The Impact of Late Adolescents' Social Network Strength on Mental Health

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined how social network strength (i.e., the intensity and frequency of interactions within one's personal network, assessed using centrality measures such as degree, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality) affects mental health.

Methods

The study was conducted with 108 first-year university students. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and NetMiner 4.0 was employed to analyze degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, and eigenvector centrality as indicators of social network centrality. Additionally, Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) correlation analysis and QAP regression analysis were conducted to assess the relationship between social network strength and mental health.

Results

The study found that stronger social networks were linked to better mental health in late adolescence. Specifically, higher social network centrality was associated with lower levels of hopelessness and depression. QAP correlation analysis revealed that hopelessness had a significant negative correlation with in-closeness centrality (which reflects how easily one can be reached by others within the network) (r = −0.252, p < 0.05), while depression was negatively correlated with in-degree centrality (the number of direct incoming connections from peers) (r = −0.233, p < 0.05), in-closeness centrality (r = −0.256, p < 0.05), and eigenvector centrality (a measure of how well a person is connected to popular or influential members of the network) (r = −0.291, p < 0.01). QAP regression analysis further confirmed that weaker social ties, indicated by higher out-closeness centrality (how easily one can reach others, especially those at a distance), were associated with higher depressive symptoms (adj. R² = 0.143, F = 2.423, p < 0.05). These results suggest that building stronger and more integrated social networks may help reduce psychological distress and support mental well-being in late adolescence.

Conclusion

Stronger social networks in late adolescence are associated with better mental health, highlighting the importance of social connections. While correlational findings suggest general links between centrality and emotional well-being, the regression results underscore specific predictors with practical implications. In-degree, in-closeness, and eigenvector centrality were associated with reduced depressive symptoms, indicating that being well-integrated within a social network may offer protective benefits. In contrast, high out-closeness centrality predicted increased depression, suggesting that the effort required to maintain outward-reaching connections may impose psychological burdens. These findings suggest that targeted interventions should focus on strengthening inward social integration while addressing the stress related to maintaining extensive outward connections, providing direction for more effective youth mental health strategies.