Developmental trajectories of event centrality and socio-emotional well-being after transition to high school

Although the transition from junior high or middle school to high school can be a stressful turning point for youth socio-emotional development, the role of individual differences in susceptibility to the transition in adolescents' socio-emotional well-being remains unclear. The current study examined the developmental relation between how central the high school transition is to a student's identity or life course (i.e., event centrality) and socio-emotional well-being after transition. High school students, including cohorts in tenth to twelveth grade (n = 2,265, M_age at Time 1 = 15.9 years, SD_age  = 0.9 years), participated in a four-wave longitudinal survey for a year and completed questionnaires assessing event centrality and socio-emotional well-being. Latent growth curve modelling revealed individual differences in the developmental trajectory of event centrality regarding high school transition across the tenth to twelveth grades. Increase in the centrality of transition was closely associated with improvement in socio-emotional well-being for each grade progression. Findings highlight the value of examining individual differences in the degree to which the school transition becomes a turning point in a student's identity or life course. Statement of contribution What is already known on the subject? Adolescents' socio-emotional well-being decreases on average after school transition. Event centrality, how central the transition is to student identity, is related to socio-emotional well-being. No study has examined event centrality and well-being after transition longitudinally. What the present study adds? Individual differences exist in the development of event centrality across grades 10-12. Increased event centrality of transition is associated with improved socio-emotional well-being. Development researchers must consider individual differences in susceptibility to the transition.