Social support and mental health: the mediating role of perceived stress

Summary & key facts

This study surveyed 426 Filipino adults online during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to see if perceived stress helps explain links between social support and mental health. Using standard questionnaires, the researchers found that lower perceived stress was linked to more positive feelings and less anxiety and depression when support came from family or a significant other. The same pattern did not appear for support from friends. Because the study is cross-sectional, the results show associations but do not prove cause and effect.

Key facts:

• The study sample included 426 Filipino adults who completed an online survey during the COVID-19 peak.
• Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS); perceived stress used the PSS-10; positive affect used the PANAS positive subscale; anxiety and depression used DASS-21 subscales.
• The researchers used mediation analysis to test whether perceived stress explained (mediated) the link between social support and mental health outcomes.
• Perceived stress significantly mediated the relationship between family support and positive affect, anxiety, and depression.
• Perceived stress significantly mediated the relationship between significant other support and positive affect, anxiety, and depression.
• Perceived stress did not mediate the relationship between friend support and positive affect, anxiety, or depression.
• The pattern found was that greater family or significant other support was associated with lower perceived stress, and lower perceived stress was associated with higher positive affect and lower anxiety and depression.
• Because the study was cross-sectional (data collected at one time), the findings show associations and cannot establish cause-and-effect.

Abstract

Social support has been associated with improved mental health; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study aimed to expl...

Topics

COVID-19 and Mental Health Health disparities and outcomes Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Affect (linguistics) Anxiety Clinical psychology Communication Coping (psychology) Depression (economics) Developmental psychology Economics Law Linguistics Macroeconomics Mediation Mental health Perceived Stress Scale Philosophy Political science Psychiatry Psychology Social psychology Social support Stress (linguistics)