Maartje Boer

SMU AND MENTAL HEALTH 173 6 Indirect Cross-Lagged Associations Between SMU and Mental Health The RI-CLPM with depressive symptoms (M1a) was extended with four mediators, namely upward social comparisons, cybervictimization, subjective school achievements, and face-to-face contact, with one mediator per model (M1b-e). Similarly, we extended the RI-CLPM with life satisfaction (M2a) with the four mediators (M2b-e). Figure 6.3 displays the models where we found significant cross-lagged paths with the mediators. All estimates of these models can be found in the Appendix (Tables A6.1 and A6.2). SMU Intensity and Mental Health Adolescents’ changes in SMU intensity, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction did not precede or follow from changes in upward social comparisons, cybervictimization, subjective school achievements, or face-to- face contact with friends (Appendix, Tables A6.1 and A6.2). Hence, in line with our expectations, SMU intensity and mental health were neither directly, nor indirectly associated over time in any direction. SMU Problems and Mental Health Figure 6.3 shows that adolescents whose SMU problems increased reported increased upward social comparisons (M1b: β T1,T2 = 0.226, p < 0.001 and β T2,T3 = 0.152, p = 0.001) and cybervictimization (M1c: β T1,T2 = 0.178, p = 0.001 and β T2,T3 = 0.156, p = 0.003) in the next year. However, in turn, adolescents’ increased upward social comparisons and cybervictimization did not predict increased depressive symptoms or decreased life satisfaction one year later. Increases in SMU problems were not associated with decreases in school achievements and face-to-face contact one year later, and decreases in school achievements and face-to-face contact in turn were not associated with increases in depressive symptoms or decreases in life satisfaction one year later (Appendix Tables A6.1 and A6.2). Therefore, we did not find evidence that SMU problems decreased mental health indirectly through any of the four suggested mediators. Reversely, changes in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction did not predict changes in upward social comparisons, cybervictimization, subjective