The role of ISPCC social support on perceived stress, test anxiety and selfesteem among post primary school students.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children's charity organisation in Ireland, and currently provides 24 hour support and assistance for children. Due to the importance of external social supports and the limited research to date in Ireland, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the ISPCC as a source of support for teenage children, with regard to stress, self esteem and test anxiety. One hundred and eighty eight children (99 females) between 13 and 18 years of age participated. Results suggest that children who reported a recent stressful life event and who used ISPCC services reported significantly lower levels of stress than those who reported a stressful event and didn't use the supports. The use of services did not affect self esteem or test anxiety scores in service users compared to comparison groups.