The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events Introduction The occurrence of mental disorders has often been linked with a stressful event (1–7). Stressors have been understood as two types: life events which have a specific time period at which they occur and cause significant stress (e.g. death of spouse, retirement, life threatening illness, birth of a child), and chronic stressors which are recurrent over time (e.g. poverty, chronic illness). In other words, life events occur over a shorter period of time, are more intense, and can cause life changing Maulik PK, Eaton WW, Bradshaw CP. The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events. Objective: This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Method: Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993– 1996, of whom 1071 were re-interviewed in 2004–2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Results: Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress-buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. Conclusion: The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low. P. K. Maulik, W. W. Eaton, C. P. Bradshaw Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Key words: life change events; mental disorders; social support; longitudinal studies; psychological stress P. K. Maulik, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Hampton House, 624 N, Broadway St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. E-mail: pmaulik@jhsph.edu Accepted for publication October 22, 2009 Significant outcomes • Social networks and social support had a more important role in reducing stressful event related psychological distress, rather than more severe clinically diagnosed mental disorders. • Even in such situations, social support from friends, relatives and spouse appeared to play a more important role, compared to social networks. Limitations • Although attrition weights were used, there was some loss to follow-up, which may have influenced the findings. • Reports of social networks and social support were based on self-reports. • Life events were not weighted according to severity. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2010: 122: 118–128 All rights reserved DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.1511.x Ó 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA 118