Peer Effects in Adolescent Mental Health

Hussain Hadah ()
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Hussain Hadah: Tulane University

No 18623, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: This paper examines peer mental health’s influence on adolescents’ wellbeing, academic performance, and behavior. Using friends-of-friends as an instrument, I find that a one standard deviation increase in friends’ mental unwellness is associated with a 0.67 standard deviation increase in one’s own. Peers’ therapy participation significantly reduces individual mental unwellness while increasing therapy participation likelihood, highlighting positive spillover effects of interventions. The results reveal significant negative effects of peer mental unwellness on personal mental health, academic achievement, physical health, and risky behavior, confirming that adolescent mental health constitutes a social contagion.

Keywords: social network; peer effects; mental health; social contagion; instrumental variable; Add Health data set (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C36 D85 I12 I21 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-05
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18623

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