Palikara, Olympia, Castro-Kemp, S., Gaona, C. and Eirinaki, V. (2021) The mediating role of school belonging in the relationship between socioemotional well-being and loneliness in primary school age children. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73 (1). pp. 24-34. doi:10.1080/00049530.2021.1882270

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Abstract

Objective: In recent years, school belonging has been associated with optimal general health and wellbeing and has been targeted in mental health promotion programs in schools. However, less attention has been paid to the relationship between school belonging and loneliness, especially during primary school years. This study aimed to first analyse the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing, school belonging and loneliness during primary school years, and secondly, according to the belonginess hypothesis, to examine the role of school belonging as a mediator of the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness.
Methods: Children (N = 517) of primary school age were recruited from three schools in Greater London to participate in a mental health screening, which involved the completion of standardized self-reported scales for sense of school belonging, loneliness and socioemotional wellbeing.
Results: Multinomial logistic regression analysis shows that how that although correlated, socioemotional wellbeing does not predict loneliness. However, in line with belonginess hypothesis, school belonging partially mediated the relationship between socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school age children.
Conclusions: Our findings provide novel data concerning the key role of school belonging in shaping the relationship socioemotional wellbeing and loneliness in primary school years. This has implications for practitioners working to promote health and wellbeing in schools.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Education Studies (2013- )
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Educational psychology, Belonging (Social psychology) in children, Identity (Psychology) in children, School psychology, Child mental health, School children -- Mental health
Journal or Publication Title:	Australian Journal of Psychology
Publisher:	John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN:	0004-9530
Official Date:	2021
Dates:	Date Event 2021 Published 30 April 2021 Available 10 October 2020 Accepted
Volume:	73
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 24-34
DOI:	10.1080/00049530.2021.1882270
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Publisher Statement:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Palikara, Olympia, Castro-Kemp, S., Gaona, C. and Eirinaki, V. (2021) The mediating role of school belonging in the relationship between socioemotional well-being and loneliness in primary school age children. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73 (1). pp. 24-34, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1882270. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Related URLs:	Publisher

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