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Emotional support from classmates and teachers is a powerful protective factor in averting or reducing student mental health problems. Yet, longitudinal evidence indicates that there is decreased support from these groups as students advance to higher grade levels, a change that may be linked to diminishing mental health. This study followed 2,616 students from 23 high schools to test the hypothesis that perceptions of declining classmate and teacher support are associated with declining mental health. Growth curve analysis revealed significant decreases in support and self‐esteem and increases in symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Boys demonstrated steeper declines than girls in classmate support and self‐esteem and sharper increases in depression. As hypothesized, declining classmate and teacher support was associated with worsening self‐esteem and depression. Only declines in classmate support were associated with increases in social anxiety. Results were similar across gender categories. Implications for school‐based practices targeting social support are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adopting a social ecological perspective, this study examined the role of adolescent personality and social traits as mediating mechanisms linking school culture with adolescent behavioural problems. Data were obtained from the self-reports of 1,100 grade nine students attending four southern Ontario high schools. Structural equation model results revealed that student exposure to an unfavourable school culture (marked by perceptions of low teacher and classmate support, student conflict, unfair school rules and disciplinary practices, and low student autonomy in school decision-making and affairs) was positively associated with low attachment to learning and peer approval of deviance each of which were positively associated with disciplinary problems, conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity, and substance use. Low self-esteem emerged as a significant mediator in two models. Significant direct effects of school culture were found for most outcomes. Discussion focused on the significance of study findings for future program development and research.

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