Relazioni con i coetanei in adolescenza: il contributo degli amici e del partner nella promozione del benessere

RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS IN ADOLESCENCE: THE CONTRIBUTION OF FRIENDS AND PARTNER IN THE WEELBEING PROMOTION (E. Cattelino) The aims of the present study are a) to analyze the specificity of the relationships with the partner and with friends in the promotion of the psychosocial wellbeing and in the reduction of the disquiet; b) to evaluate the joint contribution of partner and friends in increasing psychosocial wellbeing in boys and girls. The questionnaire "Io e la mia salute" [I and my health] (Bonino, 1995; 1996) was admistered to a sample of 2273 Italian adolescents between the age of 14 and 19, attending high senior school. Findings indicate that both the positive quality of relationships with friends and with the partner increase the self-esteem and the optimism in the future and that the friends' support and the stable relation with partner are related with high levels of self-confidence in coping and with life optimism. At the some time, the relationships with friends play a protective role against stress, alienation, blue feelings and sadness, beside the friends' support decrease the disquiet only for girls and older adolescents. The relation with the partner play a role more limited and differentiated: the intimate relation increase the general wellbeing in older boys and in younger girls and having partner increase disquiet in younger girls and decrease it in older girls.