Using data from Young Lives in Peru, Ethiopia and Vietnam, this report investigates whether adolescents' relationships with their parents and peers mediate the association between their economic circumstances and emotional symptoms.

The article concludes that adolescents’ parent and peer relationships might not mediate the effects of poorer economic circumstances on emotional symptoms in these countries, contrasting with previous studies that highlight an important role of relationships in high-income countries. Further research is needed that addresses limitations of this study and to explore other potential mechanisms, including different aspects of social relationships, that might influence mental health outcomes for adolescents living in poverty across different settings.

The article is open access and available to download from Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.