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Negative Affectivity, Social Support, and the Prediction of Depression and Distress.

  • Divine Mercy University
    ,
  • Assistant professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham
    ,
  • Illinois Institute of Technology
    ,
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 299-319 (21 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Personality (Volume 62, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/09/1994

Publication status

Published - 01/09/1994

ISSN

0022-3506

Abstract

In the work we present in this article, we examined the contaminating effects of trait negative affectivity (TNA) on the relations between social support and psychological distress among college undergraduates. In the first study, it was suspected that controlling for TNA would substantially alter the associations between social support (as measured by the Social Provisions Scale) and depression at the initial assessment and later with negative mood prior to a course examination. Actual results from cross-sectional hierarchical regression analyses revealed that controlling for TNA reduced--but did not nullify--associations between reassurance of worth support and depression. TNA did not mediate the relation of reliable alliance support to state NA measured 2 weeks later prior to a course examination. Finally, a second study controlling for TNA found reassurance of worth support remained a significant prospective predictor of depression during the week of final examinations. Results are integrated with theoretical and measurement issues in social support research.

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