{"title":"The bidirectional dynamics of social support, role stress, and anxiety: a longitudinal study of Middle-aged women.","authors":"Yanyi Chen","doi":"10.1080/08870446.2025.2561130","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study examines the bidirectional dynamics of social support, role stress, and anxiety among middle-aged women, highlighting their interactions at both within-person and between-person levels over time.</p><p><strong>Methods and measures: </strong>Using a nationally representative sample of 2,614 middle-aged women from the Longitudinal Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, data from four waves (1999-2004) were analyzed. Social support, role stress, and anxiety were assessed using validated scales, and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) were employed to explore longitudinal relations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results revealed negative bidirectional relations between social support and role stress, with high role stress reducing social support over time. Social support generally decreased anxiety but inconsistencies emerged where inadequate support exacerbated anxiety. Role stress and anxiety demonstrated strong positive bidirectional associations, highlighting a reinforcing cycle across waves. Between-person analyses affirmed consistent patterns of negative associations between social support and anxiety and positive associations between role stress and anxiety.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings underscore the complex interplay of social support, role stress, and anxiety, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions that prioritize the quality and appropriateness of social support to reduce stress and anxiety. These insights inform strategies to enhance the mental health of middle-aged women.</p>","PeriodicalId":20718,"journal":{"name":"Psychology & Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychology & Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2025.2561130","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: This study examines the bidirectional dynamics of social support, role stress, and anxiety among middle-aged women, highlighting their interactions at both within-person and between-person levels over time.
Methods and measures: Using a nationally representative sample of 2,614 middle-aged women from the Longitudinal Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, data from four waves (1999-2004) were analyzed. Social support, role stress, and anxiety were assessed using validated scales, and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) were employed to explore longitudinal relations.
Results: Results revealed negative bidirectional relations between social support and role stress, with high role stress reducing social support over time. Social support generally decreased anxiety but inconsistencies emerged where inadequate support exacerbated anxiety. Role stress and anxiety demonstrated strong positive bidirectional associations, highlighting a reinforcing cycle across waves. Between-person analyses affirmed consistent patterns of negative associations between social support and anxiety and positive associations between role stress and anxiety.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the complex interplay of social support, role stress, and anxiety, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions that prioritize the quality and appropriateness of social support to reduce stress and anxiety. These insights inform strategies to enhance the mental health of middle-aged women.
期刊介绍:
Psychology & Health promotes the study and application of psychological approaches to health and illness. The contents include work on psychological aspects of physical illness, treatment processes and recovery; psychosocial factors in the aetiology of physical illnesses; health attitudes and behaviour, including prevention; the individual-health care system interface particularly communication and psychologically-based interventions. The journal publishes original research, and accepts not only papers describing rigorous empirical work, including meta-analyses, but also those outlining new psychological approaches and interventions in health-related fields.