Date
5-22-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Margaret Gopaul
Keywords
adolescents, poverty, connectedness, school
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Boissonneault, Paul Andrew, "School Connectedness as a Mediator Between Poverty and Adolescent Mental Health" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5669.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5669
Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, and one third of adolescents experience significant mental health problems. When adolescents feel connected to school, they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between poverty and adolescent mental health problems and explore the role of school connectedness on this relationship. Study participants were 31 middle school (Grades 6–8) adolescents in a rural area in central Florida. Self-report measures were used to assess mental health and level of school connectedness. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses tested the mediating effect of the factors of school connectedness on reported levels of adolescent mental health. Analysis revealed no significant differences in reported mental health between the group eligible for free/reduced lunch and those not eligible. The results showed that higher levels of school connectedness predicted improved overall mental health for adolescents. Additionally, different aspects of school connectedness (connectedness to adults, connectedness to peers, and connectedness to school) differentially influenced reported levels of overall wellbeing in adolescents. Connectedness to school outside of relationships significantly predicted improved mental health. Peer connectedness was related, but not significantly, and teacher connectedness was not significant in adolescent mental health. These findings support the literature regarding connectedness as critical to positive youth outcomes and mental health and emphasize the need for more research into the role of school connectedness and supports for adolescents.
