Positive Health Benefits of Social Support: Examining Racial Differences

Relationships play an important role in the lives of emerging adults. Relationship qualities with parents and friends influence both psychological and physical health outcomes by providing social support. Furthermore, relationship qualities may be differentially preferred based on an individual's race. The current study examined the role of social support (as measured by the Multidimensional Survey of Perceived Social Support) as a mediator between relationship quality with mother, father, and friend in psychological or physical health quality (as measured by the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Instrument) in emerging adults. Latent variables of positive and negative relationship quality from each source (mother, father, and friend) were created by loading different subscales of relationship qualities (from the Network of Relationship Inventory) using confirmatory factor analysis. The additional moderating effects of race were examined throughout the study. More companionship, approval, satisfaction, and disclosure with parents were associated with higher levels of overall perceived social support, and more exclusion, pressure. criticism, and conflict from friends were associated with lower levels of perceived social support. Direct effects demonstrated significant differences on pathways from relationship quality and social support to health outcomes by gender and racial identity. For example, positive relationship quality with mothers for Black participants had a stronger effect on psychological health in comparison to White participants. Further differences are discussed.