Social support: how does it really work?

This study examines social support effect on stress and adaptation through the mediating effect of control Participants in the study were 12 male and 65 female rheumatoid arthritis patients who were being treated in the outpatient clinics of three large hospitals in Israel Findings suggest that social support did have a significant effect on stress and adaptation, though this effect was through the mediating effect of control and not as a buffer as was suggested previously Implications of the results for nursing science are discussed