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<p>Peer support in school is vital for students’ mental health, particularly within China’s distinctive educational context centered on stable, fixed classes. Class friendship networks and support-seeking networks are widely studied interpersonal networks in peer support research. Previous studies have rarely conducted in-depth comparisons between these two types of networks, leading to confusion in their usage, which impedes the further development of school peer support research. This cross-sectional study examines a sample of 799&#xa0;second-year junior high school students across 29 classes (48.6% female) from China, exploring the connections and differences between the two networks by comparing their structures and functions through social network analysis. The results indicate the following: (1) The two networks exhibit partial overlap, though there are differences in structural indicators at individual, dyadic and triadic, and group level; (2) While the two networks share similar key configurations, the role of these configurations in network formation differs; (3) Perceived peer support exerts a greater influence on the formation of support-seeking networks; (4) Both networks are closely associated with mental health, but support-seeking networks show stronger associations with well-being than friendship networks. The findings suggest that although the two networks are somewhat interconnected, they differ in structure, formation processes, and their impact on students, indicating they are distinct types of networks within class-based peer environments. Therefore, they should be differentiated in future research and applications.</p>

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Seemingly same but actually different: A comparative study of class friendship networks and support-seeking networks

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月6日

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  • Lingfei Wang,
  • Liuqing Jiang,
  • Panqin Ye,
  • Yufang Bian

摘要

Peer support in school is vital for students’ mental health, particularly within China’s distinctive educational context centered on stable, fixed classes. Class friendship networks and support-seeking networks are widely studied interpersonal networks in peer support research. Previous studies have rarely conducted in-depth comparisons between these two types of networks, leading to confusion in their usage, which impedes the further development of school peer support research. This cross-sectional study examines a sample of 799 second-year junior high school students across 29 classes (48.6% female) from China, exploring the connections and differences between the two networks by comparing their structures and functions through social network analysis. The results indicate the following: (1) The two networks exhibit partial overlap, though there are differences in structural indicators at individual, dyadic and triadic, and group level; (2) While the two networks share similar key configurations, the role of these configurations in network formation differs; (3) Perceived peer support exerts a greater influence on the formation of support-seeking networks; (4) Both networks are closely associated with mental health, but support-seeking networks show stronger associations with well-being than friendship networks. The findings suggest that although the two networks are somewhat interconnected, they differ in structure, formation processes, and their impact on students, indicating they are distinct types of networks within class-based peer environments. Therefore, they should be differentiated in future research and applications.