Provision and Receipt of Emotional Spousal Support: The Impact of Visibility on Well-Being

The present study systematically examined the impact of visibility of emotional support provision and receipt in the daily lives of married couples. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that reported support provision was related to less anxiety and depression and more positive mood, whereas unacknowledged support provision was related to more anxiety and depression. Moreover, reported support receipt was beneficial for an individual's well-being, such that it was related to more positive mood and less anxiety and depression. On the other hand, invisible support receipt was only found to be related to less anxiety. No gender differences were found for any of the analyses. These results suggest the importance of examining support provision and receipt in marital relationships.