Differences in social support and loneliness in adolescents according to developmental stage and gender

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in both perceived social support and loneliness according to the three stages of adolescent development (early, middle, and late), as determined by chronological age and gender. The sample consisted of 113 early adolescents, 106 middle adolescents, and 106 late adolescents. Data were collected in classroom settings. All participants responded to the PRQ85--Part II, A Social Support Measure; the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale; and a demographic data sheet. Results of the study, which used the two-way analysis of variance, indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in perceived social support or loneliness across the three stages of adolescence. Findings also indicated that girls reported statistically significantly higher levels of perceived social support than boys; however, there were no statistically significant gender differences in loneliness.