In plain language
Teenagers draw support from three main sources: parents, teachers, and peers. Most research looks at each source separately, but in real life they combine — a teen might feel backed by friends yet distant from parents. This study asked what distinctive combinations, or “profiles,” of social support exist among adolescents, how stable they are across high school, and what they mean for mental health. The researchers surveyed 2,034 Australian students in Grade 8 (average age 13.7) and again in Grade 11, measuring perceived support from all three sources alongside psychological ill-health and wellbeing.
Statistical profiling (latent transition analysis) identified six distinct social support profiles at both waves, revealing substantial inequality in how supported young people feel. Only 7% of adolescents were “socially rich,” enjoying high support from at least two sources, while a full 25% were “socially poor” — an Isolated profile with well below-average support from parents, teachers, and peers alike. Almost all wellbeing problems were concentrated in this Isolated group, and the negative effects grew stronger by Grade 11.
One striking finding concerned teens supported mainly by their peers. Despite feeling little support from parents and teachers, they showed average to above-average wellbeing. But this position proved precarious: they had an 81% chance of sliding into the Isolated or Weakly Supported profiles by Grade 11. The results suggest that interventions should identify and reach isolated youth, and that peer support alone, while helpful in the moment, is a fragile foundation.
Key findings
- Latent transition analysis of 2,034 adolescents identified six social support profiles that replicated across Grade 8 and Grade 11: Fully Integrated, Parent and Peer Supported, Peer Supported, Moderately Supported, Weakly Supported, and Isolated.
- There was substantial inequality in perceived support: only 7% of adolescents were “socially rich” (high support from at least two sources), while 25% were “socially poor” (Isolated), with support 0.65–0.86 SD below the mean from all three sources.
- Almost all wellbeing problems were concentrated in the Isolated profile, with negative effects more pronounced in Grade 11 than in Grade 8.
- Adolescents in the Peer Supported profile felt strong peer support and maintained average to above-average wellbeing, despite low parent and teacher support.
- The Peer Supported position was unstable: these adolescents had an 81% chance of transitioning to the Isolated or Weakly Supported profiles by Grade 11.
How to cite
APA
Ciarrochi, J., Morin, A. J. S., Sahdra, B. K., Litalien, D., & Parker, P. D. (2017). A longitudinal person-centered perspective on youth social support: Relations with psychological wellbeing. Developmental Psychology, 53(6), 1154–1169. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000315
BibTeX
@article{ciarrochi2017longitudinal,
author = {Ciarrochi, Joseph and Morin, Alexandre J. S. and Sahdra, Baljinder K. and Litalien, David and Parker, Philip D.},
title = {A longitudinal person-centered perspective on youth social support: Relations with psychological wellbeing},
journal = {Developmental Psychology},
year = {2017},
volume = {53},
number = {6},
pages = {1154--1169},
doi = {10.1037/dev0000315}
}
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- All publications by Joseph Ciarrochi (searchable, with free PDFs)
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Author: Joseph Ciarrochi (ORCID 0000-0003-0471-8100). Free copy hosted with permission for scholarly use. Please cite the published version via the DOI above.