Peer versus Family Support: Decreasing the Impact of FAS and Age on the Life Satisfaction

Background:
Life satisfaction in youth decreases with lower FAS and older age, but increases with social support. Adolescence is a period of transition and the amount of time spend with peers increases while with family decreases.
Objective(s):
This study aims to investigate the mediating effects of family and peer support in the life satisfaction of Luxemburgish adolescents.
Method:
A total of 7 757 students aged from 11 to 18 years old took part in the 2014 HBSC Luxembourg survey. Data collected with the Cantril ladder (1965) to assess life satisfaction, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) measuring both peer and family support and the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) was analyzed.
Results:
Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicates the negative effect of age and the positive effect of family affluence on life satisfaction being partially mediated by family support, but not peer support, despite the strong correlation between both kinds of social support.
Conclusions:
Although peer and family support are highly correlated variables, only the latter influences adolescents’ life satisfaction, decreasing the negative impact of age and family affluence. As adolescence is a period of transition, the opposite results were expected, with peers being more important with age. Keeping a satisfactory relationship with family seems to play an important role in their life satisfaction. More studies should explore both complimentary kinds of social support.