The Relationship Between Social Support and Life Satisfaction Among Chinese and Ethnic Minority Adolescents in Hong Kong: the Mediating Role of Positive Youth Development

Studies have shown that perceived social support among adolescents is positively related to life satisfaction. However, research has yet to explore the underlying mechanisms in the linkage between social support and life satisfaction. The aims of this study were to: a) investigate whether positive youth development mediated the relationship between social support and life satisfaction and, b) compare whether these associations varied with ethnicity. Multi-group path analysis was employed to test a hypothesized model in a sample of 700 Chinese and ethnic minority adolescents in Hong Kong. Results showed that positive youth development does play a mediating role in the relationship between social support and life satisfaction. Analysis revealed that there was a positive relationship between family and friend support and positive youth development, which in turn was linked to life satisfaction. Those linkages appeared stronger in ethnic minority adolescents compared to their Chinese counterparts. This study has implications for practitioners designing appropriate youth programs for adolescents in the Chinese context.