Perceived social support from family and friends, self-esteem, and their associations with school adjustment and life satisfaction in Peruvian adolescents: A structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a crucial stage characterized by profound changes that affect well-being and school adaptation. During this period, social support from family and friends, along with self-esteem, plays a key role in coping with these challenges. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the associations among family and peer social support, self-esteem, school adjustment, and life satisfaction in Peruvian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional explanatory study was conducted with 512 Peruvian adolescents (50.8% boys) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.06; SD = 1.572), who completed the Family and Friends Social Support Scale (AFA-R), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Brief School Adjustment Scale (EBAE-10). RESULTS: The results indicated that family social support was positively associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.314, p < .001), self-esteem (β = 0.600, p < .001), and school adjustment (β = 0.164, p = .007). In turn, self-esteem was positively associated with both life satisfaction (β = 0.557, p < .001) and school adjustment (β = 0.613, p < .001), while friend social support showed a positive association with school adjustment (β = 0.125, p = .003). The structural equation model also showed that family social support was associated with life satisfaction and school adjustment within the specified model, with significant total associations observed for life satisfaction (β = 0.648, p < .001) and school adjustment (β = 0.531, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the associations of family social support with adolescents' life satisfaction and school adjustment, as well as the central role of self-esteem within the overall pattern of relationships among the studied variables. These results underscore the importance of strengthening family support systems and fostering self-esteem as relevant factors linked to adolescents' well-being and academic adaptation.