Source of perceived social support, stress, and emotional distress: An investigation of the buffering hypothesis

The purpose of the present study was to further test the stress-buffering hypothesis by investigating the relationships among different sources of perceived social support, as measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, various measures of emotional distress, and life stress in a traditional undergraduate and an older, nontraditional college student population. Four hundred and five undergraduates students participated, including 204 traditional undergraduates and 201 nontraditional students. In order to test the stress-buffering model and examine group differences regarding the importance of source of support on adjustment, a series of stepwise multiple regressions were performed. Results of a multiple regression using composite emotional distress and perceived social support variables indicated a lack of support for the stress-buffering hypothesis, except when group differences were examined. When group differences were accounted for, a stress-buffering effect was shown for the traditional group but not for the nontraditional group. The use of composite variables in the multiple regression, however, appeared to mask the complex pattern of relationships among sources of perceived support, stress, and emotional distress. Stress-buffering effects were found when emotional distress was defined as depression or state anxiety, regardless of group membership. Stress-buffering effects were also found for the traditional group when distress was defined as loneliness, low self-esteem, and trait anxiety, but similar effects were not found for the nontraditional group. In general, there were few group differences found regarding the importance of source of support as a predictor of emotional distress. Results indicate support for both the main effects model and the interactive stress-buffering model of perceived social support