Situational stressors among African-American women living in low-income urban areas: the role of social support.

We investigated the role of social support in the stress process by focusing on African-American women caring for young children in a high-poverty socio-economic context. Data came from 736 women living in Detroit who completed face-to-face interviews in 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. Regression analyses illustrated that the influence of social support varied according to instrumental and emotional support types as well as the stressor examined. Transportation and childcare support partially buffered the negative effects of food insufficiency on psychological distress. Financial support buffered the influence of neighborhood disorganization on psychological distress. Findings help to explicate further the complex role of social support in the stress process and have implications for social policy.