Social Support and Psychological Well-Being: Theoretical Possibilities

Considerable controversy has centered on the role of social support in the stress process. Some theorists (Cassel, 1976; Cobb, 1976; Kaplan, Cassel, & Gore, 1977) have argued that support acts only as a resistance factor; that is, support reduces, or buffers, the adverse psychological impacts of exposure to negative life events and/or chronic difficulties, but support has no direct effects upon psychological symptoms when stressful circumstances are absent. Several studies confirm this buffering-only view of social support influences (sec Turner, 1983, for a review). Others (Thoits, 1982a, 1983c) have argued that lack of social support and changes in support over time are stressors in themselves, and as such ought to have direct influences upon psychological symptomatology, whether or not other stressful circumstances occur. A number of studies now confirm this main-effect view of social support influences (e.g., Andrews, Tennant, Hewson, & Vaillant, 1978; Aneshensel & Frerichs, 1982; Lin, Ensel, Simeone, & Kuo, 1979; Thoits, 1983b; Turner, 1981; Williams, Ware, & Donald, 1981). These studies report an inverse association between measures of support and indicators of psychological disturbance, and no stress-buffering effects at all.

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