ABSTRACT

Stress research overlooks the possible importance of similar-other support – assistance from people experienced with an individual’s stressor. Theoretically, similar-other support should provide distinct types of aid and be more valued than significant-other support because it closely addresses challenges that a distressed person faces. Peer supporters (N = 84) were interviewed about help from significant- vs. similar-others from two standpoints, as support recipients when hospitalized for cardiac procedures, and as support providers to current heart patients. From both standpoints, similar-other assistance was described as different and more helpful. The relative contributions of these support sources to distressed individuals’ well-being deserve future examination.

摘要

压力研究忽略了类似其他支持的可能重要性——来自经历过个人压力源的人的帮助。从理论上讲，类似的其他支持应该提供不同类型的援助，并且比重要的其他支持更有价值，因为它密切地解决了陷入困境的人面临的挑战。同伴支持者 (N = 84) 接受了采访，从两个角度来看重要与相似他人的帮助，作为接受心脏手术时的支持接受者，以及作为当前心脏病患者的支持提供者。从这两个角度来看，类似的其他帮助被描述为不同且更有帮助。这些支持来源对陷入困境的个人福祉的相对贡献值得未来研究。