title: Living longer with help from others: Seeking advice lowers mortality risk.
abstract: Associations between self-sufficiency and advice seeking with mortality risk were examined to assess the long-term implications of individualistic and interpersonally oriented strategies. Wave 1 participants from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States ( N = 6116, 25-75 years, Mage= 46.38 years) completed questionnaires assessing demographics, self-sufficiency, advice seeking, social support, and health. Cox proportional hazard models indicated that each standard deviation increase in seeking advice was associated with an 11 percent decreased hazard of dying 20 years later. Self-sufficiency was not significantly related. Future research should examine contexts in which interpersonal strategies are adaptive, as seeking advice from others promotes longevity.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Turiano
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, USA.
authors.forename: JoNell
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strough
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States
keywords: advice seeking; dependence; independence; mortality; social support