The mediating roles of self-compassion and peer support in the relationship between parental emotional availability and social connectedness in adolescents

This study aimed to examine the social connectedness level of adolescents by gender and to test the mediating role of self-compassion and peer support in the relationship between parental emotional availability and social connectedness. The sample of the study, in which the relational research method was used, consists of 773 adolescents (399 girls, 374 boys) studying in high school. Personal information form, Social Connectedness Scale-Revised, Short Form of Self-Compassion Questionnaire and Lum Emotional Availability of Parents were used as data collection tools. SPSS 20.0, PROCESS 4.2 and LISREL 8.72 software were used to analyze the data obtained in the research. As a result of Pearson Correlation Analysis, a positive moderately significant relationship was found between social connectedness and maternal and paternal emotional availability, self-compassion and peer support. As a result of the Independent Samples T Test Analysis, it was concluded that the social connectedness level of male adolescents was significantly higher than the social connectedness level of female adolescents. As a result of the Parallel Mediation Effect Analysis, it was determined that the relationship between mother and father emotional availability and social connectedness was positively mediated by self-compassion and peer support. Research findings were discussed within the framework of the relevant literature and suggestions were presented to practitioners and researchers for future studies.