Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/30176

Title

Family, peer and school connectedness in final year secondary school students

Author(s)

McGraw, Karen;  Moore, Susan M.;  Fuller, Andrew;  Bates, Glen W.

Abstract

The study aim was to investigate Australian Year 12 students' sense of connectedness to their schools, families, and peers, and examine associations between connectedness and emotional wellbeing. Year 12 students (492 male, 449 female) from 10 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia participated in Phase 1 of the study. Of these, 204 participants (82 male, 122 female) returned surveys 1 year later; 175 of these were attending tertiary education institutions. The study found high levels of depression, anxiety and stress among Year 12 students, with higher negative affect associated with lower levels of family, peer and school connectedness. Negative affect 1 year after leaving school was predicted by negative affect and peer connectedness at Year 12. Results suggest there are significant numbers of at-risk young people in their final year of school, who feel lonely and disconnected from peers, and who maintain concerning levels of depression, anxiety and stress in first year of university.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences

Source

Australian Psychologist, Vol. 43, no. 1 (Mar 2008), p. 27-37

Publication year

2008

Keyword(s)

Adolescents;  Anxiety;  Australia;  Children;  Depression;  Emotional wellbeing;  Peer connectedness;  School;  Stress;  Transition;  University;  Victoria

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

ISSN

1742-9544

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00050060701668637

Copyright

Copyright © The Australian Psychological Society Ltd.

Peer reviewed