Perceived social control as a mediator of the relationships among social support, psychological well-being, and perceived health

The purpose of the present study was to delineate the process by which soci al support facilitates better health outcomes in older adulthood. In order to best understand the process behind the support-outcome relationship, an aspect of perceived control specific to the social domain was hypothesized to mediate the said relationship. Measures of social support included quant ity of support from family and friends and the perceived satisfaction with that support. Outcome measures included depression, life satisfaction, and self-reported perceived physical health. Based on previous research, the hy pothesized model of control serving as a mediator was tested against two al ternative hypotheses including an examination of control as a moderator of the support-outcome relationship as well as support as a mediator of the co ntrol-outcome relationship. Results indicated that perceived control mediat es the support-outcome relationship in two independent samples, each compri sed of approximately 250 adults older than 65, primarily Caucasian and func tioning independently, illustrating the strong replicative nature of the fi ndings. This examination begins to illuminate the process by which social s upport may facilitate well-being in older adulthood by focusing on the inte rnal structures that may play a crucial role in the utilization of the soci al support.