Social Support, Stress, and Psychological Distress among Older Black and White Adults

Abstract

This analysis examines the relationship among sources of stress, sources of support, and psychological distress among black and white elderly living in the community. The data are drawn from an epidemiological survey conducted in 1984 and show that black and white elders are equally likely to have family and friends available. and to ask relatives for help when they have problems. Older black people, however, are more likely than their white counterparts to ask friends more frequently for help. Using regression models and adjusting for age, sex, education and marital status, the results provide qualified support for a buffering hypothesis. Asking family and friends for help does modify the relationship between financial concerns and psychological distress among older adults. Friends are an important resource for coping with financial concerns among older blacks, and relatives are an important resource for coping with financial concerns among older, low-income whites. Finally, there is no evidence for a buffering hypothesis of calling on family or friends for help among older. high-income whites. These findings illustrate the need to examine the buffering effects of specific sources of support in relation to specific sources of stress, and the need to examine how race and socioeconomic status shape these relationships.