Does Social Support Buffer the Effect of Negative Life Events on Mental Health Outcomes?

Abstract

Older adults play a significant role in society. They make valuable contributions to their families, communities, and economies. However, their mental health is often overlooked, and this can have consequences for their functioning, the societies in which they live, and those who depend on them. Social support’s beneficial role on mental health is well studied. However, the mechanism of social support’s beneficial role is often debated, with a wide range of studies showing varying result. This paper aims to contribute to understanding older adults’ mental health drivers in the Norwegian context, in particular focusing on the stress buffering effect of social support on negative life events’ effect on mental health. Data from the third wave of the Norwegian study on the life course, aging and generation study (NorLAG) were used, focusing on those aged 67 or over. Multiple regression analyses showed no evidence for the buffering effect of social support.