Trends in the Link Between Perceived Social Support and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents (2013/14-2021/22): A Cross-National Study

• Published in: International journal of public health Vol. 69; p. 1607283
• Main Authors: Brisson, Romain, Furstova, Jana, Sokolová, Lenka, Eriksson, Charli, Boniel-Nissim, Meyran, Badura, Petr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 10-07-2024
• Subjects: Adolescent; adolescents; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Friends - psychology; HBSC; Humans; life satisfaction; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; perceived social support; Personal Satisfaction; Public Health Archive; Social Support; Sociodemographic Factors; trends; HBSC; life satisfaction; adolescents; trends; perceived social support
• ISSN: 1661-8564; 1661-8556; 1661-8564
• DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1607283

This repeated cross-sectional study aimed to (a) report trends in adolescents' perceived family, friend, classmate, and teacher support, (b) estimate the extent to which each source of support related to life satisfaction across space and time, and (c) ascertain whether sociodemographic factors moderated the relationship in question.
We relied on data pertaining to the 2013/14, 2017/18, and 2021/22 waves of the
study. The examined sample covered 44 countries and regions (
= 716,083;
= 13.6;
= 1.64; 50.7% female).
The level of all sources of perceived social support slightly decreased over the examined period (all ω
< .01). Family support involved the largest association with life satisfaction (β = 0.16); friend support, the lowest one (β = 0.03). These associations varied only tenuously across space and time. Sociodemographic factors moderated the link between perceived social support and life satisfaction to a negligible-to-weak extent.
Levels of perceived social support and their associations with life satisfaction subtly changed. Future research may attempt to pinpoint the macrosocial levers of these temporal dynamics.