The relationship between social resourcefulness, resilience and wellbeing of adolescents with a multi-problem family background

Abstract

Background. Adolescents from multi-problem families are exposed to an abundance of adversity. Insight into resilience processes of these adolescents might be helpful in reducing additional risk. As social ties become increasingly important in adolescence, the question arises whether resilience processes or social support are more predictive of adolescent’s wellbeing and how these compare between adolescents from multi-problem families and normative families. Aim. This study aimed to assess how resilience processes and social resourcefulness related to wellbeing in adolescents while also taking into account the possible moderating effect of the family background. Methods. Data from the GRIP-study was used. Participants were 46 adolescents with a multi-problem family background, aged 10 to 18, and 47 adolescents with a normative background, aged 17 to 24. Results were collected using the self-report questionnaires: CYRM-12, the Seeking Social Support subscale of the UCL and the WHO-5. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results. Resilience processes had a strong positive relationship with wellbeing, whereas social resourcefulness did not. Additionally, resilience processes and social resourcefulness had a moderate positive relationship. Finally, family background did not moderate the relationship between resilience and wellbeing and social resourcefulness and wellbeing. Conclusion. Resilience processes were a stronger indicator than social resourcefulness for adolescent wellbeing, regardless of family background. Further research into whether specific protective factors play a different role in the resilience processes of adolescents from multi-problem families is advised, as well as how adolescent risk perception affects these processes.