Gender differences in the relation between social support, problems in parent-offspring communication, and depression and anxiety

Gender differences in the buffer-effect of social support in the relation between stressful circumstances and the development of depression and anxiety disorders are widely assumed, but few studies address this three-way interaction between gender, stress, and support. Data in the present study came from the baseline assessment of the Adolescents at Risk for Anxiety and Depression (ARIADNE) study in 502 adolescent and young-adult children of 356 parents in the Netherlands with a depression, panic disorder and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Results indicate that the daughters benefit more from social support than the sons when problems in parent-offspring communication are high, but that this effect holds only for depression symptoms and particularly in relation to problems in father-offspring communication. Social support does not seem to play a role in the development of anxiety.