Jul 2026· Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health· 0 citations
Abstract
This study examined whether self-esteem mediates the association between perceived social support and youth mental health difficulties in a heterogeneous sample of school-recruited youths and clinically referred inpatient and outpatient youths.
The study included 312 children and adolescents (mean age = 14.36 years, SD = 2.19, range = 9–19; 37.5% boys, 62.5% girls). The primary analysis was a covariate-adjusted mediation model in the full sample, with perceived social support (MSPSS) as the predictor, self-esteem (RSE) as the mediator, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Total Difficulties as the outcome. Hierarchical clustering based on SDQ, RSE, and MSPSS item profiles was conducted as a secondary, exploratory analysis.
Higher perceived social support was associated with higher self-esteem (B = 0.26, 95% CI [0.20, 0.31], bootstrapped
p
< 0.001), and higher self-esteem was associated with fewer mental health difficulties (B = −0.43, 95% CI [−0.50, −0.35], bootstrapped
p
< 0.001) in the covariate-adjusted full-sample model. The indirect effect via self-esteem was statistically detectable (B = −0.11, 95% CI [−0.14, −0.08], bootstrapped
p
< 0.001), indicating partial mediation. Exploratory cluster-specific analyses indicated that the indirect effect was significant in the lower-difficulties/higher-resources cluster (B = −0.05, 95% CI [−0.09, −0.02], bootstrapped
p
= 0.003), but not in the higher-difficulties/lower-resources cluster (B = −0.01, 95% CI [−0.04, 0.00], bootstrapped
p
= 0.077).
Self-esteem appears to represent one pathway linking perceived social support to fewer mental health difficulties in youth. Cluster-specific findings should be interpreted as exploratory and suggest that the strength of this pathway may vary across psychosocial profiles.
Background College students face significant challenges in their physical and psychological well-being, potentially affecting their perception of social status. This study examines the association between health perception and perceived social status among college students and investigates the potential mediating roles of self-esteem and life satisfaction. Methods Data from 5,966 participants (50.8% female, 49.2% male) were analyzed from the 2016 Korean Education and Employment Panel Survey (KEEP). Analyses were conducted using SPSS 21.0, AMOS 22.0, and the PROCESS macro. The research model examined the direct relationships between health perception, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and perceived social status, as well as the potential mediating roles of self-esteem and life satisfaction. Results Health perception was positively associated with self-esteem (β = 0.232, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (β = 0.273, p < 0.001), and perceived social status (β = 0.120, p < 0.001). Self-esteem showed positive associations with life satisfaction (β = 0.359, p < 0.001) and perceived social status (β = 0.078, p < 0.001). Life satisfaction was significantly related to perceived social status (β = 0.419, p < 0.001). The indirect association of health perception with perceived social status through self-esteem was 0.018 (95% CI [0.011, 0.025]), through life satisfaction was 0.115 (95% CI [0.101, 0.129]), and through both mediators sequentially was 0.035 (95% CI [0.029, 0.041]). Conclusion Results suggest that college students’ health perception may be associated with their perceived social status both directly and indirectly through potential mediating roles of self-esteem and life satisfaction. Because these findings are based on cross-sectional secondary data, they represent statistical associations rather than confirmed causal mechanisms. Health awareness, self-esteem, and life satisfaction were associated with more positive perceived social status; however, longitudinal research is needed before implications for educational interventions can be drawn.
Eun Bee Kim, Jhongyun Kim· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
Emotional pressures experienced by fatherless adolescents such as low self-confidence and loneliness highlight the importance of environmental support in helping them continue to develop positively. In this context, social support serves as a key factor that strengthens an individual's ability to cope and enhances their self-perception. This study aims to examine the influence of social support on self-esteem, with resilience as a mediating variable among fatherless adolescents in Semarang City. The subjects were adolescents aged 15–17 years who were experiencing fatherless conditions, selected using purposive sampling. This research employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design, collecting data through psychological scales and analyzing it using path analysis. The results showed that social support has a positive and significant effect on both resilience and self-esteem (p < 0.05), and resilience was found to mediate the relationship between social support and self-esteem. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination indicated that social support and resilience together contribute approximately 31% to self-esteem. In other words, the higher the social support received, the stronger the resilience developed, which in turn leads to improved self-esteem among fatherless adolescents.Tekanan emosional seperti rasa tidak aman dan kesepian yang dialami oleh remaja tanpa kehadiran ayah menunjukkan betapa pentingnya peran lingkungan dalam mendorong perkembangan positif mereka. Dalam hal ini, dukungan sosial menjadi salah satu faktor penting yang dapat memperkuat resiliensi sekaligus membentuk penilaian diri yang lebih positif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh dukungan sosial terhadap harga diri dengan resiliensi sebagai variabel mediator pada remaja tanpa kehadiran ayah di Kota Semarang. Penelitian melibatkan remaja berusia 15–17 tahun yang dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dan desain cross-sectional, data dikumpulkan melalui skala psikologis dan dianalisis menggunakan analisis jalur (path analysis). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dukungan sosial berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap resiliensi dan harga diri (p < 0,05), serta resiliensi terbukti memediasi hubungan antara keduanya. Nilai koefisien determinasi menunjukkan bahwa dukungan sosial dan resiliensi memberikan kontribusi terhadap harga diri sebesar ±31%. Dengan kata lain, semakin tinggi dukungan sosial yang diterima, semakin kuat resiliensi yang terbentuk, yang pada akhirnya berdampak pada peningkatan harga diri pada remaja tanpa kehadiran ayah.
This study examined how social support influences perceived stress in older adults, testing family functioning and sense of coherence (SOC) as serial mediators within a theoretically grounded model. Given the cross-sectional design, the analysis adopted an exploratory framework, conceptualizing SOC as a cognitive-emotional resource shaped by relational factors and instrumental in regulating individuals' stress responses. Participants were 361 community-dwelling older adults in Brazil (M = 67.32, SD = 5.77). Social support was assessed using the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), family functioning with the Family APGAR, SOC with the SOC-13, and perceived stress with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). A serial multiple mediation model was tested using regression-based analysis. Social support did not exert a significant direct effect on perceived stress (b = -0.079, p > .05); instead, it was associated with higher family functioning (b = 0.136, p < .05), which in turn associated with greater SOC (b = 1.61, p < .05). Both family functioning (b = -0.571, p < .0001) and SOC (b = -0.294, p < .0001) were significant negative predictors of perceived stress, and the total indirect effect of social support through both mediators was significant (b = -0.065, p < .05). These findings suggest that social support is linked to lower perceived stress primarily through indirect pathways involving family functioning and SOC, rather than through a direct pathway. SOC, in particular, appears to play a central role in how older adults assign meaning to social and familial resources when managing stress.
Leandro da Silva-Sauer, André Luiz de Carvalho Braule Pinto, Gustavo Souza Zanatta et al.· Psychological Reports· 0 citations
This study examined prospective longitudinal associations among group-sport-related physical activity, self-esteem, perceived social support, and psychological distress among adolescents.
A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 545 Chinese adolescents. Participants had a mean age of 14.9 years (SD = 1.6; range = 12–18 years). Group-sport-related physical activity dose, operationalized with the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), was assessed at T1; self-esteem and perceived social support were assessed at T1 and T2 (perceived social support was also assessed at T3); and psychological distress was assessed at T1 and T3. A temporally ordered parallel mediation model with baseline controls was estimated. Because not all constructs were measured at every wave, the design was not a complete panel and did not permit a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM).
Higher T1 PARS-3 scores were prospectively associated with lower T3 psychological distress. Self-esteem and perceived social support at T2 showed significant indirect associations, with the self-esteem pathway being comparatively stronger. Exploratory lagged analyses indicated that T1 self-esteem was associated with T2 perceived social support after accounting for prior support; however, these conventional lagged paths cannot be interpreted as within-person effects.
Group-sport-related physical activity may be prospectively associated with lower adolescent psychological distress through psychological and social resources. Given the convenience sample, asymmetric measurement schedule, possible residual confounding, and absence of an RI-CLPM, the findings should be interpreted as prospective associations rather than definitive causal mechanisms.
Unknown authors· Frontiers in Psychology· 0 citations
Previous studies have examined the correlation between social support and adolescent mental health, as well as the mediating role of self-efficacy in this association, primarily using cross-sectional data. However, few have employed longitudinal designs, considered both positive and negative aspects of mental health, or focused specifically on adolescents from financially strained families. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between family support and both positive and negative dimensions of mental health among Taiwanese adolescents and youths from low-income families.
Using two-wave longitudinal panel data, the study included 1,792 economically disadvantaged adolescents and youths across 23 counties and cities in Taiwan. Life satisfaction and psychological distress were used to indicate positive and negative dimensions of mental health, respectively. A half-longitudinal mediation analysis was conducted.
Family support at T1 was positively associated with self-efficacy and life satisfaction but not psychological distress at T2. Self-efficacy at T1 was significantly related to life satisfaction but not psychological distress at T2. The half-longitudinal mediation analysis further supported the mediating role of self-efficacy in the association between family support and life satisfaction.
Family support was predictive of positive, but not negative, aspects of mental health. In addition, self-efficacy served as a mediator in the link between family support and positive mental health. These findings underscore the importance of policies and interventions that strengthen both family support and self-efficacy while also highlighting the need for differentiated approaches to address the positive and negative dimensions of mental health among adolescents and youths from low-income families in Taiwan.
Background: Reading ability is associated with adolescents’ self-esteem, and self-esteem is, in turn, closely related to mental health outcomes. However, the psychological mechanisms linking these three constructs remain unclear.
Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between reading ability and general psychological distress among Chinese early adolescents and examine the mediating role of self-esteem, while controlling for literacy achievement.
Methods: A total of 373 seventh-grade students were recruited. Reading ability was assessed via a battery of tests. General psychological distress and self-esteem were measured using the Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, respectively. Data were analyzed with correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and latent profile analysis (LPA).
Results: Reading ability was positively correlated with self-esteem (r = 0.18), while self-esteem was significantly correlated with psychological distress (r = −0.60). The indirect association between reading ability and psychological distress through self-esteem was significant (indirect effect = −0.09, 95% confidence interval [−0.16, −0.02]), whereas the direct association was not significant. LPA identified poor readers (14.7%) and typical readers (85.3%); typical readers reported higher self-esteem (Cohen’s d = 0.29) and marginally better mental health (Cohen’s d = 0.26).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that self-esteem may represent an important psychosocial factor linking reading ability with general psychological distress among early adolescents. The results highlight the potential value of school-based support that attends to both reading-related difficulties and students’ self-evaluations. Given the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal relationships.
Yan Gan, Yuanyu Wang, Li Wang et al.· Health Psychology Research· 0 citations
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