Co-Development of Group Integration, Loneliness, and Mental Health within the School Context

Background: Whereas loneliness is the subjective perception that the personal network lacks in quality or quantity, social isolation refers to the objective absence of supportive relationships. Embeddedness in peer networks and the absence of loneliness facilitate mental health in adolescence by creating stability and predictability in life. The association is of a bidirectional nature. Poor mental health can impact the ability to maintain social relationships with classmates or form new ones and is related to cognitive distortions which influence satisfaction with social relationships. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the co-development of social isolation, loneliness, and mental health within the school context. Using a measurement of social integration, which is less prone to cognitive distortion, it focuses on the feedback processes between network structure, structural positions within peer networks, and changes in individuals' loneliness and mental health. Method: The question was examined using the first two waves of the SOCIALBOND study, an ERC-funded longitudinal survey of German schools. Annual data collection started in grade eight. Over 3,000 students were interviewed at 37 schools. Based on the Social Cognitive Mapping approach, clique networks are captured by aggregating the perceptions of all pupils in the cohort. Stochastic actor-based models for network dynamics were estimated, modeling the co-evolution of social isolation, loneliness, and mental health. The RSiena grade level models were systematically combined in a meta-analysis to detect general tendencies. Results: The average level of mental health and loneliness of those with whom ego spends time at school influence egos development of the respective traits. However, our study provides no indication for selection effects within the school grade.