Negative Daily Events, Positive and Negative Social Ties, and Psychological Distress Among Older Adults

This study examined whether positive and negative social ties moderate the effects of negative daily events on psychological distress of 110 community-dwelling elders age 60–89. In accord with the stress-buffering hypothesis, the effect of negative daily events on psychological distress significantly (p < .05) decreased as positive social ties increased. Contrary to the stress-amplifying hypothesis, negative social ties did not interact with negative daily events to influence psychological distress, but instead, had a significant (p < .01) additive effect on it.