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Social Support from Family and Friends and Subjective Well-Being of Older African Americans

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Abstract

This study examines the impact of informal social support from family and friends on the well-being of older African Americans. Analyses are based on a nationally representative sample of older African Americans from the National Survey of American Life (n = 837). Three measures of well-being are examined: life satisfaction, happiness and self-esteem. The social support variables include frequency of contact with family and friends, subjective closeness with family and friends, and negative interactions with family. Results indicate that family contact is positively correlated with life satisfaction. Subjective closeness with family is associated with life satisfaction and happiness and both subjective closeness with friends and negative interaction with family are associated with happiness and self-esteem. There are also significant interactions between family closeness and family contact for life satisfaction, as well as friendship closeness and negative interaction with family for happiness. Overall, our study finds that family and friend relationships make unique contributions to the well-being of older African Americans. Qualitative aspects of family and friend support networks (i.e., subjective closeness, negative interactions) are more important than are structural aspects (i.e., frequency of contact). Our analysis verify that relationships with family members can both enhance and be detrimental to well-being. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research on social support and negative interaction and their unique associations with well-being among older African Americans.

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Acknowledgments

The data collection for this study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; U01-MH57716) with supplemental support from the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Michigan. The preparation of this manuscript was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging to Robert Joseph Taylor (P30AG1528).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roybal Institute on Aging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-0411, USA

    Ann W. Nguyen

  2. School of Public Health, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Linda M. Chatters

  3. School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Robert Joseph Taylor

  4. Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Dawne M. Mouzon

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  1. Ann W. Nguyen
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Correspondence to Ann W. Nguyen.

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Nguyen, A.W., Chatters, L.M., Taylor, R.J. et al. Social Support from Family and Friends and Subjective Well-Being of Older African Americans. J Happiness Stud 17, 959–979 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9626-8

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