Organization of Psychosocial Processes in Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Regions.

Background: Adolescents' social, emotional, and behavioral characteristics do not operate in isolation but form interconnected systems that shape well-being. These processes may differ across geographic settings, particularly between metropolitan (MSA) and non-metropolitan (non-MSA) environments, which vary in social norms, community resources, and daily experiences. However, little research has examined how these psychosocial factors are organized as part of a broader system in different environments. Objectives: This study compared the structure of psychosocial networks among adolescents living in MSA and non-MSA settings. We aimed to identify whether social, emotional, and behavioral constructs cluster differently across environments and whether specific constructs show stronger influence or bridging roles within each network. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey of U.S. adolescents. Twelve psychosocial and behavioral constructs were examined, including emotional distress, self-esteem, positive well-being, social connectedness, sensation seeking, boredom, problem behaviors, and perceived parental and peer disapproval of substance use, and substance use. Separate correlation-based networks were generated for MSA and non-MSA youth. System-level measures (average degree, betweenness, eigenvector centrality) were used to assess overall structure, and node-level metrics identified constructs serving as central or bridging elements within each network. Results: Emotional distress, sensation seeking, and problem behaviors played stronger bridging roles in non-MSA than MSA environments. In contrast, MSA networks were more evenly distributed, with positive well-being, social connectedness, and parental or peer disapproval showing stronger central influence. Conclusions: Different organization of psychosocial processes across environments can inform context-sensitive strategies to support adolescent well-being.