Loneliness as a partial mediator of the relation between low social preference in childhood and anxious/depressed symptoms in adolescence
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This study examined the mediating role of loneliness (assessed by self-report at Time 2; Grade 6) in the relation between early social preference (assessed by peer report at Time 1; kindergarten through Grade 3) and adolescent anxious/depressed symptoms (assessed by mother, teacher, and self-reports at Time 3; Grades 7–9). Five hundred eighty-five boys and girls (48% female; 16% African American) from three geographic sites of the Child Development Project were followed from kindergarten through Grade 9. Loneliness partially mediated and uniquely incremented the significant effect of low social preference in childhood on anxious/depressed symptoms in adolescence, controlling for early anxious/depressed symptoms at Time 1. Findings are critical to understanding the psychological functioning through which early social experiences affect youths' maladjusted development. Directions for basic and intervention research are discussed, and implications for treatment are addressed.
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Internalizing symptoms were associated with prior loneliness in primary school age children.
“Other mental health outcomes reported over time included internalizing symptoms which were associated with prior loneliness in primary school age children,64”
From Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19 (2020) · cites this paper as [64]
The Results (page not available) report that Grade 6 loneliness was significantly associated with later anxious/depressed symptoms. However, those outcomes were measured in Grades 7–9, during adolescence, rather than in primary-school-age children as the citing sentence suggests. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOther studies that assessed loneliness during childhood found evidence that it is associated with subsequent depression.
“although other studies that assessed loneliness during childhood found evidence that it is associated with subsequent depression.61 , 64”
From Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19 (2020) · cites this paper as [64]
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“Two studies found that loneliness in childhood at age 5 years was not associated with depression several years later,(73,74) although other studies that assessed loneliness during childhood found evidence that it is associated with subsequent depression.(61,64) One large study of adolescents (n 1⁄4 3,088) found that l…”
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- Authors
- Fontaine, R. G., Yang, C., Burks, V. S., Dodge, K. A., Price, J. M., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (US)
- San Diego State University (US)
- Auburn University (US)
- Indiana University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fontaine, Reid Griffith
- Venue
- Development and Psychopathology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2009-04-01
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 479-491
- ISSN
- 0954-5794 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2198
- PMC
- PMC2763565
- OpenAlex
- W2160473801
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 78
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 7.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Development and Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Digital Commons - PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH57024, F31MH011764, R01MH057024, MH56961, R01MH057095, R01MH056961, 1 F31 MH11764, MH57095, R01MH042498)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (K05 DA-15226, R01DA016903, K05DA015226)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD030572)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- loneliness, social preferences, adolescent anxiety, adolescent depression, mediation, peer relationships, longitudinal development
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Anxiety, Child, Psychology, Child, Child, Preschool, Depression, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Loneliness, Male, Peer Group, Personality Assessment, Social Behavior, Tennessee, Cohort Studies
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