Longitudinal Course of Social Support Among Men in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Abstract

Despite the attention to social supports as moderators between stress and stress outcomes, the picture we have to date is essentially static, showing only the relations among these three variables at a single point in time or over a limited follow-up period. Little is known about the longitudinal course of social supports; especially their vicissitudes or stability over the life span. Even less is known about the relations among social supports, enduring personality dispositions, and the course of life. This gap is particularly apparent to psychologists trained in a lifespan orientation.