Structural Relationships between Perceived Social Support and Substance Use Tendencies in Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of life satisfaction in the relationship between perceived social support and the propensity for substance use in adolescent girls.

The present study was a descriptive-correlative structural equation study. The statistical population of the study included the students of Mashhad city. Of these, 261 individuals were selected through a multistage cluster sampling method and responded to the perceived social support scale, the substance use tendency questionnaire, and the life satisfaction questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the research model.

The results showed that  life satisfaction was a mediator in the relationship between perceived social support and substance use tendency in teenage girls. Overall, the results showed that the model had good fit.

It is recommended that programs and training be developed in family and educational systems to increase perceived social support in teenagers, which will lead to an increase in life satisfaction.