Culture as a Pathway to Maximizing the Stress-Buffering Role of Social Support

Abstract

We theorized that sociocultural contexts characterized by a form of interdependence that emphasizes mutual obligations, emotional positivity, and readily accessible social support from family may maximize the benefits of social support. This form of interdependence characterizes Latino culture and is captured by the cultural value familism. Eighty-six Latino and non-Latino participants completed measures of familism and perceived social support before taking part in a standardized laboratory stress task that elicits cortisol reactivity. Cortisol reactivity is an indicator of bodily response to stress that is linked to vulnerability to the adverse effects that stress can have on future health. As predicted, results revealed a moderated mediation pattern. Conditional process analysis showed that familism was indirectly linked to cortisol reactivity through perceived social support, and this mediation effect was moderated by sociocultural context; stress buffering effects were only observed in the Latino sample. These novel findings highlight the role of culture and, specifically, familism in Latinos, for maximizing the benefits that social support can have for stress physiology implicated in long-term health outcomes.

No laughing matter: Latinas’ high quality of conversations relate to behavioral laughter

“…For example, the finding suggests that Latina mothers’ cultural processes, such as familism and collectivism, afford more substantive conversations with other(s) and results in more behavioral laughter, a process that can lead to positive well-being outcomes. Although in this study we did not assess actual cultural processes, the findings correspond with other studies that have observed the interplay of cultural processes (e.g., familism), social support and other health advantages (e.g., cortisol levels, [25]) and psychological well-being (e.g., stress, general mental health, and depressive symptoms [24]). Future studies, however, should address the following shortcomings from this study.…”

“…Specifically, higher familism was indirectly associated with higher psychological health via a pathway through both; higher perceived closeness with family members, and higher perceived social support. In a recently published study, Campos and colleagues [25] found that familism buffered cortisol responses via higher perceived social support. In this study, however, this association was only beneficial for Latinxs as compared to other ethnic groups (i.e., White-European, and Asians).…”

Entorno de mujeres embarazadas mexicanas y sus conocimientos y actitudes sobre la atención prenatal

“…En México, la prevalencia de depresión en embarazadas es del 37% (23). De éstas, el 15,2 % recibe tratamiento (24). Para promover la detección y tratamiento oportunos de los trastornos de salud mental en la atención prenatal, es importante que los profesionales de salud reconozcan los riesgos asociados como conflictos de pareja, embarazo no planeado, ser madre soltera, de baja escolaridad y nivel socioeconómico, sin apoyo social y con antecedentes familiares de depresión.…”

“…Similarmente, en un grupo de mujeres de bajos recursos en una área rural-urbana de Brasil, el apoyo familiar y social también la facilitaron mientras que el bajo nivel educativo y la ausencia de calidad en los servicios de salud la obstaculizaron (6). El papel del apoyo familiar, puede tener una explicación cultural por medio del familismo, fenómeno de cohesión social identificado en culturas latinoamericanas, el cual se encuentra relacionado con beneficios para la salud de sus individuos (24).…”

Social Support and Stress-Related Acculturative Experiences of an English-speaking Afro-Caribbean Female Student in U.S. Higher Education

“…The members of social support networks may include family, friends, cohort members, coworkers, and professional counselors (Kelly, 2005). Students therefore create networks of practical, emotional, and professional support (Campos, Yim, & Busse, 2018;Thomas, 2016).…”