Abstract
A lack of emotional support from parents during childhood has been found to predict both physical and mental health problems (i.e., chronic health conditions, depression) during middle and older adulthood. Less research has examined the factors that may either buffer or amplify this association. Using the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) national sample (N = 7,108; age = 20–75 years), the current study examined the moderating role of social support and social strain from three sources (i.e., family, friends, partner/spouse) on the association between early parental support and changes in chronic health conditions and depression. Poisson models indicated that low levels of early parental support were associated with greater health problems over time. However, the association between parental support and chronic health conditions was only significant for individuals with greater levels of friend strain. Additionally, the association between parental support and depression was only significant for individuals with low levels of support from a partner/spouse and high levels of strain from relationships with a partner/spouse. The current findings demonstrate the important role of source-specific social support and social strain in buffering individuals’ risk for experiencing increased problematic outcomes in response to a lack of early parental support.
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KR conceived of the study. KR wrote the introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections of the paper. NT and AM made substantial intellectual and conceptual contributions to the design of the project, collaborated with the writing of the paper, and edited the final manuscript.
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Romm, K.F., Metzger, A. & Turiano, N.A. Parental Emotional Support and Health Problems: The Role of Social Support and Social Strain. J Adult Dev 28, 319–331 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-021-09379-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-021-09379-z