3193.0 - The Impact of Economic Benefits and Social Support on Resilience in Emerging Adults

Program: Mental Health

Session: Social Connection and Community Support for Mental Health

Presenter: Jiawen Long

Author: Doris Chi

Abstract

Emerging adulthood (ages 18–29) is a period of financial instability and shifting social roles, making resilience—the ability to bounce back from stress and adversity—a critical factor in navigating life transitions. Ample research has suggested that both tangible (e.g., material resources) and intangible support (e.g., social support) are positively associated with resilience. Meanwhile, employment status and income are known drivers of disparities in resilience, but less is known about whether other tangible economic benefits, like employee or government benefits, contribute to resilience independent of these factors. This study examines economic benefits and social support as independent and synergistic predictors of resilience in emerging adults, controlling for employment status and income.

Using data from the 2023 National Wellbeing Survey, we analyzed a nationally representative sample aged 18–29, stratified by employment status (employed N = 1200; unemployed N = 666). Resilience was assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale. Predictors included employee benefits, government benefits, social support, and household income as a proxy of socioeconomic status (SES). Multiple regression analyses assessed the effects of economic benefits and social support on resilience controlling for income.

Among employed individuals, more employee benefits (β = .040, p < .001) and higher social support (β = .023, p = .006) were significantly associated with higher resilience. However, their effects are independent, not synergistic. Among unemployed individuals, only household income was negatively associated with higher resilience (β = -.026, p = .029), suggesting that unemployed, low-SES individuals may develop more resilience than those who are high in SES. Neither social support nor government assistance were significant predictors of resilience in unemployed individuals.

Findings confirmed the established link between material resources, social support, and resilience. For employed adults, employee benefits and social support both independently predicted higher resilience. Unemployed adults who are low in SES may exhibit greater resilience in the face of financial adversity than those who are high in SES. Surprisingly, government benefits have no effects on resilience regardless of employment status. These findings call for further research into structural factors shaping resilience and the development of interventions that better support young adults through employment transitions.