An examination of risky behaviors in adolescents within theframework of meaning in life, life purpose andmultidimensional perceived social support

The aim of this study is to examine the risky behaviors observed among adolescents within the framework of meaning in life, life goals, and multidimensional perceived social support. The research data were collected in the 2024–2025 academic year in the province of Van. A total of 552 high school students participated in the study, of whom 300 were female (54.3%) and 252 (45.7%) were male. The study was conducted using the relational screening model and employed a quantitative research design. To obtain participants' responses regarding variables such as gender, school type, grade level, parental education level, and economic status, a personal information form developed by the researcher was used, along with the risky behaviors scale, the meaning in life scale–high school form, the life goals scale–short form, and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. In the analysis of the data, independent samples t test, one-way ANOVA, pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and stepwise regression rnalysis were employed. In cases where the one-way variance analysis yielded significant results, Tukey tests were conducted to identify the group or groups causing the difference. The findings revealed that the main variables of the study were significantly associated with certain demographic variables at a general level, and that the main variables were significantly related to one another at the subscale level. The study found that meaning in life, life goals, and multidimensional perceived social support together explained 16% of the variance in risky behaviors among adolescents. The results obtained and the limitations of the study were discussed.