The Relationship between Peer Roles and Adolescent Mental Health in Sapta Andika Junior High School Denpasar

Adolescent mental health has important implications for psychological, social, and academic development, and its association with peer relationships warrants further examination. This study examined the relationship between peer roles and adolescent mental health at Sapta Andika Junior High School in Denpasar. A quantitative correlational design with a cross-sectional approach was employed, involving 68 eighth-grade students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a peer role questionnaire with established validity and reliability and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-29 (SRQ-29). Associations were examined using chi-square tests. Respondents were evenly distributed between the low and high peer role categories (50% each). No statistically significant associations were found between peer roles and emotional mental disorders (p = .808), psychotic symptoms (p = .332), or post-traumatic stress disorder (p = .223). Thus, the study did not detect a significant association between peer roles and the assessed mental health outcomes in this sample. These findings provide contextual evidence on peer roles and adolescent mental health and may inform schools and healthcare professionals in planning mental health education, counselling services, and preventive initiatives to support adolescent psychological well-being.