Academic Stress, Supportive Communication, and Health

Academic stress is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, including depression and physical illness. The current study examined the capacity of supportive communication reported as being received from friends and family to buffer the association between academic stress and health. Co...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communication education 2005-10, Vol.54 (4), p.365-372
Main Authors: Macgeorge, Erina L., Samter, Wendy, Gillihan, Seth J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Stress
Anxiety
College Student Health
College Students
Depression
Depression (Psychology)
Health
Interpersonal Communication
Mental depression
Physical Health
Physical Illness
Social Support
Stress
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Academic stress is associated with a variety of negative health outcomes, including depression and physical illness. The current study examined the capacity of supportive communication reported as being received from friends and family to buffer the association between academic stress and health. College students completed measures of academic stress, of supportive communication received (emotional and informational), and of health status (depression and symptoms of physical illness). Results indicated that the positive association between academic stress and depression decreased as informational support increased. In addition, emotional support was negatively associated with depression across levels of academic stress. The findings are discussed with respect to reducing negative health outcomes for individuals experiencing academic stress.
ISSN:0363-4523
1479-5795
DOI:10.1080/03634520500442236