Effect of Social Support on Adolescent Students’ Self-Esteem in Holy Karbala City

Abstract

Background: Secondary school students face academic pressures that may affect psychological well-being and performance. Social support is an important factor that improves adolescents’ self-esteem.Objective: To assess levels of social support and self-esteem, examine predictive influence of social support, and explore relations with their socio-demographic characteristics among secondary school students.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research was performed on 923 secondary school students aged 14–18 years from four preparatory schools in Holy Karbala city, Iraq (November 2025 to January 2026). Data were collected using standardized scales (Multidimentional scale of perceived social support and Rosenderg self-esteem scale) and analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and multiple linear regression. Results: Mean age was 16.47 ± 1.161 years. High levels of social support (56.9%) and self-esteem (49.3%) were reported. Social support significantly predicted self-esteem (β=0.184, p<0.001). Social support was connected to several socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusion: Social support is a significant reason in promoting adolescents’ self-esteem, highlighting the importance of supportive family and school environments.