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Invisible support and adjustment to stress.

N Bolger1, A Zuckerman, R C Kessler

  • 1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003, USA. bolger@psych.nyu.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|January 4, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Invisible support, or help that recipients don't notice, is more effective for mental health adjustment. This study reveals that unnoticed support transactions significantly improve coping with major life stressors.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Health Psychology

Background:

  • Perceived social support is known to buffer stress and improve mental health.
  • However, research on actual support transactions has not consistently shown this benefit.
  • This discrepancy suggests a need to investigate the nuances of support receipt.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore why actual support receipt is not linked to better adjustment.
  • To test the hypothesis that unnoticed support is more effective.
  • To examine the role of invisible support in couples coping with stressors.

Main Methods:

  • A daily diary study was conducted with couples.
  • Data were collected on support provision and receipt.
  • Discrepancies between reported support by givers and receivers were analyzed.

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Main Results:

  • Many support transactions reported by givers were not reported by recipients.
  • These "invisible" support transactions were associated with better adjustment to a major stressor.
  • Awareness of receiving support may incur an emotional cost, diminishing its effectiveness.

Conclusions:

  • The effectiveness of social support may depend on the recipient's awareness of it.
  • Invisible support, which is not consciously perceived, appears to be particularly beneficial for adjustment.
  • Future research should consider the "invisibility" of support when examining its effects on mental health.