BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Social Pediatrics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1626249
This article is part of the Research TopicMental health and wellbeing of childrenView all 9 articles
Social Support and Adolescent Mental Health in Kenya: A Parallel Mediation Analysis of Perceived Control and Gratitude
Provisionally accepted
- 1Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, China
- 2Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- 3Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
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Adolescent mental health is a global concern, and while social support is a known protective factor, the mechanisms of its impact, especially in diverse settings like Kenya, need more exploration. This study investigated how perceived control and gratitude mediate the link between social support and mental health (depression and anxiety symptoms) among Kenyan adolescents. A sample of 1,674 adolescents (aged 13-18) from four secondary schools completed measures of social support (MSPSS), perceived control (PCS), gratitude (GQ-6), depression (PHQ-8), and anxiety (GAD-7). Structural equation modeling revealed that social support was directly associated with lower depression (β = -0.23) and anxiety (β = -0.23). Social support also positively predicted perceived control (β = 0.26) and gratitude (β = 0.49), which in turn were linked to lower depression and anxiety. Importantly, significant indirect effects showed that social support reduced depression and anxiety symptoms through both perceived control (depression: β = -0.05; anxiety: β = -0.04) and gratitude (depression: β = -0.08; anxiety: β = -0.06). These findings, robust after controlling for age and gender, highlight that perceived control and gratitude are crucial parallel pathways through which social support benefits adolescent mental health in Kenya. Interventions should aim to bolster social connections while concurrently cultivating these psychological resources.
Keywords: social support, adolescent mental health, Perceived control, Gratitude, Kenyan Adolescents
Received: 10 May 2025; Accepted: 07 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Miao, Zhang, Zhu and Zang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Li-Li Zhu, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
Li-Wei Zang, Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, China
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