Social Support and Youth-Adult Relationships

• In Event: Growing Up Across Settings: Finding Support, Identity, and Motivation in a Multisetting World

Abstract

Social support has been associated with positive physical and psychological health outcomes for adolescents. It has been demonstrated that non-parental adults are important sources of social support for youth. However, literatures understanding of them is limited. This paper uses qualitative data from 41 youth to explore the following research questions: Do certain types of adults provide specific types of social support (e.g. emotional, instrumental)? Does the content of a single type of social support vary across different types of adults? What are the perceived benefits to youth of each type of social support? Preliminary analyses suggest that all VIPs have the potential to be comprehensive sources of social support for youth. Implications for examining and promoting YARs are discussed.

Authors

• Shannon Mary Varga, University of Virginia

• Haley E. Johnson, University of Virginia

• Mark Vincent B Yu, University of Virginia

• Nancy L. Deutsch, University of Virginia

• Valerie A Futch Ehrlich, Center for Creative Leadership