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Romantic Competence, Romantic Functioning, and Mental Health in Adolescence
Emily S Bibby1, Joanne Davila1
1Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA; email: emily.bibby@stonybrook.edu, joanne.davila@stonybrook.edu.
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
|January 20, 2026
Summary
Adolescent romantic competence, the ability to form healthy relationships, impacts relationship quality and mental health. This review explores its development, assessment, and challenges like social media.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Development
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Adolescent romantic competence is crucial for healthy relationships and mental well-being.
- Understanding this construct is vital for supporting adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history, conceptualizations, and assessments of adolescent romantic competence.
- To summarize research on its associations with relationship functioning and mental health.
- To address challenges posed by social media and outline relationship education programs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing existing research on adolescent romantic competence.
- Analysis of conceptualizations, assessments, and empirical findings.
- Examination of social media impacts and relationship education interventions.
Main Results:
- Adolescent romantic competence is linked to better relationship experiences and mental health outcomes.
- Social media presents unique challenges to developing romantic competence.
- Relationship education programs show promise in fostering competence.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent romantic competence is a key factor in relationship success and mental health.
- Future research should address social media's role and refine educational interventions.
- Further investigation is needed to fully understand and support adolescent romantic development.
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