AUTHOR=Yuan Wei , Xie Zhengli , Dong Ping , Yang Yuqin 

TITLE=Linking perceived social support to self-esteem and social integration among adolescents with visual impairment: A cross-lagged study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1054857

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1054857

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>This study examines the relationship between perceived social support and self-esteem and between perceived social support and social integration among adolescents with visual impairments. Adolescents with visual impairments (<italic>N</italic><sub>time1</sub> = 311, <italic>N</italic><sub>time2</sub> = 170) from four special education schools in eastern China participated in this study within a 1-year interval. The Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire, and Interpersonal Adaptation Scale were used to collect data. The results from cross-lagged panel modeling showed reciprocal positive relationships between parental support and self-esteem. Self-esteem at T1 positively predicted three other sources of perceived social support at T2: teacher support, classmate support, and close-friend support. Social integration at T1 positively predicted close-friend support at T2. This study extends understanding of the relationships among perceived social support, self-esteem, and social integration, and provides practical implications for parents, schools, and communities to improve psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with visual impairment.</p>