The effect of negative and positive friendship quality on depressive symptoms in adolescents and the role of loneliness

Depression poses a serious problem in the developmental challenging period adolescence. Adolescent depression indicates negative outcomes like functional impairment and delinquency, and increases the risk for adult depression. During this period, peer support and the influence of peers increases. Therefore, friendship quality might be explaining depressive symptoms in adolescence. Little is known about how friendship quality influences depression in adolescents. Based on literature it is hypothesized that loneliness might be a contributing factor in this process. In this study a mediational model is tested in which loneliness mediates the relation between the friendship quality dimensions and depressive symptoms by using linear regression analysis.A sample was used of 711 Italian adolescents (53 % male, Mage=15.53). A distinction was made between positive friendship quality and negative friendship quality. The mediational hypothesis was not supported by the results. However significant correlations were found between the different factors. Interestingly, no significant correlation was found between positive friendship quality and depressive symptoms. Further implications are discussed. KeywordsPositive friendship qualityNegative friendship quality Loneliness Depressive symptoms Adolescence FRIENDSHIP QUALITY, LONELINESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS Adolescence is a developmental challenging period in terms of social and emotional adjustment in terms of identity and attachment (Galliher&Kerpelman, 2012). Adolescence is a period ranging from 12 to 18 years (Turner, Joinson, Peters, Wiles, & Lewis, 2014). In this period of life, depressive symptoms raise significantly. Balàzs et al. (2013) found that 10.5 percent of adolescents were depressed, and 29.2 percent had remarkably high levels of depressive symptoms.Knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying depression in adolescents is important, because adolescent depression predicts various negative outcomes such as academic problems and delinquency, drug abuse and suicide (Lewinsohn et al., 1994; Andel, Raveis, & Davies, 1991). Also, adolescent depression increase risk for relapseand is a risk factor for adult depression (Lewinsohn et al., 1994; Qualter, Brown, Munn, & Rotenberg, 2010). As children move toward adolescence they tend to spend more time with their peers (Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, &Aherne, 2012). The influence of friends grows and peers become increasingly important. Peers are theorized to be the primary influence of identity development (Meeus&Dekovic, 1995). Adolescents have a stronger identification with peers than parents (Ladd &Ettekal, 2013). Adolescents have larger networks of peers compared to children.Also, their networks of friends are more stable, intimate and supportive, and have more influence on attitudes and behaviors (Prinstein, Brechwald, & Cohen, 2011). Since social relationships play a key role in in life satisfaction, suboptimal social relationships may lead to depressive symptoms. Friendship experiences of adolescents have shown to be related to loneliness and depressive symptoms (Heinrich &Gullone, 2006). Friendship quality is especially important in social development and friendships of high quality contribute positively to developmental processes, like improved social adjustment,after controlling for individual characteristics (Berndt, 2002). For example, Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, &Aherne (2012) found in an adolescent sample that good FRIENDSHIP QUALITY, LONELINESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS quality friendships strengthen self-determined motivation and perceived self-competence. Evidently high quality relationships have a positive effect on wellbeing. Friendship are a primary source of social support during adolescence (Furman &Buhrmester, 1992). Therefore friendship quality is an importantfactor for understanding depression in adolescence. The importance of the friendship quality dimension on development and well-being is confirmed by a number of studies (Hoza et al., 2000; Parker & Asher, 1993). Many of these studies focused on positive friendship quality features only. However, when defining friendship quality, it is important to differentiate between positive and negative dimensions of friendship quality, especially since scores on the two dimensions are poorly correlated with each other (Berndt, 1996). High friendship quality is characterized by high scores on perceived support, satisfaction, affect and companionship. Negative friendship quality is characterized by high scores on the dimensions conflict, criticism and dominance. By making a distinction between positive and negative friendship quality, the effect of both dimensions will be examined more specifically. Subsequently, previous studies found that friendship quality is negatively associated with depression (Windle, 1994). Other researchers found that problematic peer relationships are associated with depressive symptoms (Boivin, Hymel, &Bukowski, 1995; Boivin, Poulin, &Vitaro, 1994; Burks, Dodge, & Price, 1995). LaGreca & Harrison (2005) found in a study with adolescents an effect of negative friendship qualities on depressive symptoms. Positive friendship quality however did not serve as a buffer against depressive symptoms. Problematic peer relationships increase the risk of depression and affected children’s perspective of peer relationships (Bukowski et al., 1993). FRIENDSHIP QUALITY, LONELINESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS Loneliness is defined as a negative reaction to perceived discrepancy between desired an actual quality of one’s social network (Vanhalst, Luyckx, Raes, &Goossens, 2012). In literature there has traditionally been made a distinction between parent-related loneliness and peer-related loneliness, for example, the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents captures family related loneliness and peer-related loneliness (Marcoen, Goossens&Caes, 1987). A number of studies indicate that friendship quality is a predictor of loneliness in childhood (Nangle et al., 2003; Parker & Asher, 1993). Also, research shows that this effect is reversible; perceived high quality friendship is associated with low levels of loneliness (Parker & Asher, 1993; Demir&Urberg, 2004). Research has acknowledged the direct contribution of friendship quality as a protective factor against loneliness in childhood (Nangle, Erdley, Newman, Mason, & Carpenter, 2003; Parker & Asher, 1993). Friendship has been found to negatively predict loneliness in early adolescence (Sletta, Valas, Skaalvik, &Sobstad, 1996). Multiple studies examining this association are conducted among children, however, limited research on this topic is conducted in adolescence. An exception is a study conducted by Vanhalst et al. (2014) in which the link between peer relationships on loneliness and depression in adolescence was examined. The results of this study suggested that loneliness is a matter of peer-context, specifically friendship quality contributed as a significant factor to loneliness. Baumeister and Leary (1995) state that as human beings we have a need to belong, meaning having a desire for lasting, positive and significant social relationships. When the need for belongingness is not satisfied, people are likely to experience loneliness and depression (Baumeister& Leary, 1995). As mentioned earlier, social support and friendship become increasingly important during adolescence. Therefore, if peer-relations are not satisfying, adolescents are more likely to experience loneliness, which in turn increases the chance to FRIENDSHIP QUALITY, LONELINESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS experience depressive symptoms. Various studies link friendship experiences of adolescents with loneliness and depressive symptoms. In this study, a meditational model is proposed in which loneliness mediates the relation between friendship quality and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Previous research suggests that more perceived conflict in friendship is linked with higher levels of loneliness (Parker & Asher, 1993). Also, negative friendship quality dimensions such as dominance and conflict has been associated with an increase in loneliness and negative outcomes (Berndt, 2002). An explanation for this effect is that friends who get in conflict and try to dominate others, engage in negative social behavior that influences the interaction with friends (Berndt, 2002). On the other hand, positive friendship quality is associated with a higher selfesteem and a decrease in loneliness (Parker & Asher, 1993). Multiple studies found direct pathways between friendship quality and loneliness (Nangle et al., 2013; Vanhalst et al., 2014). Depressive symptoms are strongly associated with the experience of loneliness (Vanhalst, Luyckx, Raes, &Goossens, 2012). Specifically, loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms in adolescence. A meta-analysis conducted among adolescents shows a high correlation between loneliness and depressive symptoms (Mahon, Yarcheski, Yarcheski, Cannella, & Hanks, 2006). Not only is there a correlation between these constructs, research shows that loneliness predicts depressive symptoms over time(Vanhalst, Luyckx, Raes, &Goossens, 2012; Vanhalst et al., 2012). This finding was confirmed by Lasgaard, Goossens and Elklit (2011) who used a longitudinal design to examine the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms in late adolescence. In a study using samples of children and early adolescents, Qualter, Brown, Munn, and Rotenberg (2010) found that loneliness predicted depressive symptoms over time.This eight-year prospective study showed that childhood FRIENDSHIP QUALITY, LONELINESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS loneliness predicts depressive symptoms at age thirteen. Another example is a study conducted by Rich &Scovel (1987) who found that loneliness at the start of a college semester predicted depression later in the semester. These studies indicate that loneliness may play a causative role in depre