Well-established psychological theories indicate that interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being are linked in fundamental ways (Coyne, 1976; Sullivan, 1953). Indeed, difficulties in close relationships can contribute to emotional adjustment problems, and emotional problems can adversely affect close relationships. Moreover, different close relationships are especially significant in terms of development and adjustment at different stages of the life span. The current review focuses on childhood and adolescence, developmental stages at which friendships are particularly important. This article presents the results of 16 meta-analyses including 589 unique effects from 233 studies that examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between youths' friendship experiences (number of friends, positive friendship quality, negative friendship quality) and their emotional adjustment (depressive symptoms and loneliness). Studies examining these associations are mixed in regard to whether significant effects emerge. The current research synthesis provides more stable estimates of the effects. In fact, relatively small but significant concurrent and longitudinal associations emerged between the 3 indices of friendship with depressive symptoms and loneliness. The results also suggest that friendship experiences may be more closely linked with loneliness than depressive symptoms and that negative friendship quality may be related to friendship experiences more strongly than number of friends or positive friendship quality. Interestingly, some of the relations were found to be stronger for younger youth. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychologists are in a position to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through research, practice, education, and advocacy. However, concerns exist about the ethical implications associated with transitioning from face-to-face to online or virtual formats as necessitated by stay-at-home orders designed to enforce the social distancing required to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases. The purpose of this article is to review potential ethical issues and to provide guidance to psychologists for ethical conduct in the midst of the current crisis and its aftermath. In addition to contextualizing relevant ethical considerations according to the principles and standards of the current American Psychological Association's ethics code, vignettes are presented to exemplify the ethical dilemmas psychologists in various roles may face when responding to COVID-19 and to offer suggestions and resources for resolving potential conflicts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Research supports the notion that adolescents’ mental health is impacted by peers via contagion processes. A growing area of interest has been how co-rumination may influence depressive symptoms within friendships. The current study examined particular conditions under which co-rumination is especially likely to facilitate depression contagion. Participants were adolescents (N = 480, 49% female, M age = 14.6 years, 59.5% European American) paired in friendship dyads and assessed over 9 months. Characteristics of the adolescent (personal distress), of the friend (excessive reassurance seeking), and of the friendship (friendship quality) were considered. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that co-rumination facilitated depression contagion only under conditions of adolescents’ high personal distress, friends’ high excessive reassurance seeking, and high positive friendship quality. This research underscores the importance of attending to how and under what conditions depression contagion occurs within friendships in order to support adolescents’ positive social and emotional development.

Widespread concern exists about the impacts of COVID-19 and related public health safety measures (e.g., school closures) on adolescent mental health. Emerging research documents correlates and tra...