TY - JOUR
T1 - The mediating role of social support in the relationship between stigma and emotional distress among homeless adolescents in Ghana
AU - Oppong Asante, Kwaku
AU - Onyeaka, Henry
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Research on youth homelessness has showed a link between emotional distress and social stigma. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have received little empirical attention. This study was conducted to examine the mediating effect of social support that accounts for the link. Standard questionnaires that assessed emotional distress, stigma and social support were interviewer-administered to 193 homeless adolescents (50.4% male; Mean = 13.21 (SD = 2.06). The Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient and mediation analyses were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that both self-blame and general stigma were positively related to emotional distress; but negatively related to social support. In the mediation analysis, general stigma significantly predicted decreased perceived social support and had a direct positive influence on emotional problems. However, the levels of self-blame was neither significantly associated with perceived social support nor had a significant indirect influence on the level of emotional problems. Both self-blame and general stigma also did not have a significant indirect influence on the level of emotional problems through perceived social support. These findings call for further research to examine the complex mechanism underlying stigma and mental health outcomes.
AB - Research on youth homelessness has showed a link between emotional distress and social stigma. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have received little empirical attention. This study was conducted to examine the mediating effect of social support that accounts for the link. Standard questionnaires that assessed emotional distress, stigma and social support were interviewer-administered to 193 homeless adolescents (50.4% male; Mean = 13.21 (SD = 2.06). The Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient and mediation analyses were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that both self-blame and general stigma were positively related to emotional distress; but negatively related to social support. In the mediation analysis, general stigma significantly predicted decreased perceived social support and had a direct positive influence on emotional problems. However, the levels of self-blame was neither significantly associated with perceived social support nor had a significant indirect influence on the level of emotional problems. Both self-blame and general stigma also did not have a significant indirect influence on the level of emotional problems through perceived social support. These findings call for further research to examine the complex mechanism underlying stigma and mental health outcomes.
KW - Emotional distress
KW - homeless adolescents
KW - mediation effect
KW - social support
KW - stigma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100987715&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13548506.2021.1887501
DO - 10.1080/13548506.2021.1887501
M3 - Article
C2 - 33559489
AN - SCOPUS:85100987715
SN - 1354-8506
VL - 27
SP - 589
EP - 597
JO - Psychology, Health and Medicine
JF - Psychology, Health and Medicine
IS - 3
ER -