Who Supports Whom? How Age and Gender Affect the Perceived Quality of Support from Family and Friends

Lynch, Susan A.

doi:10.1093/geront/38.2.231

Cited by 63 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Although our research does not examine in any detail the variety of sources from which PERCEIVED SUPPORT IN CLINIC OUTPATIENTS 649 social support is obtained by PHA, previous research suggests that social support for women in general (Fuhrer et al, 1999;Lynch, 1998) as well as for women with HIV/AIDS (Kimberly & Serovich, 1996;Semple et al, 1996;Smith & Rapkin, 1996) may differ in structure and meaning to that of men. Our finding that perceived support is not related to duration of HIV infection or to immune system and physical health indicators similarly conflicts with prior research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Perceived support in newly registered HIV/AIDS clinic outpatients

Burgoyne

Saunders

2000

AIDS Care

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This study compares levels of perceived social support in newly registered outpatients attending an HIV/AIDS clinic to those reported in a reference sample of other ambulatory medical populations. Perceived availability of four types of functional support is assessed: tangible, affectionate, positive social interaction and emotional-informational. Other elements of patients' support networks that might be associated with perceived support are also examined. In general, functional support levels in the outpatient PHA population were found to be similar to those of the MOS-SSS reference sample. Patient factors including age, gender, family awareness of HIV/AIDS diagnosis, time elapsed since diagnosis, employment status, physical health indicators, antiretroviral treatment history and support network size showed no relationship to functional support. Network composition factors significantly associated with higher social support ratings included the presence of a partner (all dimensions of functional support) and a greater proportion of close friends as opposed to close family members (emotional-informational support). Requesters of clinic support services tended to exhibit lower emotional-informational support scores compared to non-requesters. Implications for the provision of support services to people living with HIV/AIDS are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Perceived support in newly registered HIV/AIDS clinic outpatients

Burgoyne

Saunders

2000

AIDS Care

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“…Both availability and receipt of support for older persons increase greatly when grown children are available (e.g., Connidis & McMullin, 1994;Litwak, 1985;Lynch, 1998). As adult children have been shown to be one of the primary sources of support during old age, we expect a positive relationship between the presence of children and our three measures of support.…”

Section: Demographic Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Social and Health Factors Associated with Support among Elderly Immigrants in Canada

Hart

2002

Res Aging

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This article assesses determinants of social support among the foreign-born elderly in Canada. We draw cross-sectional data from the second cycle of the National Population Health Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada in 1996-1997, and use ordinary least squares models for our empirical analysis. We focus on three measures of social support: perceived social support, social involvement, and social contact. Generally, we find that poorphysical and/ormental health is negatively associated with ourmeasures of support. Emotional problems, one of the most consistent predictors, erode social support. Also, social involvement declines with mobility problems but increases with self-reported health status, whereas social contact also increases with cognitive function. As with otherstudies, and consistent with relationships witnessed among the native-born population, our results indicate that the married/cohabiting are more likely than the separated/divorced or widowed to perceive social support. Further, we find that those with children experience greater perceived support.

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“…Young people seek and receive more social support from friends versus family (Levitt, Weber, & Guacci, 1993), they self-disclose more to friends than family (Parker & Parrott, 1995), and self-disclosure with friends, not family, is negatively associated with their feelings of loneliness (Franzoi & Davis, 1985). Some findings indicate that interaction with, and social support from, kin are more strongly related to quality of life and general well-being in the middle-aged and elderly (e.g., Lynch, 1998;Walen & Lachman, 2000). Some findings indicate that interaction with, and social support from, kin are more strongly related to quality of life and general well-being in the middle-aged and elderly (e.g., Lynch, 1998;Walen & Lachman, 2000).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age Moderates the Relationship Between Social Support and Psychosocial Problems

Segrin

2003

Human Comm Res

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Social support is commonly assumed to protect people from the experience of psychological distress and to enhance well-being. However, past research shows that the effectiveness of social support from family members and friends varies over the life span. Both the stage model of life satisfaction and compensatory processes associated with aging provide accounts for why this may be the case. Accordingly, age was predicted to moderate the association between perceived functional and structural social support and the experience of depressive symptoms and loneliness. Age was also predicted to be associated with lower relationship standards that allow people to remain content regardless of whether available social support decreases. This moderational model was tested in a community-based sample of 325 adults ranging in age from 19 to 85 years. Results indicated that social support from family members and sheer contact with them, as well as social support from a spouse or partner, was most strongly and negatively related to the psychosocial problems in the younger participants. Age also moderated the association between relationship standards and loneliness. Consistent with the assumptions of the stage model of life satisfaction and previous research on compensatory processes associated with aging, older people do not appear to be as dependent as younger people on receiving social support from diverse sources in order to maintain a sense of well-being.

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Who Supports Whom? How Age and Gender Affect the Perceived Quality of Support from Family and Friends

Cited by 63 publications

References 33 publications

Perceived support in newly registered HIV/AIDS clinic outpatients

Perceived support in newly registered HIV/AIDS clinic outpatients

Social and Health Factors Associated with Support among Elderly Immigrants in Canada

Age Moderates the Relationship Between Social Support and Psychosocial Problems

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