A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS PERCEPTIONS OF SUPPORT AND STRESS- STABILITY AND CHANGE

Social support has been found to reduce adolescents' perceptions of st ress and to contribute to greater well-being; however lacking in much of the research has been the examination of changes in social support in the lives adolescents. Examined in this study were changes in adole scent support and stress over a 7-month period. Three-hundred fifty-to w students completed a questionnaire at three points in time over 7 mo nths. Results indicated that mothers were selected most often as the p rimary support person at each time. However 42% of the adolescents cha nged their nomination of support provider at all three times. Percepti ons of parental and family support were key in discriminating adolesce nts who did or did riot change their primary support person. Parental and family support also were instrumental in predicting adolescents' p erceptions of stress. The results of this study show that parents and family continue to play atr important role in the lives adolescents.