Steare T, Rose-Clarke K, Araya M et al. (2026). Adolescents’ Relationships With Their Parents and Peers as Mediators Between Economic Circumstances and Emotional Symptoms: A Multicountry Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Adolescents’ social relationships might partly explain the increased risk of mental health problems in adolescents living in poorer economic circumstances. There are few studies in low- and middle-income countries, where most of the world’s adolescents live. This study investigated whether adolescents’ relationships with their parents and peers mediated the association between their economic circumstances and emotional symptoms in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam.