The relationship of social support to perceived control and subjective mental health in adolescents

This study investigated the link between social support and positive constructs, specifically, psychological well-being and the perceived ability to obtain and savor positive life events. Eighty-two high school students were surveyed. Social support was significantly related to positive dimensions of subjective mental health (happiness, gratification, and self-confidence), but not to its negative components (vulnerability, strain, and uncertainty), and was also significantly related to respondents' perceived ability to obtain and savor positive life events, but not to their perceived ability to avoid or cope with negative events. Future theory and research should examine the link between social support and positive constructs such as psychological well-being and positive life experience.