We’re excited to announce a recently accepted publication that was co-authored by lab graduate Rachel Wesley and Dr. Booker.
This paper addressed the distinct benefits of social support from family, friends, and romantic partners for college adults. Using multiple datasets collected from students in Virginia and Missouri, we found that these forms of psychological support and dependability from close others were widely beneficial and coincided with higher reports of well-being and lower reports of distress for students. Further, when compared at the same time, friends and family stood out as having the largest number of robust and unique ties to well-being across the studies.
Lastly, we found that when measuring reports across multiple time points, earlier reports of well-being helped to predict later reports of social support, rather than the social support predicting later well-being. Feeling more satisfied and fulfilled in life may encourage young adults to place more emphasis considering their relationships and appreciating the positive things their family and friends have to offer. We’re excited to continue building from this work with ongoing projects.
The Positive Youth Development Lab at the University of Missouri 