Reciprocal Social Support for Older Adults: Giving as a Beneficial Moderator between Received Support and Older Adults’ Psychological Health Problems

• In Event: Communication and Aging Division: Competitive paper I -- Intergenerational communication

Abstract

This study explores the role of support giving in improving older adults' psychological health. Highlighting the importance of reciprocity in supportive relationship, the study explores whether support giving moderates between receiving support and older adults’ psychological health. With the two representative psychological problems, depression and anxiety, the results suggest that different supportive relationships show differentiated impacts on psychological health and support giving plays a moderator especially when older adults receive the low level of support.

Authors

• Kyounghee Kwon, State University of New York, Buffalo

• Shin-Il Moon, State University of New York, Buffalo