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NEW AND EMERGING PROFESSIONALS: Does Race Moderate Social Support and Psychological Distress Among Rural Older
Adriana V Hyams1, Ernest N Wayde1, Martha R Crowther1
1University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
Clinical Gerontologist
|July 26, 2016
Summary
Social support benefits older adults, but its impact on psychological distress varies by race. Satisfaction with social support was linked to less distress in Caucasians, but not African Americans in this study.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Social Psychology
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Greater social support correlates with reduced psychological distress in older adults.
- Racial disparities in psychological distress are documented.
- The moderating role of race in the social support-distress relationship requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if race moderates the association between social support and psychological distress in older adults.
- To explore the hypothesis that African American collectivistic values enhance the importance of social support.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 100 rural adults aged 60 and older participated.
- Multiple regression analyses were employed, controlling for health, income, education, and sex.
- The study assessed satisfaction with social support and psychological distress.
Main Results:
- Race was found to moderate the relationship between satisfaction with social support and psychological distress.
- Higher satisfaction with social support predicted lower psychological distress among Caucasians.
- This association was not significant for African Americans in this sample.
Conclusions:
- Satisfaction with social support may be particularly crucial for Caucasian older adults, potentially in therapeutic contexts.
- Interventions should consider strategies to enhance physical health, emotional support, and the quality of social support for all older adults.
- Findings highlight the nuanced role of race in the effectiveness of social support for psychological well-being in later life.
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