1995 Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 1-11
This study investigated the differences of stress-buffering effects of perceived social support (measured as the perceived availability of supportive behaviors), depending on the sources (family members, friends, co-workers) and the contents (comfort/encouragement (emotional support), advice/guidance, material and financial support, behavioral support). The questionnaire data of 41 nurses were analysed. The main results showed that emotional support from family alleviated the aversive effect of daily hassles on overall psychological health (measured by 28-item General Health Questionnaire), and advice/guidance from friends also had moderating effect. Advice/guidance from co-workers had main and buffering effects, especially on “social dysfunction”. These are able to be interpreted in terms of the functions of such relationships for the support recipients, and suggest the importance of further examination about the role of different contents of social supports from various sources in the stress-coping processes, particularly in the contexts of specific stressors.
