The Protective Role Social Support Plays in Determining Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes

Background: Social support is one of several protective factors important to our understanding of adolescent mental health; family, friends, or teachers often provide critical assistance. Objectives: The purpose of this cross-sectional pilot study was to investigate how social support (support from family, friends and significant others) was related to mental health outcomes among a sample of Jordanian adolescents. Methods and Material: Data were collected from public and private schools in Irbid governorate located in Northern Jordan affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Education. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit students from 8th to 12th grades (N = 112; ages 13-18 years; 54.5% boys). Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire in November, 2018. Besides socio-demographics, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) were measured. Results: Depressive symptomatology was related to lower levels of life satisfaction among both boys and girls. The negative association between self-esteem and depressive symptoms was only significant for girls. In a preliminary multivariate analyses, family support played the most decisive role, and for girls, self-esteem acted as a protective mechanism as well. Conclusion: These findings underscore the important role of effective social support from parents and other family members, who were capable of providing a peaceful and safe environment for youth. Cultural factors may also contribute to the altering roles of different types of social support across gender groups.