Methodological and Conceptual Issues in Research on Social Support

The research literature suggests that social support moderates the harmful effects of stressful life events and helps to regulate an individual's mental and physical health. However, the author believes that conceptual and methodological flaws in the literature should lead mental health professionals to interpret and apply research findings with caution. She reviews and analyzes the major problems in the literature, including lack of clear definitions, lack of uniform and reliable assessment instruments, failure to consider negative and conflictual aspects of support relationships, and inattention to the confounding effects of life events, individual differences in needs, and environmental factors on social support.