The Role of Individual, Familial, and Extrafamilial Protective Factors on Non-engaged Youth’s Well-Being in the Sociopolitical Context of Hong Kong

Abstract

In this study, we examined the effects of individual, familial, and extrafamilial protective factors on the relationship between stress stemming from the sociopolitical environment and the psychosocial well-being of non-engaged youth living in Hong Kong. With the assistance of 14 Youth Outreaching Social Work Teams serving different districts of Hong Kong, 210 non-engaged youth were recruited for a cross-sectional survey from November 2020 to March 2021. Among the results, non-engaged youth’s mental distress was positively associated with stress related to the sociopolitical context but negatively associated with resilience and peer support. Furthermore, resilience, family support, and youth empowerment in the community were positively associated with life satisfaction. However, no interaction effects surfaced between the predictor variable (i.e., stress stemming from the sociopolitical environment) and individual, familial, and extrafamilial protective factors on mental distress and life satisfaction. Because social workers are an important touchpoint for young people amidst social changes, precarity, or transitions, practitioners will benefit from understanding the unique needs of non-engaged youth in Hong Kong, including the factors that may affect non-engaged youth’s well-being in the current socio-political context.