Abstract
Stress has negative consequences for well-being across the lifespan. Thus, social support, social strain, and control beliefs were examined in undergraduates and seniors (N = 364, ages 18 to 97, 72% women) for their relationships to multiple domains of stress. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for demographics revealed that social strain was associated with partner (β = .26, p < .001), family (β = .29, p < .001), and friend (β = .27, p < .001) stress and perceived constraints were associated with financial (β = .26, p < .001), health (β = .33, p < .001), and work (β = .15, p = .017) stress, whereas social support (β = -.17, p = .006) was only associated with partner stress and mastery was associated with no domains of stress. Results suggest the importance of reducing social strain and minimizing constraints across the lifespan.