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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Too Many Friends: Social Integration, Network Cohesion And Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Christina D. Falci, Clea Mcneely
Too Many Friends: Social Integration, Network Cohesion And Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Christina D. Falci, Clea Mcneely
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
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 networks 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 …