The significance of adolescent social competence for mental health in young adulthood

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Romppanen , E , Korhonen , M , Salmelin , R K , Puura , K & Luoma , I 2021 , ' The significance of adolescent social competence for mental health in young adulthood ' , Mental health & prevention , vol. 21 , 200198 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2021.200198

Title: The significance of adolescent social competence for mental health in young adulthood
Author: Romppanen, Emilia; Korhonen, Marie; Salmelin, Raili K.; Puura, Kaija; Luoma, Ilona
Contributor organization: HUS Children and Adolescents
Lastenpsykiatria
Clinicum
Helsinki University Hospital Area
Date: 2021-03
Language: eng
Number of pages: 7
Belongs to series: Mental health & prevention
ISSN: 2212-6570
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2021.200198
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/340831
Abstract: Introduction: Social competence is one of the primary components of mental health development. This study examines the associations between adolescent competence and its components, and adulthood adaptive functioning and internalizing and externalizing problems. Methods: As part of a longitudinal study that begun in Finland in 1989, 191 mothers, 126 fathers and their 192 16–17-year-old adolescent children completed a standardized questionnaire, the Child Behavior Checklist or the Youth Self Report, to analyse the adolescents’ total competence and its subscales (activity, social skills and school performance). Ten years later, the former adolescents completed the corresponding Adult Self Report questionnaire to assess adaptive functioning as well as internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results: Better total competence or social skills in adolescence were associated with a good level of adaptive functioning and a low level of internalizing symptoms in young adulthood. Better scores in school performance subscale according to the parents’ reports were associated with a low level of externalizing symptoms in young adulthood. Together with total competence and social skills, concurrent partner relationship status was associated with optimal outcomes. Conclusion: This study supports earlier findings that better social competence in adolescence is associated with fewer internalizing problems in young adulthood, and indicates a longitudinal association between adolescent competence and adult adaptive functioning. It is important to study whether interventions supporting adolescents’ competence could promote mental health in their subsequent development into young adulthood.
Description: Publisher Copyright: © 2021
Subject: Adaptive functioning
Mental health
Social competence
3124 Neurology and psychiatry
Peer reviewed: Yes
Rights: cc_by
Usage restriction: openAccess
Self-archived version: publishedVersion


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