Too Much of a Good Thing? Intergenerational Social Support and the Psychological Well-Being of Older Parents.

The article examines the impact of intergenerational social support for the psychological well-being of older parents. Excessive support received from family members may increase distress by inducing dependence and eroding the autonomy of the older recipient and that excessive support provided to family members may increase distress by being burden--some to the older provider. The theory of social breakdown provides a social-psychological perspective on the potential negative consequences of social support. It tested the hypothesis using a sample of 539 older participants in the University of Southern California Longitudinal Study of Generations. Lagged regression models are estimated to predict nonlinear change in positive and negative mood over 3 years. Support form adult children are psychologically beneficial at moderate levels and psychologically harmful at high levels. Receiving support enhances positive mood up to a threshold point, beyond which greater involvement reduces well-being. It is demonstrated that the nonlinear effect of social support is most pronounced among older parents who have the lowest expectations of their adult children for support.