Diversity of consultation partners and psychosocial well-being among fifth-grade children in Tokyo

Background

Bullying, absenteeism, and suicide among children are public health concerns in Japan. Promoting children’s help-seeking from trusted people is central to SOS education, yet the role of diverse consultation partners in child well-being remains unclear. We examined the association between the number of types of people children consult with when worried and psychosocial well-being among fifth-grade children in Tokyo.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 2023 among fifth-grade children and their parents in urban Tokyo. Children were asked whether they talked to someone when they had problems or worries. Those who answered yes selected all applicable partners from 15 types, including family members, friends, teachers, and adults at school or in their community. The number of types selected was categorized as none, one, two, three, and four or more. Household characteristics and eight well-being items were compared using chi-square tests and trend tests.

Results

Among 901 children, 13.7% reported no consultation partners, while 13.7%, 21.9%, 24.0%, and 26.9% reported having one, two, three, and four or more types, respectively. Parents were the most common partners, followed by friends and teachers. Most household characteristics, including sex, family structure, economic hardship, and parental education, did not differ significantly across groups, although maternal employment status did. Well-being showed a positive gradient with partner diversity. The proportions of children who felt valuable and valued by their families increased from 56.1% to 83.9% and from 86.2% to 97.9%, respectively. All eight items showed significant positive trends.

Conclusions

Among fifth-grade children in Tokyo, having more diverse people to consult with was associated with better psychosocial well-being. Schools and communities should create opportunities for children to build multiple trusted relationships beyond the family.

Key messages

• Children with diverse consultation partners had better psychosocial well-being.

• Schools and communities should help children build multiple trusted relationships beyond the family.