Social Support, Negative Life Events and Mental Health

BACKGROUND: In a 10-year follow-up of a survey from Oslo, 503 persons were reinterviewed using the same questionnaire. METHOD: The questionnaire includes information about social support, 'locus of control' and mental health as well as negative life events and long-lasting mental strain during the year prior to the follow-up. RESULTS: The study confirms the "buffer hypothesis", that social support protects against the development of mental disorder only when the individual is exposed to stressors, like negative life events. This buffering effect was especially strong for depression. CONCLUSIONS: The buffering effect only applies to the 'externals'--those who have personality-related feelings of powerlessness and lack of control over their own lives. The 'internals' do not have the same need for social support to cope with life stressors, and have low symptom scores even when negative life events are combined with relative weak social support.