We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Shoring Up the "Buffer" of Social Support.
- Authors
Schaefer, Catherine
- Abstract
In a reanalysis of a study of the mental and physical health consequences of job stress and social support, J. R. LaRocco, J. S. House and J. R. P. French, Jr reported findings, published in the September 1980 issue of the "Journal of Health & Social Behavior," which led them to conclude that "support can buffer the relationship of perceived job stress and job strain to general mental health effects." As the authors note, the issue of whether social support affects health directly or instead buffers the illness-inducing effects of stress is a major question in research on social support. Evidence of a buffering effect is contradictory; approximately as many studies report that social support moderates the effects of stress as show that social support has a direct effect on health. A number of investigators have attempted to demonstrate a buffering effect and have failed to do so. Methodological problems and differences among studies in assessing social support also have made it difficult to draw conclusions about the issue.
- Subjects
MENTAL illness; JOB stress; INDUSTRIAL psychology; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; SOCIAL support; SOCIAL networks
- Publication
Journal of Health & Social Behavior, 1982, Vol 23, Issue 1, p96
- ISSN
0022-1465
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/2136392