The Right Amount of Support Matters: How Social Support Influences Stress and Psychological Quality of Life Among Black Men

Abstract

Black men in the United States experience significant health disparities, including lower life expectancy and poorer psychological quality of life compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Chronic stress exacerbates these disparities, while social support may serve as a protective buffer. However, limited research has examined how different sources of support (family, friends, and significant others) and support levels influence the relationship between stress and psychological health-related quality of life (QoL) among Black men. A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 115 Black adult men in the United States. Participants completed self-report surveys assessing perceived stress, social support, and psychological QoL. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that family and significant other support significantly moderated the relationship between stress and psychological QoL. Simple slope analyses indicated that a high amount of support from family and significant others was no more beneficial than moderate or low support in mitigating stress’ impact on psychological QoL. This finding has potential implications for resource-constrained interventions that seek to promote psychological QoL among Black men by targeting support.