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Life stress, social support and clinical depression: A reanalysis of the literature

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  • Vilhjalmsson, Runar

Abstract

In recent years, theorists and researchers have disagreed about the relationship between social support and mental health. Some believe that support is a direct provoking agent (i.e. lack of support constitutes strain), whereas others maintain that support is a vulnerability factor moderating the effect of life stress. Focusing on clinical depression, the article reviews the arguments and evidence supporting a strain hypothesis of social support versus a vulnerability hypothesis. Reanalyzing cross-classified data from 12 community studies of clinical depression, the study shows that the choice of model depends on the specification of functional form of the stress-clinical depression relationship. The linear probability specification suggests a vulnerability hypothesis, whereas the logit and probit specifications support a strain hypothesis. However, theoretical and statistical arguments tend to favor a logit or probit specification, and an additional analysis of data from Brown and Harris [Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorder in Women. The Free Press, New York, 1978] supports these arguments. Thus, the study concludes that the strain hypothesis of social support is more consistent with the available data.

Suggested Citation

  • Vilhjalmsson, Runar, 1993. "Life stress, social support and clinical depression: A reanalysis of the literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 331-342, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:37:y:1993:i:3:p:331-342
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    Cited by:

    1. Kendzor, Darla E. & Reitzel, Lorraine R. & Mazas, Carlos A. & Cofta-Woerpel, Ludmila M. & Cao, Yumei & Ji, Lingyun & Costello, Tracy J. & Vidrine, Jennifer Irvin & Businelle, Michael S. & Li, Yisheng , 2012. "Individual- and area-level unemployment influence smoking cessation among African Americans participating in a randomized clinical trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(9), pages 1394-1401.
    2. Bernburg, Jon Gunnar & Thorlindsson, Thorolfur & Sigfusdottir, Inga D., 2009. "The spreading of suicidal behavior: The contextual effect of community household poverty on adolescent suicidal behavior and the mediating role of suicide suggestion," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 380-389, January.
    3. TH. Suurmeijer & F. Sonderen & B. Krol & D. Doeglas & W. Heuvel & R. Sanderman, 2005. "The Relationship Between Personality, Supportive Transactions and Support Satisfaction, and Mental Health of Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis. Results from the Dutch Part of the Euridiss Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 179-197, September.
    4. Kondo, Naoki & Minai, Junko & Imai, Hisashi & Yamagata, Zentaro, 2007. "Engagement in a cohesive group and higher-level functional capacity in older adults in Japan: A case of the Mujin," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(11), pages 2311-2323, June.
    5. Vilhjalmsson, Runar, 2005. "Failure to seek needed medical care: Results from a national health survey of Icelanders," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(6), pages 1320-1330, September.
    6. Chin-Lin Perng & Cheng-Che Shen & Li-Yu Hu & Chiu-Mei Yeh & Mu-Hong Chen & Chia-Fen Tsai & Huey-Ling Chiang & Yi-Ping Hung & Vincent Yi-Fong Su & Yu-Wen Hu & Tung-Ping Su & Pan-Ming Chen & Jeng-Hsiu H, 2014. "Risk of Depressive Disorder following Non-Alcoholic Cirrhosis: A Nationwide Population-Based Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(2), pages 1-6, February.

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