Life Stressors, Social Support, and Children’s Subjective Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic : Evidence from a Cross-National Survey of 20 Societies

Xi CHEN, Stefan KÜHNER*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the well-being of people across all age groups, with children being particularly vulnerable due to their reliance on stable routines and social interactions for healthy development. Guided by stress-coping theory, this study examines the impact of life stressors and social support on children’s subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a large-scale, cross-national dataset of 20,047 children aged 7–15 from 20 societies, we assessed how various stressors and social support from friends, family, and teachers influenced indicators of subjective well-being, including life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect, and negative affect. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that virus-related stressors and pandemic-induced disruptions negatively impacted children’s subjective well-being. Conversely, social support from family, friends, and teachers was generally associated with better well-being. However, the role of social support in moderating stress was complex: while support from friends buffered the adverse effects of stressors on life satisfaction and positive affect, family support sometimes amplified the negative impact of stressors, demonstrating a reverse buffering effect. These findings underscore the critical role of life stressors and social support in shaping children’s well-being during crises and highlight the need for targeted interventions to strengthen social connections and support systems.
Original languageEnglish
JournalChild Indicators Research
Early online date11 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 11 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Life stress
  • Social support
  • Children's subjective well-being
  • COVID-19
  • Children's worlds

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