Changes in positive and negative peer influences and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Abstract

Introduction: Peers are believed to continue as prominent sources of inluence for young adults. However, having peers who use alcohol and drugs is associated with depressive symptoms in young adults and research on the effects of having peers who model positive activities beyond adolescence is scarce. Method: In this 10-year study of 644 Canadian youth (52% female), we used multilevel modeling to examine the effects of within-person and between-person differences in the interplay of peer behaviours and changes in depressive symptoms between ages 14 and 25. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews and surveys for private topics. Results: Youth with close friends who used drugs and alcohol consistently reported more depressive symptoms at each age, whereas having friends who engaged in positive activities was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, especially during adolescence. Moreover, at times when youth had more substance-using peers than usual (within person variation), they also reported more symptoms. Conclusions: Substance-using peer contexts convey both short-and long-term risks for depressive symptoms. However, the protective effects of having peers who are engaged in positive activities, while generally protective, may be reduced in young adulthood. It is possible that older youth withdraw from peers and activities as their depression worsens, and prosocial activities become less supervised by parents, more optional, and more expensive.

Does University Ranking Matter? Choosing a University in the Digital Era

“…Living arrangements are another consideration [14]. Peer influence can be positive or negative [42]. An individual with friends who study hard and have ambitious goals and dreams may choose a higher-ranked university, whereas an individual with friends who are not serious about their studies may make the choice of university arbitrarily and miss out on attending a reputable or high-ranked university.…”

Gene–environment interplay in adolescence and early adulthood.

“…Peers become increasingly important sources of support and influence during adolescence and into early adulthood, especially in regard to the development of externalizing and substance use behaviors (e.g., Steinberg & Monahan, 2007) and, to a lesser extent, internalizing behaviors (e.g., Homel et al, 2020). Like parenting and parent-child relationships, peer relationships and peer selection are all influenced, in part, by child genes.…”

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Emerging Adult Undergraduates: A Longitudinal and Two-Cohort Study

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015), mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and stress constitute one of the principal health problems in the world today, with significantly higher rates being observed among women than among men. These disorders have a negative effect on people’s health and quality of life (Homel et al, 2020; Kellett et al, 2016; Muñoz-Navarro et al, 2021). In 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the data gathered indicated an increase in psychological distress models among the population (WHO, 2022).…”