School-Based Social Exclusion, Affective Wellbeing, and Mental Health Problems in Adolescents: A Study of Mediator and Moderator Role of Academic Self-Regulation

The desire to build and maintain positive relations is a fundamental and universal need of humans. Therefore, individuals’ perception of social exclusion has been investigated as a potentially important factor for mental health and wellbeing. In order to enhance adolescents’ wellbeing and promote mental health at school, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether academic self-regulation mediated and moderated the effect of social exclusion on youths’ mental health (internalizing and externalizing problems) and affective wellbeing at school. Participants comprised 313 adolescents (55.3% girls), ranging in age between 11 and 19 years (M = 15.678, SD = 1.739). Findings from structural equation analyses indicated a partial mediating effect of academic self-regulation on adolescents’ mental health problems and affective wellbeing, and that it promoted their mental health and wellbeing in the face of social exclusion. In addition, moderation analyses supported these results, demonstrating a significant moderating role of academic self-regulation on youths’ wellbeing and mental health. Taken together, these results support the importance of academic self-regulation on youths’ mental health and wellbeing in the face of social exclusion, and contribute to the design of school-based services in order to protect their mental health and wellbeing. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.