title: Clarifying the links between social support and health: culture, stress, and neuroticism matter.
abstract: Although it is commonly assumed that social support positively predicts health, the empirical evidence has been inconsistent. We argue that three moderating factors must be considered: (1) support-approving norms (cultural context); (2) support-requiring situations (stressful events); and (3) support-accepting personal style (low neuroticism). Our large-scale cross-cultural survey of Japanese and US adults found significant associations between perceived support and health. The association was more strongly evident among Japanese (from a support-approving cultural context) who reported high life stress (in a support-requiring situation). Moreover, the link between support and health was especially pronounced if these Japanese were low in neuroticism.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. pjiyoung@umich.edu
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitayama
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Curhan
authors.forename: Hazel R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Gayle D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: Carol D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ryff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology