Relations between Prosocial Behavior and Perceived Stress in Early and Middle Adolescence and the Role of Perceived Social Support and Self-esteem as Mediators

Adolescents are vulnerable to everyday stress due to diverse challenges. Growing evidence has suggested positive associations between prosocial behavior and well-being in adults. However, relatively limited research has been seen on the effects of engaging in prosocial behavior in alleviating stress and its potential associated mechanisms. This study combined an experimental design with a survey approach to examine the relationship between prosocial behavior and perceived stress, as well as the potential mediating role of perceived social support and self-esteem among Chinese junior high-school students. In study 1, sixty seventh-graders reported perceived stress before and after being randomly assigned to recall an experience of helping others or a mundane experience of a routine day in the past, showing that subjects in the prosocial group perceived significantly less stress than those in the control group. In study 2, survey data from 735 junior high-school students demonstrated that the relationship between prosocial behavior and perceived stress was fully mediated by the chain path from perceived social support to self-esteem. Our findings have significant implications for the development of coping resources and the cultivation of resilience among adolescents in response to daily stress.