This study examined (1) the factor structures of social support received and provided by respondents and (2) the relationship between social support factors and physical and mental health (physical health, depression, and loneliness). Several scales were administered to adult women who lived in a high-rise housing development. The scales measuring social support were consisted of items asking the frequencies of receiving and providing support. The Physical and Mental Health Scale was also assessed. Social support scales were subjected to seperate factor analyses. In the analysis of received support, six factors were obtained and named as follows: emotional support, positive feedback, intimacy, instrumental support, guidance, and co-behavior. The analysis of provided support identified six factors, labeled guidance/emotional support, intimacy, positive feedback, instrumental support, co-behavior, money-lending. According to the results of multiple regression analyses, loneliness was significantly related to exchanges of social support, while either depression or physical health was not significantly determined. Respondents in higer floors were susceptible to declining physical health, and indicated the deficit in exchanges of intimacy support. Furthermore, only for dwellers in middle floors, exchanges of social support were significantly related to both depression and physical health. The multifaceted nature of social support and the differential contributions of its components to physical and mental health were discussed.
