Peer Relationship Quality and Psychological Well-Being Among Secondary School Adolescents in Niger State, North Central Nigeria

Peer relationships are a central developmental context in adolescence, and the quality of these relationships has significant implications for adolescents' psychological well-being, identity development, and social competence. This study examines the relationship between peer relationship quality and psychological well-being among secondary school adolescents in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey is applied to 280 students aged 12 to 19 years from six public secondary schools in Minna and Bida, recruited through stratified cluster sampling. The Quality of Relationships Inventory (peer version) and the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being are administered alongside a demographic questionnaire. Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regression are computed in SPSS. Available adolescent psychology literature from North Central Nigeria identifies friendship quality dimensions of intimacy, mutual support, and companionship as the strongest predictors of adolescent well-being, with peer rejection significantly associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms. Sullivan's Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry and Diener's Well-Being Theory provide the dual theoretical framework. Findings are expected to confirm that peer relationship quality significantly predicts psychological well-being, with gender differences anticipated in specific quality dimensions. Outcomes will support school counselling services in Niger State in developing peer support and social skills programmes. Keywords: peer relationship quality, psychological well-being, adolescents, Niger State, North Central Nigeria.