Divorcing mothers and social support: Testing the specificity of buffering effects

The circumstances under which social support buffers the negative effects of stress have been a subject of much research. The hypothesis that social support is effective only when it matches the needs elicited by particular stressors was studied in a sample of divorcing mothers. Predictions were made regarding which types of support (Parenting, Emotional, and Tangible) would buffer the effects of Parenting, Social, and Tangible stress on depressive symptoms and on general psychological distress of divorcing mothers. Results did not support the specificity of social support buffering effects, though the stress and support scales often showed direct relationships to criterion measures. Implications were discussed for the assessment of support with multiple models, for future research designs, and for planning prevention programs to meet the needs of divorcing mothers.