GENDER AND SOCIAL SUPPORT - TAKING THE BAD WITH THE GOOD

In examining past research, a paradox can be found in the relationship s between gender, social support, and depression. Although women repor t higher levels of depression than men, they also generally report mor e social support-a factor found to reduce depressive symptoms. In effo rts to explain this seeming inconsistency, it was hypothesized that wo men report both more support and more depression because they are more likely than men to experience both positive and negative aspects of s ocial relationships. Based on a community sample of predominantly Cauc asian respondents, findings indicate that greater perceived support am ong women can be explained by more frequent contact with network membe rs and a tendency to possess relationships characterized by greater in timacy, emotional disclosure, and empathy. However, women also report more frequent negative interactions with network members and are more adversely affected by marital conflict than are men. While negative in teractions and conflict cannot account for gender differences in depre ssion, they do help to explain how women can experience both more supp ort and more depression. Among women, the health-enhancing effects of support on depression may be balanced by the detrimental effect of con flict.