Miliotis, Sebastian2024-06-062024-06-062023https://hdl.handle.net/2440/141163This item is only available electronically.Resilience is the ability to maintain or regain mental wellbeing in the face of adversity and stressors, and is a key component in the mental wellbeing of adolescents. As adolescence is a time of rapid brain development, and most mental illnesses have their onset in this period, understanding the protective factors that build resilience is important for promoting mental wellbeing in the younger population. While previous research has highlighted the importance of establishing resilience in adolescence, there remains a lack of research examining the underlying processes of peer support which can influence resilience and how this interaction is experienced in an Australian context. Two of these processes, peer belonging and friendship intimacy, have not yet been considered within an Australian cohort and form the focus of the current project. This study uses the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection, a South Australian Department for Education survey of youth wellbeing, and specifically considers students in years 10, 11, and 12 (ages 10-19 years). In total, 15,704 participants data were analysed. This study uses quantitative methods, employing multiple linear regression models to understand the relationship between both peer belonging and friendship intimacy, and resilience. This study finds peer belonging to moderately and positively predict resilience, while friendship intimacy predicts resilience with a very small and negative effect. These findings highlight the difference between one's belonging to a group, and one's trust in a single friend, and indicate that the development of positive friend groups may be an important factor in the development of resilience in older adolescents.Honours; PsychologyThesis