TEENAGERS can catch bad moods from their friends and people they spend prolonged periods of time with, a new study has revealed.
Experts say that teenagers who are more upbeat are no more popular than their peers who are grumpy.
Researchers at Birmingham and Oxford universities investigated the concept of so-called “emotional contagion” in order to see whether or not teens were influenced by people in their social groups.
The study, published by the American Psychological Association, found that both positive and negative moods are “contagious”.
Dr Per Block, of Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science who is one of the authors of the paper said it is hoped that the research can shed light on why some people experience long periods of low moods.
He said: “Our study shows conclusively that individuals are affected by how others around them are feeling.
“Mood is contagious, and though both positive and negative moods are ‘caught’, bad moods are more potent.”
In order to measure moods and how contagious they are, the experts looked at two musical groups made up of 79 musicians aged between 15 and 19.
Both groups took part in tours abroad during the summer of 2018 and each kept diaries tracking their moods and social interactions.
From this, the researchers also found that mood didn’t determine how popular the participants were.
The experts stated that people with positive moods were able to help their peers out of their bad moods.
Dr Block added: “We hope it is a step towards understanding why people fall into prolonged low states, the social factors that determine emotional wellbeing in adolescents, and, in the long run, how it may be possible to provide emotional support leading to improved mental health.”
COVID CRISIS
The coronavirus pandemic has meant that many young people have been left struggling.
The closure and reopening of schools and a lack of time with their peers have all had major impacts on the wellbeing of kids and teens.
Research from the Early Intervention Foundation this month found that four in ten parents in the UK are concerned about the mental health of their child because of the lockdown.
The most common reason given by parents for believing their child’s mental health deteriorates was a loss of contact with friends, which 82 per cent believed played a role.
Other common reasons were: lack of daily routine (62 per cent) and having to do home learning (40 per cent).
Vivian Hill, vice-chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division for Educational and Child Psychology said the study was an important piece of research at a time when thereis an increasing concern about the mental health and needs of young people.
Speaking the The Guardian she said: “Current research looking at the mental health and mood states of children and young people suggests that the level of incidence of low mood states is much higher than was initially understood.
“Therefore, we need to be aware of mood contagion and make sure the right support and services is given to schools and communities, and offering help to adolescents who are experiencing negative mood states.”