Support gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic: Sex differences and effects on well-being

Abstract

During times of stress, supportive communication can buffer individuals from experiencing negative outcomes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially altered the interactions people rely on for support, which may influence the supportive messages they desire and receive. When people receive quantities of support that differ from what they desire, they experience support gaps, which are often associated with negative outcomes. The present study examines: (a) support gaps in close relationships under shelter-in-place orders issued in response to the pandemic; (b) how support gaps may be moderated by recipient and provider sex; and (c) relationships between support gaps and loneliness, stress, and relational satisfaction. Data were collected in Spring 2020 from community members across the United States and students at a large Midwestern university ( N = 273). Participants reported on five types of support desired and received from their closest relational partner. Unexpectedly, participants generally reported receiving more support than desired, though this finding was qualified by their biological sex and the biological sex of their partner. As expected, support deficits were primarily associated with negative outcomes. Surplus esteem support was positively associated with relational satisfaction and negatively associated with perceived stress. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical implications for support gaps research and theory as well as pragmatic implications for individuals experiencing a global, shared stressor.

A descriptive literature review of early research on COVID-19 and close relationships

“…Black individuals experienced more instrumental social support than white individuals ( Philpot et al, 2021 ). In another study, U.S. college students received more esteem, informational, and tangible support than they desired from their closest relational partners ( Holmstrom et al, 2021 ). Understanding the satisfaction of different groups’ social support needs is fruitful for future research to better serve groups with preexisting contextual vulnerabilities and those managing enduring individual vulnerabilities ( Pietromonaco & Overall, 2021 ).…”

“…In a U.S. sample, social support from family, friends, and a specific loved one were each associated with increased resilience during early lockdown ( Killgore et al, 2020 ). Having less emotional support than desired from one’s closest relational partner predicted decreased relational satisfaction, while more esteem support than desired increased both satisfaction and stress ( Holmstrom et al, 2021 ). Again, this pattern of findings supports the link between social support as an adaptive dyadic relationship process that contributes to increased relationship stability in the face of an external stressor like COVID-19 proposed by Pietromonaco and Overall’s (2021) adapted VSA model.…”

Caregiving in academia: Examining educator well‐being and burnout during prolonged stressors

“…One interpretation of these findings is that receiving greater amounts of support than desired in the face of severe, prolonged stressors like a global pandemic is more beneficial for fostering resilience than receiving a lesser, yet matched amount of support. A recent study on support gaps during the COVID‐19 pandemic revealed similar findings, with surpluses in support contributing to enhanced well‐being, lower levels of perceived stress, and greater relational satisfaction (Holmstrom et al, 2021). Furthermore, surpluses in esteem support (Holmstrom et al, 2021) and identity support (Davis & High, 2019) have been associated with affect improvement and reduced perceptions of stress.…”

Enduring COVID-19 lockdowns: Risk versus resilience in parents’ health and family functioning across the pandemic

“…Accordingly, support is theorized to be critical in sustaining relationship quality during the pandemic ( Pietromonaco & Overall, 2021 ) and has been a key focus of pandemic-related research. Initial studies show that perceived partner support predicted better psychological health and couple and parenting outcomes during the early months of the pandemic ( Brown et al, 2020 ; Donato et al, 2021 ; Holmstrom et al, 2021 ; McRae et al, 2021 ; Ogan et al, 2021 ; Randall et al, 2021 ). We extend these findings by testing whether partner support helped sustain parents’ health and functioning across the first 1.5 years of the pandemic (from Lockdown 2020 to 2021).…”