journal article
Open Access
Jul 25, 2025
Positive Mental Health in Adolescents: Implications of Cognitive–Emotional Processes and Social Support
Abstract
Background: Adolescence is a key period of development characterized by emotional, cognitive, and social changes that impact positive mental health (PMH). While social support is a well-established protective factor, cognitive and emotional processes, such as cognitive fusion and regulation of distress, also play a critical role. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship among various cognitive (i.e., cognitive fusion), emotional (i.e., regulation of distress), and social determinants (i.e., social support) in adolescents’ PMH, as their interplay could reflect theoretical models highlighting how these factors jointly shape adolescents’ mental health. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 505 adolescents (aged 13–15 years) in Spain. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing sociodemographic variables, cognitive fusion, regulation of distress, PMH, and social support from friends. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and mediation and moderated mediation models were conducted, adjusting for relevant covariates. Results: Cognitive fusion was negatively correlated with regulation of distress, PMH, and social support, whereas regulation of distress showed a positive association with both PMH and social support. Mediation analysis indicated that regulation of distress significantly mediated the relationship between cognitive fusion and PMH. Furthermore, peer support moderated this mediated relationship: higher levels of support mitigated the negative impact of regulation of distress on PMH. Sociodemographic analyses revealed that girls, non-national students, and those receiving educational support showed less favorable outcomes. Conclusions: Cognitive, emotional, and social variables jointly influence adolescents’ PMH. Emotional regulation serves as a mediator of cognitive fusion and PMH, while social support from peers mediates the impact of psychological distress. Targeted interventions should prioritize emotional regulation strategies and enhancing peer support, especially among more vulnerable groups.
Topics
No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →
References
100
[1]
Paqui "Problemas Escolares en la Adolescencia" Pediatría Integral (2022)
[2]
Afroz, Nahida, Kabir, Enamul, and Alam, Khorshed (2023). A Latent Class Analysis of the Socio-Demographic Factors and Associations with Mental and Behavioral Disorders among Australian Children and Adolescents. PLoS ONE, 18.
10.1371/journal.pone.0285940
[3]
What are the barriers, facilitators and interventions targeting help-seeking behaviours for common mental health problems in adolescents? A systematic review
Antonia Aguirre Velasco, Ignacio Silva Santa Cruz, Jo Billings et al.
BMC Psychiatry
10.1186/s12888-020-02659-0
[4]
Ahmed "The Role of Self-Referential and Social Processing in the Relationship between Pubertal Status and Difficulties in Mental Health and Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Girls in the UK" Developmental Science (2024) 10.1111/desc.13503
[5]
Pubertal Development, Emotion Regulatory Styles, and the Emergence of Sex Differences in Internalizing Disorders and Symptoms in Adolescence
Lauren B. Alloy, Jessica L. Hamilton, Elissa J. Hamlat et al.
Clinical Psychological Science
2016
10.1177/2167702616643008
[6]
Almeida "A Relação Entre Desmotivação e o Processo de Ensino-Aprendizagem" Revista Monografias Ambientais (2012) 10.5902/223613086194
[7]
Alsarrani "Association between Friendship Quality and Subjective Wellbeing in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study" The Lancet (2023) 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02108-6
[8]
Alshammari "Social Support and Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being among Jordanian Students" International Journal of Adolescence and Youth (2021) 10.1080/02673843.2021.1908375
[9]
Amado-Rodríguez, Isaac Daniel, Casañas, Rocio, Juan-Parra, Jaume, Roldan-Merino, Juan Francisco, Lalucat-Jo, Lluís, and Fernandez-San-Martín, Ma Isabel (2025). Impact of Mental Health Literacy on Improving Quality of Life among Adolescents in Barcelona. Children, 12.
10.3390/children12020235
[10]
Andermo "School-Related Physical Activity Interventions and Mental Health among Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" Sports Medicine—Open (2020) 10.1186/s40798-020-00254-x
[11]
Antia "The Gender Gap in Adolescents’ Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Georgia: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Achenbach’s Youth Self Report" Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (2023) 10.1186/s13034-023-00592-0
[12]
Bauer, Annette, Stevens, Madeleine, Purtscheller, Daniel, Knapp, Martin, Fonagy, Peter, Evans-Lacko, Sara, and Paul, Jean (2021). Mobilising Social Support to Improve Mental Health for Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review Using Principles of Realist Synthesis. PLoS ONE, 16.
10.1371/journal.pone.0251750
[13]
Bauer "Future Directions for the Concept of Salutogenesis: A Position Article" Health Promotion International (2020) 10.1093/heapro/daz057
[14]
Benoit, Valérie, and Gabola, Piera (2021). Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on the Well-Being of Young Children: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18.
10.3390/ijerph182212065
[15]
Bodenlos "Association of Cognitive Fusion with Domains of Health" Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (2020) 10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.08.001
[16]
Bono "Non-Normal Distributions Commonly Used in Health, Education, and Social Sciences: A Systematic Review" Frontiers in Psychology (2017) 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01602
[17]
Bramwell "Improvements in Depression and Mental Health after Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Are Related to Changes in Defusion and Values-Based Action" Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy (2018) 10.1007/s10879-017-9367-6
[18]
Branje "Adolescent Identity Development in Context" Current Opinion in Psychology (2022) 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.11.006
[19]
Brinke "The Structure of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Adolescence: Differential Links to Internalizing and Externalizing Problems" Social Development (2020) 10.1111/sode.12496
[20]
Bujor, Liliana, and Turliuc, Maria Nicoleta (2023). Do Emotion Regulation Strategies Mediate the Relationship of Parental Emotion Socialization with Adolescent and Emerging Adult Psychological Distress?. Healthcare, 11.
10.21203/rs.3.rs-3128960/v1
[21]
Calvete "Gender Differences in Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression and Behavior Problems in Adolescents" Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (2005) 10.1007/s10802-005-1826-y
[22]
Capaldi "Determinants of Psychological and Social Well-Being among Youth in Canada: Investigating Associations with Sociodemographic Factors, Psychosocial Context and Substance Use" Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice (2021) 10.24095/hpcdp.41.2.02
[23]
Carbacas-Soleno, Jhair, Mendoza-Bolaño, Lisey M., and Fortich-Pérez, David J. (2025, July 14). Validación del Cuestionario de Salud Mental Positiva de Lluch en Jóvenes Estudiantes en el Municipio de Carmen de Bolívar. Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar. Available online: https://repositorio.utb.edu.co/entities/publication/1a73a1d0-ecd2-4561-8427-114778bbad2d.
[24]
Cheng "Sequential Multiple Mediation of Cognitive Fusion and Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship between Rumination and Social Anxiety among Chinese Adolescents" Anxiety, Stress, and Coping (2022) 10.1080/10615806.2021.1955864
[25]
Lower bounds on sample size in structural equation modeling
J. Christopher Westland
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications
2010
10.1016/j.elerap.2010.07.003
[26]
Davis, Megan M., Modi, Haina H., Skymba, Haley V., Haigler, Katherine, Finnegan, Megan K., Telzer, Eva H., and Rudolph, Karen D. (2024). Neural Sensitivity to Peer Feedback and Depressive Symptoms: Moderation by Executive Function. Developmental Psychobiology, 66.
10.1002/dev.22515
[27]
Donati "Internalising and Externalising in Early Adolescence Predict Later Executive Function, Not the Other Way around: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis" Cognition & Emotion (2021) 10.1080/02699931.2021.1918644
[28]
Drosopoulou, Georgia, Vlasopoulou, Foteini, Panagouli, Eleni, Stavridou, Androniki, Papageorgiou, Alexia, Psaltopoulou, Theodora, Tsolia, Maria, Tzavara, Chara, Sergentanis, Theodoros N., and Tsitsika, Artemis K. (2023). Cross-National Comparisons of Internalizing Problems in a Cohort of 8952 Adolescents from Five European Countries: The EU NET ADB Survey”. Children, 10.
10.3390/children10010008
[29]
Eddy "Single-Item Teacher Stress and Coping Measures: Concurrent and Predictive Validity and Sensitivity to Change" Journal of School Psychology (2019) 10.1016/j.jsp.2019.05.001
[30]
Elo "Validity of a Single-Item Measure of Stress Symptoms" Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health (2003) 10.5271/sjweh.752
[31]
Engell, Thomas, Helland, Siri Saugestad, Vira, Emily Gabriela, Berg, Silje, Kvamme, Line Solheim, Kjøbli, John, Bergseth, Josefine, Brenne, Inga, Nes, Ragnhild Bang, and Røysamb, Espen (2025). The Implementability and Proximal Effects of a Transdiagnostic Mental Health Intervention for Adolescents (Kort): Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Intensive Longitudinal Study. BMC Health Services Research, 25.
10.1186/s12913-025-12661-5
[32]
Faissol "«Projecto Refazer: Uma reflexão Da reprovação a Partir Do Olhar Do Aluno»" Revista De Psicologia Da Criança E Do Adolescente (2014)
[33]
Faustino "Psychological Inflexibility as a Transdiagnostic Construct: Relationships between Cognitive Fusion, Psychological Well-Being and Symptomatology" Current Psychology (2023) 10.1007/s12144-021-01943-w
[34]
Fernandes "Predictors of academic achievement at the end of middle school: History of repetition, social skills and social support" Temas em Psicologia (2018) 10.9788/tp2018.1-09en
[35]
Field, Andy (2013). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics, SAGE Publications. [4th ed.].
[36]
Fitzpatrick "Relationship between Family and Friend Support and Psychological Distress in Adolescents" Journal of Pediatric Health Care: Official Publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners (2024) 10.1016/j.pedhc.2024.06.016
[37]
Morgan "The Utility of Salutogenesis for Guiding Health Promotion: The Case for Young People’s Well-Being" Health Promotion International (2017)
[38]
"Promoting Mental Health in Adolescents: ‘Teens Menta, a Nursing Intervention Program Based in the Positive Mental Health Model" Psychology International (2024) 10.3390/psycholint6030044
[39]
Gillanders "The Development and Initial Validation of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire" Behavior Therapy (2014) 10.1016/j.beth.2013.09.001
[40]
Griffin, Angela (2017). Adolescent Neurological Development and Implications for Health and Well-Being. Healthcare, 5.
10.3390/healthcare5040062
[41]
Gulliver, Amelia, Griffiths, Kathleen M., Christensen, Helen, and Brewer, Jacqueline L. (2012). A Systematic Review of Help-Seeking Interventions for Depression, Anxiety and General Psychological Distress. BMC Psychiatry, 12.
10.1186/1471-244x-12-81
[42]
Hadianfard "Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Adolescents: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Self-Report Form of the PedsQL 4.0 and an Investigation of Gender and Age Differences" Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2021) 10.1186/s12955-021-01742-8
[43]
Hartas "The Social Context of Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing: Parents, Friends and Social Media" Research Papers in Education (2021) 10.1080/02671522.2019.1697734
[44]
Hartas "Wellbeing, Psychological Distress and Self-Harm in Late Adolescence in the UK: The Role of Gender and Personality Traits" European Journal of Special Needs Education (2023) 10.1080/08856257.2023.2200107
[45]
Hayes, Andrew F. (2021). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach, Guilford Publications.
[46]
Hekmati "The Moderating Role of Experiential Avoidance on the Relationship between Cognitive Fusion and Psychological Distress among Iranian Students" Current Psychology (2023) 10.1007/s12144-021-01539-4
[47]
Hermann, Veronica, Söderqvist, Fredrik, Karlsson, Ann-Christin, Sarkadi, Anna, and Durbeej, Natalie (2024). Mental Health Status According to the Dual-Factor Model in Swedish Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Study Highlighting Associations with Stress, Resilience, Social Status and Gender. PLoS ONE, 19.
10.1371/journal.pone.0299225
[48]
Hewis "A Salutogenic Approach: Changing the Paradigm" Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences (2023) 10.1016/j.jmir.2023.02.004
[49]
IBM Corp (2020). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, (Version 27.0), IBM Corp.
[50]
Camacho "Social Support from Developmental Contexts and Adolescent Substance Use and Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Spain and Portugal" The Spanish Journal of Psychology (2017) 10.1017/sjp.2017.62
Showing 50 of 100 references
Metrics
1
Citations
100
References
Details
- Published
- Jul 25, 2025
- Vol/Issue
- 14(8)
- Pages
- 461
- License
- View
Authors
Cite This Article
Cecilia Peñacoba-Puente, Inmaculada Concepción Rodríguez-Rojo, Raquel Luengo-González, et al. (2025). Positive Mental Health in Adolescents: Implications of Cognitive–Emotional Processes and Social Support. Social Sciences, 14(8), 461. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080461
Related
You May Also Like
Pragmatism as a Research Paradigm and Its Implications for Social Work Research
Vibha Kaushik, Christine A. Walsh · 2019
558 citations
What ChatGPT Tells Us about Gender: A Cautionary Tale about Performativity and Gender Biases in AI
Nicole Gross · 2023
128 citations
Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Interventions for Mental Health and Well-Being: Ensuring Responsible Implementation and Impact
Hamid Reza Saeidnia, Seyed Ghasem Hashemi Fotami · 2024
108 citations
Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Burnout Syndrome on Teachers Well-Being: A Systematic Review
Pilar Puertas Molero, Félix Zurita Ortega · 2019
90 citations