OPTIMIZING PEER SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENT BULLYING IN ADOLESCENTS IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36916/jkm.v10i2.427Keywords:
Bullying, Mental health, Self-concept, Peer support, AdolescentsAbstract
Background: Adolescent mental health is a critical issue that is gaining global attention. Bullying in school has been shown to have negative impact on self-concept, academic achievement, and increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. Peer support-based interventions are considered potential because adolescents are more open with their peers than adults, but research on their effectiveness in Indonesia is still limited
Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of peer support interventions in improving mental health, self-concept, and preventing bullying behavior among adolescents in school environments.
Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group design. The sample consisted of 60 junior high school students selected using purposive sampling, but the final number analyzed was 49 students (23 control, 26 intervention).The peer support intervention was implemented for 8 weeks through weekly sessions that included mental health literacy, communication skills, and strategies for dealing with bullying through discussion and role-play. The research instruments included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to measure mental health, the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire to measure bullying, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to measure self-concept. Data analysis used t-tests and Wilcoxon tests with a significance level of p<0.05.
Result: The results showed that in the intervention group, the average SDQ score decreased from 15.2 to 11.9 (Δ = –3.3 ± 6.1; p=0.017), indicating an improvement in mental health. Self-concept scores increased from 27.8 to 29.7 (Δ = +1.9 ± 13.0; p=0.115), while perpetrator bullying scores (Δ = –0.4 ± 8.2; p=0.736) and victim bullying scores (Δ = –0.2 ± 5.5; p=0.881) decreased, although not significantly. In the control group, SDQ scores decreased from 14.8 to 12.0 (Δ = –2.8 ± 6.3; p=0.015) and self-concept scores increased significantly from 28.1 to 31.7 (Δ = +3.6 ± 12.5; p=0.029). However, changes in perpetrators (Δ = +1.0 ± 8.6) and victims (Δ = –0.9 ± 5.6) of bullying were not significant (p>0.05). Intergroup analysis showed no significant differences (p>0.05) even though the intervention group showed greater mental health improvement (ΔSDQ –3.3 vs –2.8). This indicates that peer support has the potential to improve adolescents' psychological well-being, although it is not yet statistically significant during this intervention period.
Implication: These findings indicate that peer support interventions is effective in improving mental health, but has not yet had a significant impact on self-concept and bullying behavior. Further research with longer duration, larger sample sizes, and teacher and parent involvement is recommended to strengthen the intervention's impact and support the implementation of mental health-friendly school policies.
Keywords: Bullying; Mental health; Self-concept; Peer support; Adolescents
References
Al Ali, N., Al Junaibi, A., & Al Kendi, A. (2025). Examining the impact of a school-based bullying intervention on adolescents’ self-esteem, knowledge, and behavior. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 30(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2025.2454997
Birrell, L., McKenzie, M., Spence, S. H., & Donovan, C. L. (2022). Development of a peer support mobile app and web-based program: The Mind Your Mate model. JMIR Formative Research, 6(5), e36068. https://doi.org/10.2196/36068
Brinsley, J., Lederman, O., Lim, M. H., & Davison, K. (2025). Effectiveness of peer-led health behaviour interventions on mental health outcomes: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010210
Chandra, R., & Fauzia, N. (2023). Peer support as a protective factor for adolescent mental health in Southeast Asia: A narrative review. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 84, 103545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103545
Chow, D., Jenkins, Z., & Patel, V. (2024). Peer-led interventions for youth mental health: A scoping review. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 18(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-024-00789-2
Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2024). Violence prevention: School-based anti-bullying interventions. The Community Guide. https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/violence-prevention-school-based-anti-bullying-interventions
Galán-Arroyo, C., González-Fuentes, J., & López-Sánchez, G. F. (2023). Bullying and self-concept: Factors affecting the mental health of Spanish students. Children, 10(7), 1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10071234
Gaffney, H., Farrington, D. P., Espelage, D. L., & Ttofi, M. M. (2021). Are cyberbullying intervention and prevention programs effective? A systematic and meta-analytical review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 58, 101516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2021.101516
George, P. (2024). Anti-bullying interventions in schools: Assessing the evidence. Psychiatric Services, 75(2), 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230045
Hikmat, R., Handayani, S., & Yusuf, M. (2024). A scoping review of anti-bullying interventions in schools: Effectiveness and challenges. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(3), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030456
Isaac, S., & Michael, W. (1995). Handbook in research and evaluation (3rd ed.). San Diego, CA: EdITS Publishers.
Jenson, C., Fischer, M., & McBride, T. (2023). School-based preventive mental health curriculum and its impact on adolescents’ self-esteem and emotional symptoms. Journal of School Psychology, 92(4), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2023.06.005
Lovan, P., Martínez, A., & Gómez, R. (2025). Bullying and anxiety/depressive symptoms in Latinx adolescents: The mediating role of social support. Current Psychology, 44(2), 678–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-07259-9
Marks, K. P., Richards, J., & Scott, L. (2023). Interpreting change in adolescent Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire responses: Implications for longitudinal studies. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(9), 1247–1258. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2094680
Martínez-Casanova, E., Serrano-Domingo, G., & Blázquez, D. (2024). Self-esteem and risk behaviours in adolescents: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 12904. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.012904
Maxwell, C., Park, C., & Lee, J. (2024). Validity and reliability of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire among adolescents: A cross-national evaluation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 2045. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.02045
Moreno, A. G., Sánchez, J. C., & Ruiz, M. (2024). Intervention programs for the prevention of bullying and cyberbullying in schools: A systematic review. Journal of Innovation and Health Sciences, 5(2), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/27692229.2024.118765
Park, E. Y., Kim, S., & Hong, J. (2025). Longitudinal changes in self-esteem trajectories among adolescents: A growth curve analysis. Adolescents, 5(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5010013
Smith, J., Jones, M., & Anderson, P. (2020). The effectiveness of peer support for adolescent mental health: A meta-analysis. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(5), 521–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.12.007
Williams, F., Green, L., & Taylor, N. (2022). Participatory peer support in urban adolescent populations: A community-based approach. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(3), 456–470. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22625
World Health Organization. (2021). Adolescent mental health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 aisyah dzil kamalah, Hana Nafiah, Ratnawati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
