Adolescents’ developmental assets and life satisfaction: Perceived stress as a mediator, help seeking as a moderator

This study was grounded in developmental ecosystems and developmental assets frameworks. We investigated the relationship between developmental assets and life satisfaction among Chinese adolescents, with perceived stress as a mediator and help-seeking behavior as a moderator. Participants were 579 middle school students, who completed the Developmental Assets Profile, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, and the Help-Seeking Scale. Results revealed that developmental assets positively predicted life satisfaction, with perceived stress partially mediating this relationship. Further, help-seeking behavior moderated the link between perceived stress and life satisfaction, demonstrating stronger buffering effects for participants with lower (vs. higher) baseline help-seeking tendencies. This model elucidates how developmental assets enhance life satisfaction and underscores how help seeking can amplify this effect by buffering perceived stress. Our findings highlight the value of cultivating both developmental assets and adaptive coping in adolescents.