The Influence of Giving and Receiving Social Support on the Psychological Outcomes of Two Trauma-Exposed Samples

Abstract

Much research has sought to understand factors that predict both positive and negative posttrauma outcomes. Social support is one factor that has been widely investigated, primarily as a buffer against the negative effects of stressful life events. While receiving social support has claimed much empirical attention attesting to its positive impact on psychological outcomes following exposure to trauma, the influence of giving social support has received less empirical attention. The current study aimed to assess the influence of giving as well as receiving social support on psychological outcomes in two trauma-exposed samples: flood survivors (N = 351) and firefighters (N = 337), controlling for perceptions of trauma severity. The study used the Brief 2-Way SSS, a measure of both receiving and giving, emotional and instrumental support. Results indicated that although giving social support showed a significant bivariate relationship with depression and stress in the firefighter sample, the unique contribution of giving social support was found only for posttraumatic growth. In contrast, the influence of social support on measures of depression, anxiety, and stress was seen through the receipt of social support. These findings provide support for the value of examining both receiving and giving social support, as they may have differential impacts in buffering against the impact of trauma exposure on psychological outcomes.