The present study examined the main and interactive effects of relationship-specific (i.e., spouses, friends, parents, and children) social support and strain on positive (happiness and well-being) and negative (loneliness and depressive symptoms) psychological well-being, and whether the associations varied by age and gender. A dataset was collected from 1033 adults (20–69 years; 50.1% female) from South Korea regarding social support and strain and indicators of psychological well-being. Results revealed that spousal and friend support was associated with enhanced happiness and well-being and reduced loneliness, whereas spousal and friend strain was associated with heightened depressive symptoms. Relationship-specific social support and strain showed interactive effects. Social support from parents and spouses buffered the adverse effects of social strain on psychological well-being, but their protective effects diminished when they experienced high levels of parental or spousal strain. These patterns were dependent on age and gender, with protective effects of friend support being greater for younger adults and women than for older adults and men.

This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of supportive and conflicting interactions and overall relationship quality with partners and friends on positive and negative emotions. Data on social interactions and overall relationship quality with partners and friends, and emotions were collected from 717 South Korean adults (Mage = 47.23; 50.6% male). The results showed that supportive interactions with friends and high relationship quality with partners and friends were associated with enhanced positive emotions, whereas conflicting interactions with partners and friends and low relationship quality with partners were associated with increased negative emotions. In addition, interactive effects of social interactions and overall relationship quality suggested the evidence of reverse buffering. The beneficial effect of friend support on positive emotions was present only when friend conflict was high, and the adverse effect of partner conflict on positive emotions was magnified when individuals perceived high overall relationship quality with their partners.

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