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Social Support As A Moderator Between Health Status And Self-Esteem, Psychosocial Stress, And Mood In Old Order Amish Women, Christina L. Abbott

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The Amish population is growing in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Kraybill, 2008) and Amish use of medical and psychological services provided by the outside world is increasingly common (Cates & Graham, 2002; Weyer et al., 2003). Yet, little is known about how Amish women perceive their health status or how these variables interact in this population. This study revealed an identifiable relationship between health status and psychological functioning in 288 Amish women, ages 18 to 45. As health improves, self-esteem and mood also improve. Of greater importance is the fact that when good social support is available, even Amish women in …