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Perceived Support, Help Seeking, and Adaptation to Stress among Older Black and White Women Living Alone

University of Akron

Julia E. Bradsher, PhD

University of California, San Francisco

This research tested two models of stress buffering to examine how older women living alone adapted to the stresses in their daily lives. No support was found for the suppressor model, but some support for the moderator model of stress buffering. Both perceived support and enacted support moderated the effect of stressors for psychological distress. Confidants were an important source of support for these older women. Both the perception that a friend was available with whom they could discuss their problems and the frequency of confiding moderated the negative impact of stress for psychological distress. Although confidants were a significant source of support for both Black and White women, support from relatives and friends moderated the effect of stressors only for Black women. Black women experienced greater economic hardship and more functional limitations than White women, but they draw on multiple sources of support to adapt to those stressors.

Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 5, No. 3, 365-386 (1993)
DOI: 10.1177/089826439300500305


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