Sturm, Jardena (2025) Does Victimization Predict Depressive Symptoms? The Moderating Role of Close Friendships Among Students. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
This two-wave longitudinal study investigated whether the presence and number of close friendships moderate the relationship between peer victimization and subsequent depressive symptoms among adolescents, also exploring potential nonlinear effects. Participants included 6,034 Finnish students (Mage = 13.27 years; 51.3% girls) from 4th to 9th grade. Utilizing hierarchical multiple regression within a structural equation modeling framework, analysis was conducted using self-reported victimization and given best friendship nominations at Wave 1 and depressive symptoms at Wave 2. Results indicated that initial peer victimization was not significantly associated with later depressive symptoms in the main analysis (β = -.008, p = .699), though a sensitivity analysis excluding outliers revealed a small but significant positive association (β = .027, p = .027). While a greater number of close friends significantly predicted lower depressive symptoms (β = -.038, p = .003), neither the presence of at least one friend nor the number of friends significantly buffered the link between victimization and depressive symptoms (p = .499 and p = .256, respectively). No non-linear moderation was found for the buffering effect (β = -0.032, p = .302). These findings suggest that while more friendships are generally beneficial for mental health, they may not universally protect against victimization's psychological impact.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Laninga-Wijnen, A.M. and Rot, M. aan het |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Jul 2025 07:20 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jul 2025 07:20 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5414 |
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