Investigating the Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being and Social Appearance Anxiety in Adolescents in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: This study examined the relationship between social appearance anxiety and psychological well-being in adolescents. Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used. Methods: Data were collected via an online survey using snowball sampling between July and December 2020. The sample comprised 727 adolescents aged 12–18 years residing in Türkiye. Ethical approval procedures followed age-specific consent requirements. Participants aged 18 years provided their own informed consent, while those aged 12–17 years provided assent with parental consent. Participants completed a researcher-developed data collection form, the Flourishing Scale (FS) and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAAS-A). Data were analysed using independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. The study adhered to STROBE guidelines for reporting. Results: The majority of participants were female (66.4%) and between 15 and 18 years old (76.1%). The mean psychological well-being score was 40.12 ± 8.99, while the mean social appearance anxiety score was 37.91 ± 14.98. Adolescents aged 12–14 years reported significantly higher psychological well-being compared to those aged 15–18 years, while social appearance anxiety did not differ by age. Social appearance anxiety was negatively correlated with psychological well-being (r = −0.391, p < 0.001), indicating that higher anxiety levels were associated with lower psychological well-being. In the hierarchical regression model, demographic and activity-related factors (age, school attendance status and participation in regular social activities) were associated with 10.5% of the variance in psychological well-being. The addition of social appearance anxiety to the model was associated with a significant increase in the proportion of variance explained (ΔR² = 0.091), bringing the total explained variance to 19.6% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Social appearance anxiety is consistently associated with lower psychological well-being in adolescents. However, active participation in school, educational, social, or physical activities relates to higher psychological well-being and reduced appearance-related anxiety. These findings highlight the importance of everyday developmental contexts in shaping adolescent mental health. Appearance-related distress warrants close attention within adolescent healthcare. Integrating healthcare, educational, and family settings through collaborative, prevention-oriented efforts can significantly promote adolescents’ psychological well-being. Future longitudinal and intervention-based research is needed to clarify causal pathways across diverse contexts. Patient or Public Contribution: Adolescent participants voluntarily completed the online survey but were not involved in the study's design, analysis, or conduct.