Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Clarifying The Link Between Social Support And Health: Culture, Stress, And Neuroticism Matter, Jiyoung Park, Shinobu Kitayama, Mayumi Karasawa, Katherine Curhan, Hazel L. Markus, Norito Kawakami, Yuri Miyamoto, Gayle D. Love, Christopher L. Coe, Carol D. Ryff

Psychological and Brain Sciences Faculty Publication Series

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.