Stress, negative social exchange, and health symptoms in university students

Although social support has been studied extensively in terms of its role i n the relationship between stress and health, less attention has been devot ed to the impact of negative social interactions. In this investigation, th e authors examined the unique contributions of positive social support and negative social exchange in the relationship between stress and health symp toms, using data from 206 undergraduates at a large state university. Negat ive social exchange accounted for more variance in physical health symptoms than did life-event stress, daily hassles, or social support. Me relations hip between negative social interaction and physical symptoms was not the r esult of variance shared with psychological well-being. The importance of a ttending to negative aspects of social interaction among university student s in terms of their health and well-being is discussed.