Social Support and Caregiver Strain

Informal social supports have been consistently associated with the physical and mental well-being of the elderly. In this study the associations between sense of strain and three types of social support are described for a sample of 131 spouse caregivers. Adverse social contacts were associated with increased strain, while positive contacts were insignificant. When sources of social support were examined daughters figured prominently, as important sources of both positive and adverse social contacts. Findings also emphasize the importance of interventions which include friends, neighbors, and others.