Exploring the Interaction Between Social Strain and Support and its Association with College Students’ Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

The current study elucidates the role that close relationships play on emerging adults’ psychological distress. We examined the associations between maternal, paternal, and romantic partner strain and well-being outcomes, as well as the moderating role of overall social support. Data were collected from 469 undergraduates through an online survey. As expected, maternal and paternal strain were negatively associated with satisfaction with life (SWL) and positively associated with loneliness; however, romantic partner strain did not significantly relate to either well-being variable. Additionally, although overall support was associated with the well-being variables, the interactions between overall social support and strain were not significant, suggesting no moderating effect of support. These findings suggest that maternal and paternal strain can contribute negatively to their children’s psychological well-being regardless of emerging adults’ overall perceptions of support from their social networks. Implications for theories of social support and interventions for college students are discussed.