Abstract
This study examined the role of social support in managing worry among a sample of Malaysian adults. An online questionnaire was completed by 136 participants (age M = 34, SD = 7.65; 71% female, 29% male). Each wrote open-ended, essay-type descriptions of their experiences with social support in relation to worry, as well as completing measures of pathological worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire), normal worry (Worry Domains Questionnaire), and perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support). Results indicated that young adults experienced a higher degree of normal worry compared to older adults, but pathological worry was not significantly different between the two groups. No significant differences in worry were found in relation to gender, ethnicity or marital status. Perceived social support was negatively related to levels of both normal and pathological worry. Qualitative analyses pointed towards four important roles for social support: providing a sense of belonging and security, providing emotional relief or catharsis, helping to reappraise situations, and facilitating problem-solving and decision-making. The role of social support as a secure base that facilitates emotion management and helps to ground thinking is discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionThese results are far from conclusive, but one consistent finding relates to age: Worry tends to be more prevalent in younger adults compared to older adults (Basevitz, Pushkar, Chaikelson, Conway, & Dalton, 2008; Golden et al, 2011; Gonçalves & Byrne, 2013; Lindesay et al, 2006)
The primary purpose of this study was to look in some depth at the experience of social support in relation to worry among a group of Malaysian adults
Pathological worry, commonly measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990), refers to persistent and excessive worry that can interfere with functioning
Summary
These results are far from conclusive, but one consistent finding relates to age: Worry tends to be more prevalent in younger adults compared to older adults (Basevitz, Pushkar, Chaikelson, Conway, & Dalton, 2008; Golden et al, 2011; Gonçalves & Byrne, 2013; Lindesay et al, 2006) Mature adults, it is suggested, have more experience in coping with various problems (Valliant, 1977) and are more likely to feel established or secure in their situations, leaving them less likely to feel threatened about the future (Armstrong, Wuthrich, Knight, & Joiner, 2014; Borkovec, 1988). With regard to ethnicity, results are somewhat mixed, the majority of studies show no clear differences in pathological worry between ethnic groups (Gillis, Haaga, & Ford, 1995; Scott, Eng, & Heimberg, 2002)
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