Comfort and conflict in the relationships of pregnant, minority adolescents: Social support as a moderator of social strain

Abstract

Although there is growing recognition that social strain can be a source of considerable distress, few studies to date have examined the ways in which social support may moderate social strain. In this study, social strain was conceived of as a stressor in its own right, whose adverse effects were expected to be alleviated by social support. Participants were 157 pregnant, minority teenagers, all of whom were attending an alternative school for pregnant students. Life events and social strain were positively related to depression. In addition, a significant interaction between social strain and cognitive guidance was found. The pattern of findings suggests that cognitive guidance may intervene between the experience of problematic social exchanges and the onset of depression. Implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed.

Effects of Family and Friend Support on LGB Youths' Mental Health and Sexual Orientation Milestones

“…In either case, the literature holds that both are essential to the mental health effects of social support. Indeed, findings show that both positive social support and lack of social undermining effect individuals' mental health by buffering the impact of stressful life events (Lakey, Tardiff, & Drew, 1994; Rhodes & Woods, 1995). In light of this, we hypothesized the following:…”

Depressive symptoms are associated with elevated serum proinflammatory cytokines among pregnant women

“…It is estimated that 3–5% of women meet criteria for major depression during pregnancy, with an approximately equivalent number experiencing subclinical depressive symptoms (Gaynes et al, 2005). Women who lack social support or experience greater social conflict are likely to experience more depressive symptoms during pregnancy (Rhodes and Woods, 1995). Moreover, rates of both depression (Seguin et al, 1995) and preterm delivery (Goldenberg et al, 2008) are substantially higher among women from lower versus higher socioeconomic backgrounds.…”

A social support and social strain measure for minority adolescent mothers: a confirmatory factor analytic study

“…Ingersoll‐Dayton and colleagues (1997) found that negative exchanges were associated with negative affect, particularly among those experiencing more stressful life events. In addition, Rhodes and Woods (1995), using a sample of adolescent mothers, reported that social strain was positively related to depression. Despite these robust findings, few studies have simultaneously assessed both social support and social strain when attempting to understand the impact of social networks on psychological well‐being.…”