The buffering effect of tangible social support on financial stress: influence on psychological well-being and psychosomatic symptoms in a large sample of the adult general population.

Cecilia Åslund,Bengt Starrin,Kent W Nilsson,Peter Larm

doi:10.1186/s12939-014-0085-3

Cecilia Åslund, Bengt Starrin + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0085-3

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Abstract

IntroductionFinancial stress is an important source of distress and is related to poor mental and physical health outcomes. The present study investigated whether tangible social support could buffer the effect of financial stress on psychological and psychosomatic health.MethodsTwo separate postal surveys were sent to random samples in five counties in Sweden in 2004 and 2008, with a total of 84 263 respondents. The questionnaires included questions about financial stress, tangible social support, psychosomatic symptoms, and psychological well-being (General Health Questionnaire-12).ResultsIndividuals with high financial stress and low tangible social support had six to seven times increased odds ratios for low psychological well-being and many psychosomatic symptoms. By contrast, individuals with high financial stress and high tangible social support had only two to three times increased odds ratios for low psychological well-being and three to four times increased odds ratios for many psychosomatic symptoms, suggesting a buffering effect of tangible social support. Consistent with the buffering hypothesis, there were significant interactions between financial stress and social support, particularly in relation to low psychological well-being.ConclusionsSocial support had its strongest effect at high levels of financial stress. The question whether the altering of our social networks may improve physical health is important for the prevention of ill health in people experiencing financial stress. Strengthening social networks may have the potential to influence health-care costs and improve quality of life.

Highlights

Financial stress is an important source of distress and is related to poor mental and physical health outcomes
It has been suggested that the buffering effect on a specific life stress is observed only for social support aimed at alleviating the specific stress [14,15] and that tangible social support is the most probable aspect of social support that can buffer the effects of financial stress [14]
The descriptive data for the response rates according to county, sex, age, education, country of birth, and educational level are described in detail in the articles by Nilsson et al [26] for the 2004 survey and by Åslund et al [27] for the 2008 survey

Summary

Introduction

Financial stress is an important source of distress and is related to poor mental and physical health outcomes. The persistent inability to afford the basic necessities of life, is an important source of distress and is related to poor mental and physical health outcomes in the population [1,2,3,4]. Stress-buffering effects have been observed inconsistently [15,17], whereas the main effect of social support on health has generally been replicated [18]. Many studies have investigated the buffering effect of different aspects of social support on general life stress, few studies have focused on the relationship between financial stress and tangible social support in the context of the suggestions mentioned above

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