TY - JOUR
T1 - Too many friends
T2 - Social integration, network cohesion and adolescent depressive symptoms
AU - Falci, Christina
AU - McNeely, Clea
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the William T. Grant Foundation. We would also like to express thanks to Jim Moody for graciously sharing his SAS Programs for Analyzing Networks users manual. Direct correspondence to Christina Falci, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Sociology, 711Oldfather Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0324. E-mail: [email protected].
PY - 2009/6
Y1 - 2009/6
N2 - Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents, we examine associations among social integration (network size), network cohesion (alter-density), perceptions of social relationships (e.g., social support) and adolescent depressive symptoms. We find that adolescents with either too large or too small a network have higher levels of depressive symptoms. Among girls, however, the ill effects of over-integration only occur at low levels of network cohesion. For boys, in contrast, the ill effects of over-integration only occur at high levels of network cohesion. Large social networks tend not to compromise positive perceptions of friend support or belonging; whereas, small networks are associated with low perceptions of friend support and belonging. Hence, perceptions of social relationships mediate the ill effects of under-integration, but not over-integration, on depressive symptoms.
AB - Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents, we examine associations among social integration (network size), network cohesion (alter-density), perceptions of social relationships (e.g., social support) and adolescent depressive symptoms. We find that adolescents with either too large or too small a network have higher levels of depressive symptoms. Among girls, however, the ill effects of over-integration only occur at low levels of network cohesion. For boys, in contrast, the ill effects of over-integration only occur at high levels of network cohesion. Large social networks tend not to compromise positive perceptions of friend support or belonging; whereas, small networks are associated with low perceptions of friend support and belonging. Hence, perceptions of social relationships mediate the ill effects of under-integration, but not over-integration, on depressive symptoms.
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U2 - 10.1353/sof.0.0189
DO - 10.1353/sof.0.0189
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:73549095754
SN - 0037-7732
VL - 87
SP - 2031
EP - 2062
JO - Social Forces
JF - Social Forces
IS - 4
ER -