Identifying social support as a factor contributing to resilience among African American youth

The study examines the relationship between social support and resilience among a sample of 133 African American adolescents ages 18 to 22. Participants completed the Youth Coping Index (YCI), the Student Resiliency Survey (SRS), the Young Adult Social Support Index (YA-SSI), the Perceived Social Support Friends Scale (PSS-FR), and the Perceived Social Support Family Scale (PSS-FA). All statistical analyses between the predictor variables of support and the criterion variables of resilience and coping indicate a positive statistically significant relationship between social support and resilience. This relationship is not diminished when controlling for gender, showing that what is most important for this sample is social support. Additionally, social support from friends, school faculty, counselors and administrators, and support from their own spiritual health and well-being are the most significant indicators of resilience among this sample. Identifying the role of social support in influencing resilient behavior in this sample of adolescents is crucial for the development and effectiveness of future intervention processes.