The journal article that I chose this week discusses the association between informal help seeking behavior and social support and their affect on adolescent’s psychosocial behaviors. The meta-analysis first examines how informal help seeking behavior benefits the behavioral outcomes of adolescents. In the analysis, when an adolescent exhibits help-seeking behaviors from their families, peers, or other significant adult,s this can help enable externalizing behaviors, such as social skills, coping, and other problem solving behaviors. Though further research is needed to expound on this finding, it is significant to understand the importance of informal help-seeking behaviors. If a child can be taught these behaviors, then they have a higher likelihood of becoming more capable adults.
The second part of the meta-analysis discusses how social support can help with psychosocial behaviors in adolescents. The analysis identified that positive social support, such as parents and peers, helps decrease adolescents’ risk of internalizing problems. Heerde and Hemphill (2017) analysis emphasized that when adolescents are surrounded by a protective support system their depressive tendencies lower and they have an overall positive well-being. Thus, adolescents with social support are less likely to be a part of at risk behaviors, e.g. smoking, drinking, and unprotected sex.
Implications of the Research
This research suggests when adolescents are taught or exposed to informal help seeking behaviors they are more likely to show positive psychosocial behaviors. Adolescents are more likely to show encouraging externalized behaviors, such as an increase in academic achievements and lower at-risk behavior. This implies that when exposed to informal help seeking behaviors, adolescents can learn to make conscious efforts to get help in areas in which they are struggling. This is an important finding because if children are more inclined to ask for help, they will in turn show behaviors reflecting their choices.
Other implications from the research suggest that positive social support is crucial for a child to develop proper psychosocial behaviors. Adolescence is a time where peer groups have greater control than parents and individual teenagers might conform to the demands of others despite their best judgments. The findings suggest that a child must have both peer and parent support in order to handle certain situations, such as depressive or anxious tendencies. These findings imply that with the right balance, a child can understand and explain their feelings to a caring audience.
Importance to Counseling
The meta-analysis I read contains important findings in regards to counseling. As a future counselor I can use these findings in order to help ascertain what environment a child is experiencing. A school counselor can help design a positive social support network and teach a student positive help seeking behaviors. It takes a village to raise a child and counselors can help build academic competence, encourage positive values, and help establish achievable goals.
References
- Broderick, P.C. & Blewitt, P. (2014). The Life Span: Human Development for Helping Professionals. (4th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
- Heerde, J. A., & Hemphill, S. A. (2018). Examination of associations between informal help-seeking behavior, social support, and adolescent psychosocial outcomes: A meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 47, 44-62. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2017.10.001
