Perceived Social Support as a Determinant of Depression among Adolescents of Minorities in Pakistan
Abstract
Objectives: Being a part of minority is an experience which is reported to be associated with a number of painful experiences related to social division and inequality. The encountered difficulties when one reduced to a position of inferiority due to marginalization, put individual at risk of mental health problems, especially when it comes to critical phase of adolescence. However, among few protective factors Social Support is reported to have its significance in protecting minority adolescents from mental health problems. Present research aims to study the role of social support in determining the level of depression among adolescents belonging to religious minorities in Pakistan.
Place of the Study: Karachi, Pakistan
Research Design: Correlational study
Sample and Method: The participants of the study consisted of 147 adolescents of age range from 11 to 19 years, from minority groups (i.e. from Christianity, Hindu, and Parsi religion), approached at various schools and colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. It was hypothesized that perceived social support from family, friends and any significant others will be the significant predictor of level of Depression among minority adolescents. In order to test the variables Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) and Reynolds Adolescents Depression Scale, 2nd ed. (RADS-2 Reynolds, 2002) were administered.
Results: Linear Regression analysis was carried and the results are consistent with the hypothesis, as perceived social support appears as a significant predictor of level of depression in adolescents belonging to minorities in Pakistan [R2= .362, F (1, 145) = 82.429, p<.001]. Further analyses reflect that among three sources of social support only family appears as a significant factor in predicting the level of Depression among Minority adolescents.
