Social-Emotional Competence Growth Trajectories in Middle Childhood: Different Patterns of Development and Pathways to Adolescent Mental Health

Background and Purpose: Middle school transition is a critical period for youth development, as most young adolescents face heightened mental health risks due to the multidimensional changes they undergo. Social-emotional competence (SEC) has been demonstrated to be an essential factor for youth mental well-being and other positive outcomes, which is also malleable throughout school years. Available literature suggests that SEC tends to be stable or slightly decline during middle childhood under non-intervention conditions, but the current knowledge base predominantly relies on research conducted in Western contexts. Also, few studies have explored the mediational mechanisms underlying the relations between earlier SEC development and later mental health outcomes. To address these gaps, this study first explored patterns of normative SEC growth trajectories among Korean school-aged children. Also, based on self-determination theory and related research, this study examined whether and how childhood SEC growth profiles predicted adolescent mental health, focusing on the mediating roles of academic autonomy, academic competence, and peer relatedness during middle school transition.

Methods: This study analyzed five years of panel data on a nationally representative sample of South Korean children (N=2,607; 49.6% girl; baseline mean age=10 [SD=0.1]). Childhood SEC was measured using two variables–self-management and group collaboration–throughout three upper elementary school years (Grades 4-6). Adolescent mental health was measured using both depression and life satisfaction at Grade 8 in middle school. Three hypothesized mediators (academic autonomy, academic competence, and peer relatedness) were measured at Grade 7 or the first year in middle school. All variables were measured using self-report scales found to be reliable and valid to use with Korean youth. We first conducted latent profile growth modeling (LPGM) to identify subgroups with distinct patterns of childhood SEC growth trajectories. We then examined the proposed mediation model using structural equation modeling methods, statistically controlling for student gender, family income, parenting, and baseline measures of mediators and outcomes.

Results: Overall, Korean children’s self-management and group collaboration slightly declined throughout their upper elementary school years. The LPGM identified three latent profiles of childhood SEC growth trajectories, distinguished by initial and continued mean-level differences in both self-management and group collaboration (i.e., low, medium, and high SEC subgroups, each comprising 27.1%, 55.5%, and 17.4%). The proposed mediation model showed a good fit (CFI=0.99, TLI=0.95, RMSEA=0.03, SRMR=0.01), suggesting that the childhood SEC growth profiles significantly predicted adolescent depression and life satisfaction. Peer relatedness and academic competence were found to mediate the effects of earlier SEC growth profiles on later mental health outcomes.

Conclusions and Implications: Based on self-determination theory and using robust methods, this study contributes to research and practice efforts to ensure healthy youth development. The findings suggest the need for interventions that can reverse the declining trajectories of SEC and also close the existing disparities for Korean school-aged children, which may provide them with a solid foundation for successful middle school transition and ultimately for good mental health in adolescence.