Mixed messages: Implications of social conflict and social support within close relationships for adjustment to a stressful life event.

Abstract

The authors examined the impact of women's perceptions of negative (conflict) and positive (support) exchanges with their mothers, partners, and friends before having an abortion on negative (distress) and positive (well-being) indexes of adjustment after the abortion. Preabortion conflict and support from the partner predicted postabortion adjustment in the same affective domain: Conflict uniquely predicted distress, whereas support uniquely predicted well-being. Within-source interactions were observed between support and conflict from mothers and friends. Women who perceived high support from their mothers or friends were more distressed if they also perceived them as sources of high conflict than if they perceived them as sources of low conflict. Among women who perceived their mothers or friends as nonsupportive, no relationship was observed between conflict and distress. Cross-source buffering was not observed.

Inadequate preabortion counseling and decision conflict as predictors of subsequent relationship difficulties and psychological stress in men and women.

“…The inherent inequality of abortion decisions may explain these differential associations. Numerous studies (Bracken, Hachamovitch, & Grossman, 1974;Major, Zubek, Cooper, Cozzarelli, & Richards, 1997;Moseley, Follingstad, Harley, & Heckel, 1981;Payne et al, 1976) have identified conflict with one's partner and lack of partner support for abortion as predictors of women's postabortion distress. In contrast, very few studies, with the exception of work by Shostak and McLouth (1984) and Naziri (2007), have examined the male's reaction to an abortion that occurs against his wishes.…”

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Domestic Violence Survivors' Experiences with Their Informal Social Networks

“…For example, in the sexual assault field, negative reactions from the network are strongly related to increased psychological symptomatology, delayed recovery, and poorer perceived physical health in rape survivors (Campbell et al 2001;Ullman 1999). In addition, negative reactions from the network have been shown to result in increased levels of depression in college students (Flett et al 1997) and older adults residing in the community (Rook 2001), lower self esteem in college students (Lakey et al 1994); and heightened levels of depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization among women seeking abortions (Major et al 1997). Taken together, these findings highlight the need to examine negative network reactions as a distinct social construct.…”

Abortion and Mental Health: Evaluating the Evidence

“…One study (Sample 1) showed that perceived social support mediated the relationship between attachment style (internal working models of self and others) and adjustment . Another paper also based on Sample 1 investigated the joint and interactive effects of perceived social conflict and perceived social support from others regarding the abortion on negative psychological reactions and wellbeing (Major et al, 1997). Greater perceived conflict with the partner predicted increased distress (but not decreased well-being), whereas greater perceived support from the partner predicted increased well-being (but not decreased distress).…”

“…Women at higher risk for negative emotions two years postabortion included those with a prior history of mental health problems , those younger in age at the time of the abortion , those with low perceived or anticipated social support for their decision Major et al, 1997), those with greater personal conflict about abortion , and those with low self-efficacy about their ability to cope with the abortion (Cozzarelli, 1993;Major et al, 1990).…”