Results from study of 287 married women indicated that egalitarian and full-time employed wives perceived less support from their husbands when domestic labor arrangements were more unequal. Wives who perceived less support in turn experienced lower marital and personal happiness compared to wives with more equal household labor arrangements.…

Studied relationships among pain, depression, marital satisfaction, and spouse supportiveness in 30 male, chronic pain patients and their wives. Over one-half of the patients and spouses reported significant depression and marital dissatisfaction. The correlations between depression and spouse support suggest a multidimensional,…

Examined role of adult siblings in caregiving for severely mentally ill using data from 109 siblings named by patients released from mental hospitals and 24-hour crisis care facilities. Results indicated that greater patient need, positive attitudes toward ill sibling, and other role involvements were major factors influencing sibling caregiving.…

Advances proposition that many current measures of kinship strength may paradoxically indicate inadequate or weakened kinship structures. Presents nonproximity indicators of kinship contact and service delivery that can measure strength of kinship bonds. States principles for assessing at what distance kin can deliver which services. (Author/NB)

Interviewed 53 noninstitutionalized elderly to examine patterns of exchange of assistance within their informal helping networks. Results suggest inability to reciprocate rather than need for assistance had a greater negative effect on morale. There was a negative relationship between formal service use and reliance on the informal network.…

Used National Survey of Families and Households data from residential parents of young children (n=5,686) to examine gender and family structure differences in social support relationships with parents, siblings, other relatives, and friends. Mothers were more involved in giving and getting support, especially emotional support, than were fathers.…

Tested hypothesis, derived from serial model of social support, that adult siblings will provide more support to their seriously mentally ill siblings when parents are not available. Data from 108 siblings of mentally ill persons revealed that siblings provided more contact, intimacy, and help when their parents were not living. (Author/NB)

Examined antecedents of spousal support of husbands' work commitment from perspective of wives. Found spousal support influenced directly only by satisfaction with quality of life made possible by local work organization and length of involvement with organization. Marital and social adjustment, and perceptions of husband's work environment…

Interviewed 104 women and men at various stages of divorce. Showed women and men relied on kin, especially for practical aid. Men were more likely to rely on kin in early stages of divorce, while women tended to maintain ties over time. Income and presence of children shaped integration into kin networks for men and women in different ways.…

Compared the networks of 37 single and 43 married mothers. Single mothers received more instrumental and personal support than married mothers, although their networks did not differ subtantially in structure. Single mothers receiving the highest levels of support were employed full-time and had few children. (Author/BH)

Longitudinal study of intergenerational relationships during divorce process revealed that parents were active in easing the strains in lives of their divorcing children and grandchildren, and there were few significant changes over time. Patterns of solidarity which formed during reorganization were associated with respondents' values and extent…

Examined the effects of social support on the psychological well-being of 245 widows. Results indicated that the role of such support is important but complex. Whether social support is helpful depends on such factors as where the widows are in the adjustment process and the type of support given. (Author/JAC)

Sampled 699 adolescents and their families to examine effects of parenting practices on development of adolescent drinking, delinquency, and problem behaviors. Findings confirmed that parental support and monitoring were important predictors of adolescent outcomes even after taking into account critical demographic/family factors. Peer orientation…

Examined relative contributions of stress, social support, and family resources to quality of family life in domains of marital quality, parental satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Data from 810 adults revealed that demographic factors, support, and resource variables, and stress factors made significant and unique contributions to explanation…

Based on a review of research, outlines developmental tasks of siblingship in the United States from a life-cycle perspective. The sibling support bond typically persists throughout the life cycle. Some siblingship tasks are constant and consistent from birth to death, while others stand out as idiosyncratic to the context of the particular life…