META-ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Research has started to explore the associations between social support and wellbeing among children and adolescents, but the overall relationship is still unclear. This study explored: (1) the overall association between social support and well-being, (2) the association differences among categories of well-being, (3) the association differences among different types of social support measures, (4) the association differences among different support sources, and (5) whether the association between social support and well-being changed with participants' age. Two hundred forty-six studies were collected and analyzed, and the results indicated a positive but small association between social support and well-being. Additionally, moderator analyses indicated that social support was more strongly associated with self-concept, perceived support was more strongly associated with well-being, support from teachers and school personnel was more strongly associated with well-being, and the association between social support and wellbeing increased with age. The implications and possible applications of the relationship between social support and well-being among children and adolescents are discussed.