Sex Differences in Resilience and Perceived Social Support: Predictors of Stress, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms

The present study aims to assess sex differences in resilience and perceived social support (PSS) and also to explore how much resilience and PSS predict stress, anxiety, and depression among male and female adolescents. The study included 138 students aged 18 to 24 years (n = 138, female = 75, and male = 63). The Resilience Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ8), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MDSPSS), and the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21) were used to collect data from the college students’ lives in Kanpur. The results showed that no sex differences were found in overall resilience, whereas a significant sex difference was found in overall PSS. Significant sex differences were also found only in depression. Overall resilience was insignificantly related to stress, anxiety, and depression. On the whole, PSS was significantly associated with stress, anxiety, and depression in males and females. Among female adolescents, the interactional dimension of resilience was a significant predictor of depression. The family PSS dimension of perceived social support was a significant predictor of stress, anxiety, and depression in female adolescents.