Personal goals and interpersonal support and hindrance as factors in psychological distress and well-being.
This study examined psychological distress and well-being as a function of the characteristics of personal projects and project-relevant social support and social hindrance provided by the three most important people in subjects' lives. Three project factors (Project Mastery, Strain, and Self-Involvement) were found to account for significant variation in both psychological distress and well-being. Project support was generally found to be significantly related to well-being, but not to distress. However, project hindrance was found to be significantly related to both distress and well-being. Additional analyses revealed that the behavior of the most important person in a subject's life is of special significance in accounting for variations in psychological distress and well-being. Finally, evidence of the independence of support and hindrance was observed.
Ruehlman
L S
LS
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287.
Wolchik
S A
SA
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology