Social support and social strain among Afro-Caribbean adolescents: associations with mental health diagnoses
Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Using the socio-ecological model of health as a theoretical framework to investigate social support, social strain, and mental health among Afro-Caribbean adolescents, this dissertation uses descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and hierarchical logistic regression analyses as exploratory means to examine: 1) differences in social support and strain by relationship context (family, peers, romantic partners); 2) how associations between support or strain and mental health diagnoses differ by relationship context; and 3) how strain may moderate associations between support and mental health diagnoses by relationship context. These objectives were explored among 320 Afro-Caribbean adolescent participants of the Adolescent Supplement of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL-A). Findings show that participants perceive moderate to high social support and low to moderate social strain across all contexts. Family support significantly predicted mood disorder diagnoses, family strain predicted all mental health disorder domains, and peer strain predicted anxiety and impulse control disorders. Associations between social support and mental health were not moderated by social strain. Results suggest that perceived strain – especially from family and peers – may be considerable factors related to Afro-Caribbean adolescent mental health. Implications for practice and education are discussed, and directions for future research are explored.
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Keywords
Adolescence, Afro-Caribbean, Mental health diagnoses, Social strain, Social support