Exploring the Impacts of School Belonging on Youth Wellbeing and Mental Health among Turkish Adolescents

Abstract

Research has shown that successful school outcomes and positive mental health and wellbeing are positively correlated with a sense of school belonging. However, most studies have investigated the bivariate relationships and reported causal inferences of school belonging with other variables. The purpose of the present study is to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between school belonging, and mental health indicators and wellbeing to further understand the nature and direction of causal relationships. Four hundred and two students aged 10–15 years old from two public secondary schools in an urban city in Turkey participated in the study. Using a short-term longitudina..