Friendships are typically protective against the development of emotional adjustment problems in adolescence, yet the friendships (and friends) of distressed adolescents may be negatively impacted by their mental health challenges. Schwartz-Mete’s presentation highlights research that seeks to understand the mechanisms of peer influence in the socialization of emotional distress and self-destructive behavior among adolescent friends.

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Speaker

Rebecca Schwartz-Mete, PhD
Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology
Director of the Peer Relations Lab at the University of Maine.

Schwartz-Mete’s program of research in developmental psychopathology focuses on the intersection of emotional adjustment and peer relationships in childhood and adolescence. This work has two primary aims: a) to understand the ways in which distress and health-related behaviors impact the important context of youths’ friendships and vice versa, and b) to understand the mechanisms of positive and negative peer influence.

Schwartz-Mete earned a BA in Psychology (Honors), an MA, and a dual PhD in Child Clinical and Developmental Psychology at the University of Missouri.