INTERPERSONAL DEPENDENCY AND PHYSICAL ILLNESS - THE MEDIATING ROLES OF STRESS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

Research suggests that high levels of interpersonal dependency may be associated with increased risk for illness and disease. The present investigation tested this hypothesis, and explored the inter- and intrapersonal factors which mediate the dependency-illness link. In Study 1, healthy college students were prescreened for level of dependency and then provided monthly reports of stress and health status throughout a one-semester (i.e., three-month) period. As predicted, dependent subjects who experienced high levels of interpersonal stress had higher rates of illness than nondependent subjects, and higher rates of illness than dependent subjects who experienced low levels of interpersonal stress. Using a similar methodology and a new subject sample, Study 2 demonstrated that social support can ameliorate the negative effects of interpersonal stress on dependent subjects' health status. Implications of these results are discussed and suggestions for future studies of the dependency-stress-illness relationship are offered.