Environmental sensitivity and perceived social support in relation to adolescent eating disorder symptoms.

Abstract

Eating disorders (EDs) frequently emerge during adolescence and are influenced by both individual and contextual factors. Among these, perceived social support has generally been associated with better outcomes, although findings remain inconsistent and may depend on both the source of support and individual differences in responsiveness to environmental inputs. The present study examined the role of Environmental Sensitivity (ES) and perceived social support in adolescent ED symptoms, focusing on different sources of support and their potential interaction within a vantage sensitivity framework. A sample of 466 adolescents (51.61% female; M = 14.80) completed self-report measures of ED symptoms, ES, and perceived social support. At a bivariate level, higher perceived support from family, teachers, friends, and peers was associated with lower ED symptoms. In covariate-adjusted models, only teachers' and family's support remained a significant predictor, while peer-related sources were no longer associated with ED symptoms. ES was consistently and positively associated with ED symptoms. Contrary to hypotheses, ES did not moderate the association between overall perceived social support and ED symptoms. Exploratory analyses suggested a sex-specific pattern, whereby the association between perceived social support and ED symptoms appeared to vary as a function of ES among males, but not females. These findings suggest that the association between social support and adolescent ED symptoms may depend on its source. Moreover, ES was consistently associated with ED symptoms. Exploratory analyses revealed that evidence for differential responsiveness to supportive contexts may vary by ES among males.