Work

Identifying patterns and predictors of social health in adolescence using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Social health, having an adequate quantity and quality of social relationships, is essential for well-being but understudied during adolescence compared to adulthood. We sought to identify patterns and predictors of social health by characterizing peer relationships among 10,050 adolescents (10-13 years old, 4,815 girls, 53.68% non-Hispanic White) in Year 2 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. To characterize social health profiles, we applied latent profile analysis on peer variables collected in Year 2: number of friends (close, general), aggression, victimization, relationships with prosocial and rule-breaking peers, and support. We then assessed whether loneliness (baseline, Year 2), family conflict (baseline, Year 2), and participant sex predicted profile membership. Fit indices supported a three-class solution: a "selective" class (∼60% of the sample) characterized by values below sample means but within population norms across variables (e.g., number of friends), a "robust" class (∼30%) characterized by high numbers of friends, and a "concerning" class (∼10%) characterized by high levels of peer aggression and victimization. Lonely adolescents were more likely to be in the concerning group and less likely to be in the robust group. Youth with more family conflict and boys were more likely to be in the concerning group; girls were more likely to be in the selective group. These findings reveal profiles of peer relationships in a large representative sample, providing a template for characterizing social health as adolescents begin to build intimate peer relationships. The results also highlight individual differences in social health profiles, which can inform targets to improve adolescent social health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Developmental Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/dev0002139

Authors: Myles N. Arrington, Adrienne Nishina, Camelia E. Hostinar, Amanda E. Guyer

Institution: University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development