The role of social support and resilience in the sociopsychological adaptation of male and female adolescents

Abstract

The article discusses the role of social support and resilience in the socio-psychological adaptation (SPA) of adolescents. Adolescence is characterized by rapid psychophysiological development, restructuring of social relations, and special sensitivity to the factors and resources of the social environment. The changes taking place in all spheres of a teenager’s life require the mobilization of the internal resources of the individual and the appeal to the resources of the external environment. One of the indicators of the success of the functioning of the individual and its adaptation to the social environment is SPA. Despite the presence of numerous studies on the problems of SPA, the issue of the ratio of internal and external resources of SPA remains insufficiently studied, the role of various components of resilience and social support in the adaptation process has not been determined, gender characteristics of the level and structure of protected areas and its resources have not been studied. The purpose of the work is to study the role of resilience and social support in the SPA of adolescents. Methods: C. Rogers and R. Dymond SPA diagnostic technique, S. Maddi “Resilience” questionnaire adapted by D. A. Leontiev, questionnaire of social support of G. Sommer and T. Fydrich (adapted by A. B. Kholmogorova and G. A. Petrova). The study involved 299 adolescents aged 13–17 years. Gender differences in the structure of SPA indicators were revealed. Boys have higher adaptation (p ≤ 0.004), acceptance of others (p ≤ 0.000), emotional comfort (p ≤ 0.229), internality (p ≤ 0.046), striving for dominance (p ≤ 0.010). Girls are characterized by a higher level of selfacceptance (p ≤ 0.089). Higher indicators of hardiness were found in young men. No gender differences in the parameters of social support were found. It has been shown that the relationship of SPA with resilience and social support differs in boys and girls, as well as in groups with different levels of SPA. A number of components of resilience and perceived social support play roles as predictors of SPA.