Effects of Traumatic Events, Social Support, and Self-Efficacy on Adolescents’ Self-Health Assessments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adolescents’exposure to traumatic events and their self-health assessments, and to examine the protective effects of social support and self-efficacy on this relationship. Survey results (N = 1,427) indicated that experiencing violent and nonviolent negative life events and being exposed to a disaster were inversely associated with adolescents’ positive health assessments. As social support and self-efficacy decreased, adolescents’ health assessments worsened. Female and Black adolescents had less favorable health assessments than their male and White counterparts. Findings suggest that traumatic events are predictive of adolescents’health assessments and that social support and self-efficacy prevent adolescents’health assessments from declining following traumatic events.