affect and academic confidence, may play an aetiological role in tobacco and illicit substance misuse in young adulthood.
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... En la actualidad existe una creciente conciencia sobre la importancia de promover la salud mental y detectar tempranamente las dificultades de ajuste psicológico desde el ámbito escolar. Una de las variables educativas que se ha visto que guarda una mayor relación con el bienestar emocional y la salud mental es el sentido de pertenencia escolar (Allen, Jamshidi et al., 2022;Arslan et al., 2020;Korpershoek et al., 2020). ...
Fortalezas psicológicas de la adolescencia. Resultados del estudio PSICE en La Rioja
Book
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
Introducción: la adolescencia, lejos de ser un periodo que tradicionalmente se ha asociado a “tormenta y estrés”, puede contemplarse desde una perspectiva más optimista. El estudio de las fortalezas humanas brinda un contexto potencialmente útil para conocer los aspectos y cualidades positivas de la población joven y sugiere un enfoque de intervención enfocado en las capacidades, más que en el déficit y la discapacidad. En este contexto, el objetivo general del presente estudio fue analizar las fortalezas psicológicas en una muestra de adolescentes riojanos/as en contextos educativos. Método: se realizó un muestreo aleatorio estratificado por conglomerados a nivel de aula en los centros educativos de la comunidad autónoma de La Rioja. Participaron un total de 2235 estudiantes. La media de edad fue de 14,49 años (DT = 1,76 años; rango de 12 a 18 años). Se utilizaron diferentes indicadores psicométricos para valorar el bienestar emocional, la calidad de vida subjetiva, la conducta prosocial, el afecto positivo, la autoestima, el sentido de pertenencia al centro educativo y el apoyo social percibido. Resultados: un porcentaje elevado de adolescentes riojanos/as refirieron niveles altos de bienestar emocional y calidad de vida subjetivos. Aproximadamente, entre el 84-90% de los/as jóvenes riojanos/as se mostró alegre, con ánimo positivo o feliz en la última semana. En torno al 90% del estudiantado sintió que formaba parte del centro educativo o que el profesorado le respetaba. También se encontró un elevado apoyo social percibido. Las fortalezas psicológicas se asociaron de forma positiva con el rendimiento académico y negativamente con los problemas emocionales y comportamentales. Conclusiones: este estudio arroja nuevos hallazgos sobre las fortalezas y capacidades psicológicas de la población adolescente riojana, considerados desde un acercamiento basado en la inclusión y la atención a la diversidad. Se discuten las repercusiones que el desarrollo y la potenciación de las fortalezas psicológicas pueden tener en la optimización de programas educativos, así como en la promoción del bienestar psicológico y en la prevención de problemas psicológicos.
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Towards a more universal understanding of school belonging experiences and strategies: a cross-country synthesis of students’ perspectives from Australia, Greece, Iran, and Qatar
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  • Dec 2024
  • EUR J PSYCHOL EDUC
Despite clear evidence detailing the academic and psychosocial benefits resulting from a sense of school belonging, there is currently no consistent global consensus about the strategies that can be employed to promote school belonging. In addition, existing research is primarily derived from democratic and developed countries. The current study sought to explore if students in Australia, Greece, Iran, and Qatar differed in their experience of school belonging and to establish common and unique practices students voiced as improving their sense of belonging. Cross-country responses from 698 secondary school students (from Australia, Greece, Iran, and Qatar) were analysed using both quantitative (ANOVA) and qualitative (thematic analysis) methods. Iranian students reported significantly higher school belonging than their Australian, Greek, and Qatari counterparts, while Qatari students also scored higher than those from Australia and Greece. Common teacher- and school-level belonging practices were established from the student responses, and cross-country differences are discussed. The study underscores the importance of cultural sensitivity and student involvement in crafting context-specific strategies to enhance school belonging for optimal student wellbeing and success. Implications for cross-country belonging practices are discussed and considered within the context of the study’s limitations.
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Who Am I? A Second-Order Meta-Analytic Review of Correlates of the Self in Childhood and Adolescence
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  • Nov 2024
People’s subjective beliefs about themselves affect what people think and, consequently, what they do. Positive self-beliefs are important for many life outcomes, from academic success to well-being, especially during K–12 education as a crucial developmental period. Many empirical studies and meta-analyses have examined correlates of self-beliefs. The present second-order meta-analytic review integrates this large and diverse body of research, addressing two research aims: First, we examined the comparative strength of different variables related to self-beliefs. Second, we provide a methodological review of meta-analyses in this area, thereby facilitating readers’ ability to assess the risk of bias when interpreting the results. We summarized 105 first-order meta-analyses published before July 2023 that investigated variables associated with self-beliefs during K–12 education, comprising 493 first-order effect sizes based on more than 8,500 primary studies and more than 16 million children and adolescents. We computed second-order standardized mean differences (SMD) using two-level meta-analyses with robust variance estimation. Personal characteristics (SMD = 0.50) showed stronger relations with self-beliefs than interventions (SMD = 0.27). Achievement (SMD = 0.66) and noncognitive variables (SMD = 0.67) were the personal characteristics most strongly related to self-beliefs compared to cognitive abilities (SMD = 0.30) and background variables (SMD = 0.21). Interventions targeting individual characteristics (SMD = 0.35) and especially self-beliefs (SMD = 0.52) showed larger effect sizes than interventions that focused on improving teaching and classroom structure (SMD = 0.20). Few meta-analyses investigated situational aspects, such as the geographical origin of the sample, in association with children’s and adolescents’ self-beliefs. Overall, this second-order meta-analytic review provides a comprehensive map of correlates of the self, highlighting pathways for future research.
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Belonging: A Review of Conceptual Issues, an Integrative Framework, and Directions for Future Research
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Full-text available
  • Mar 2021
Objective: A sense of belonging-the subjective feeling of deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences-is a fundamental human need that predicts numerous mental, physical, social, economic, and behavioural outcomes. However, varying perspectives on how belonging should be conceptualised, assessed, and cultivated has hampered much-needed progress on this timely and important topic. To address these critical issues, we conducted a narrative review that summarizes existing perspectives on belonging, describes a new integrative framework for understanding and studying belonging, and identifies several key avenues for future research and practice. Method: We searched relevant databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, and ClinicalTrials.gov, for articles describing belonging, instruments for assessing belonging, and interventions for increasing belonging. Results: By identifying the core components of belonging, we introduce a new integrative framework for understanding, assessing, and cultivating belonging that focuses on four interrelated components: competencies, opportunities, motivations, and perceptions. Conclusion: This integrative framework enhances our understanding of the basic nature and features of belonging, provides a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on belonging and belongingness, and highlights how a robust sense of belonging may be cultivated to improve human health and resilience for individuals and communities worldwide.
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The Psychology of Belonging
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  • Jun 2020
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Effect of video-guided educational intervention on school engagement of adolescent students with hearing impairment: Implications for health and physical education
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2020
Background/objective: Hearing impaired students still face stigmatization and marginalization especially in inclusive classrooms in developing regions. This negatively impacts their school engagement. The present study aimed at ascertaining the effect of video-guided educational intervention on school engagement of hearing impaired students. Method: Randomized controlled trial design was adopted for the present study. A total of 46 junior secondary school students with hearing impairment and low school engagement symptoms participated in this study. The students were randomly assigned to groups - intervention group and care-as-usual control group. A video-guided educational intervention package which consists of 13-minutes captioned video clips with school engagement themes served as the treatment intervention. Data were collected at 3 different times (pre-test, post-test and follow up) using School Engagement Scale created by Fredericks, Blumenfeld, Friedel and Paris (2005). Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test, Cohen d and Chi-square. Results: Results showed that the video-guided educational intervention significantly improved school engagement level among hearing impaired adolescent students in the intervention group in comparison with the students in the care-as-usual control group as measured by the Student Engagement Scale [Behavioral: t(24) = -9.305, P < .001; Emotional: t(24) = -7.772, P < .001; Cognitive: t(24) = -7.330 P < .001) as well as total student engagement (t(24) = 12.022, P < .001, Δ = 5.362). Also, the students who took part in the video-guided educational intervention maintained improved school engagement at follow-up. Conclusion: Video-guided educational intervention is an effective intervention for improving school engagement of hearing impaired adolescent students. Since acquiring relevant education is essential for leading a quality life especially among the special needs population, it was recommended that students with hearing impairment should be helped to acquire life skills through education by fostering their school engagement.
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General Belonging is a Key Predictor of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Partially Mediates School Belonging
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Full-text available
  • Sep 2020
Rates of depression among adolescents are alarmingly high. School belonging is among the strongest predictors of adolescent depressive symptoms. Research in the adult literature indicates that context-specific belonging may contribute to an overarching sense of general belonging, which may be a stronger and more proximal predictor. This is the first study to explore the importance of general belonging among a community sample of adolescents to understand its interrelationship with school belonging in predicting depression. This multisite study includes 502 adolescents aged 13–17 from four geographically distinct Australian schools (rural, coastal, regional city, and capital city). Participants completed questionnaires measuring depressive symptoms, school, and general belonging. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that school belonging, general belonging, and depressive symptoms are unique, separable constructs. Mediated regression revealed that school and general belonging accounted for 33.6% and 48.2% of the variance in depressive symptoms, respectively. General belonging partially mediated the association between school belonging and depressive symptoms, with school belonging expressing all but 7.8% of its influence on depression through general belonging. Results indicate that general belonging appears to have eclipsed school belonging as the largest known single independent correlate of adolescent depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, general belonging is strongly influenced by school belonging (accounting for approximately 35.0% of its variance). The strengths of the associations direct us to consider both context-specific and general belonging in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of adolescent depression.
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Exploring the Impacts of School Belonging on Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health among Turkish Adolescents
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2020
  • CHILD INDIC RES
Research has shown that successful school outcomes and positive mental health and wellbeing are positively correlated with a sense of school belonging. However, most studies have investigated the bivariate relationships and reported causal inferences of school belonging with other variables. The purpose of the present study is to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between school belonging, and mental health indicators and wellbeing to further understand the nature and direction of causal relationships. Four hundred and two students aged 10–15 years old from two public secondary schools in an urban city in Turkey participated in the study. Using a short-term longitudinal design, data was gathered at two time points using measures that examined school belonging, internalizing and externalizing problems, and life satisfaction. Correlation analysis was used to determine the associations of school belonging, and mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The predictive effect of school belonging was analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). School belonging was found to be a significant predictor of youth externalizing and internalizing problems and life satisfaction. Social inclusion strongly predicted youth life satisfaction, while internalizing and externalizing problems were strongly predicted by social exclusion. The findings of this research emphasize the need for school belonging interventions to decrease current and future mental health problems and improve wellbeing. Implications for future studies employing experimental designs on larger samples in cross-cultural context are discussed.
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Peer‐adult network structure and suicide attempts in 38 high schools: implications for network‐informed suicide prevention
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Full-text available
Background Strengthening social integration could prevent suicidal behavior. However, minimal research has examined social integration through relationship network structure. To address this important gap, we tested whether structural characteristics of school networks predict school rates of ideation and attempts. Methods In 38 US high schools, 10,291 students nominated close friends and trusted adults to construct social networks. We used mixed‐effects logistic regression models to test individual student networks and likelihood of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA); and linear regression models to estimate associations between school network characteristics and school rates of SI, SA, and SA among all with ideation. Results Lower peer network integration and cohesion increased likelihood of SI and SA across individual and school‐level models. Two factors increased SA: student isolation from adults and suicidal students’ popularity and clustering. A multivariable model identified higher SA in schools where youth–adult relationships were concentrated in fewer students (B = 4.95 [1.46, 8.44]) and suicidal students had higher relative popularity versus nonsuicidal peers (B = 0.93 [0.10, 1.77]). Schools had lower SA rates when more students named the same trusted adults named by friends and many students named the same trusted adults. When adjusting for depression, violence victimization and bullying, estimates for adult network characteristics were substantially unchanged whereas some peer effects decreased. Conclusions Schoolwide peer and youth–adult relationship patterns influence SA rates beyond individual student connections. Network characteristics associated with suicide attempts map onto three theory‐informed domains: social integration versus thwarted relational needs, group cohesion, and suicidal students’ social influence. Network interventions addressing these processes, such as maximizing youth–adult connections schoolwide and heightening influence of youth with healthy coping, could create more protective schools. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to determine how schools differentiate in network structure and clarify reciprocal dynamics between network characteristics and suicidal behavior.
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Academic hardiness as a mediator for the relationship between school belonging and academic stress
Article
  • Jan 2020
Academic stress is a commonly reported affective state by high school students that can be accompanied by unwanted and unhelpful short‐ and long‐term implications including a low sense of school belonging. Understanding how academic stress may be alleviated or managed by students is an essential consideration for all schools concerned with student well‐being. This study aimed to examine the relationship between academic stress and sense of school belonging, as well as the mediation effect of academic hardiness. Four hundred and five high school students from six schools in Tehran (Iran) were recruited in the study. Data analyses with Structural Equation Modeling revealed that a sense of belonging to school (β = −.38, p < .01) and academic hardiness (β = −.40, p < .01) were significant predictors of academic stress. Bootstrapping analysis showed that academic hardiness acted as a mediator between a sense of belonging to school and academic stress. The findings elucidate the underlying mechanism in how low school belonging may lead to academic stress in high school students. Creating a culture of school belonging and teaching and supporting skills related to academic hardiness should be key considerations for all schools seeking to reduce academic stress experienced by their students.
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Adolescent Connectedness and Adult Health Outcomes
Article
  • Jun 2019
Background: Because little is known about long-term effects of adolescent protective factors across multiple health domains, we examined associations between adolescent connectedness and multiple health-related outcomes in adulthood. Methods: We used weighted data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 14 800). Linear and logistic models were used to examine associations between family and school connectedness in adolescence and self-reported health risk behaviors and experiences in adulthood, including emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and attempts, physical violence victimization and perpetration, intimate partner physical and sexual violence victimization, multiple sex partners, condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis, prescription drug misuse, and other illicit drug use. Results: In multivariable analyses, school connectedness in adolescence had independent protective associations in adulthood, reducing emotional distress and odds of suicidal ideation, physical violence victimization and perpetration, multiple sex partners, STI diagnosis, prescription drug misuse, and other illicit drug use. Similarly, family connectedness had protective effects for emotional distress, all violence indicators, including intimate partner violence, multiple sex partners, STI diagnosis, and both substance use indicators. Compared to individuals with low scores for each type of connectedness, having high levels of both school and family connectedness was associated with 48% to 66% lower odds of health risk behaviors and experiences in adulthood, depending on the outcome. Conclusions: Family and school connectedness may have long-lasting protective effects across multiple health outcomes related to mental health, violence, sexual behavior, and substance use. Increasing both family and school connectedness during adolescence has the potential to promote overall health in adulthood.
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The Role of School-based Group Mentoring in Promoting Resilience among Vulnerable High School Students: Am J Community Psychol (2019) 00:000-000
Article
  • Jun 2019
Evaluated effects of a group mentoring program for ninth graders at risk for school dropout. Used propensity score and a partially clustered design to address validity threats. Program youth had higher adjusted means on 6 of 7 external resources relative to comparisons. Program youth had higher adjusted means on 1 of 4 internal assets relative to comparisons. Results point to the promise of group mentoring for increasing resilience in vulnerable adolescents. This study examined the role of participation in a year‐long school‐based group mentoring program, Project Arrive (PA), on increasing resilience during the first year of high school among students identified as being at high risk for school dropout. Participants were 114, ninth grade students taking part in one of 32 PA mentoring groups, and 71 statistically matched comparison students (53% male, 75% eligible for free/reduced‐price lunch, 62% Latinx). Using a propensity score with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to reduce selection bias, and a multi‐level model to account for non‐independence of data within mentoring groups, we examined changes from pre‐test to program exit on seven external resilience resources (developmental supports and opportunities) and four internal resilience assets (personal strengths). At program exit, PA participants had higher adjusted means than comparisons on six external resources, including school support, school belonging, school meaningful participation, peer caring relationships, prosocial peers, and home meaningful participation. PA participants also had higher adjusted means on one internal asset, problem solving. Results point to the promise of group mentoring as an approach for increasing resilience among academically vulnerable adolescents.
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The Impact of a Brief Bullying Bystander Intervention on Depressive Symptoms
Article
  • Jul 2019
The authors evaluated the impact of a brief bullying bystander intervention (STAC) on depressive symptoms among high school students using a randomized controlled design. Results of path analyses provided support for a mediational model in which the intervention was associated with an increase in sense of school belonging, which in turn was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms. The authors discuss implications for high school counselors and counselors in other settings working with adolescents.
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