Social support provisions as differential predictors of adaptive outcomes in young adolescents

Social support provisions were examined in relation to negative life events, adaptive skills, hope, and grade point average in a sample of 103 inner-city youth (ages 11-14). Analyses focused on seven support provisions: social integration, attachment, guidance and information, reliable alliance, reassurance of worth, nurturance, and instrumental support. For boys, the provision of guidance and information was most strongly related to adaptive skills and grade point average, whereas attachment and reassurance of worth were the strongest predictors of hopefulness. The relation between support provisions and outcomes was less pronounced in the girls. Results underscore the multidimensional nature of social support and emphasize the differential ways in which support networks and their underlying dimensions relate to adaptive outcomes in young adolescents.