Abstract
In recent years, European adolescents have been increasingly exposed to news and social media content about armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions. Although most are not directly involved, repeated exposure to such threatening information may shape future-oriented thinking, with implications for mental health and school functioning. This study examines whether conflict-related future perspectives are associated with school avoidance through depressive symptoms, and whether perceived support within the school environment moderates these associations. Participants were 754 preadolescents and adolescents from the Republic of San Marino (Mage = 12.59, SD = 1.33; 52% girls). Moderated mediation analyses showed that conflict-related future perspectives were positively associated with school avoidance, partly via higher depressive symptoms. Peer support buffered this pathway, weakening the link between depressive symptoms and school avoidance, whereas teacher support did not show a significant effect. These findings highlight peer support as a key target for preventing school avoidance among emotionally distressed students.