Social support and level of survivors’ psychological stress after the Wenchuan earthquake

Our aim was to explore the effect of social support on the level of survivors’ psychological stress after the Wenchuan earthquake in China on 12 May 2008. We collected data in a survey of a cross-sectional sample of 2,080 individuals living in Sichuan and Shanxi provinces 1 year after the earthquake. The Social Support Rating Scale (Xiao, 1999) and psychological stress items were used in compiling the questionnaire. Results indicated that, compared with other groups, male survivors with a higher level of education, a higher level of income, and less serious exposure to the earthquake suffered the least psychological stress. Level of social support was related to level of psychological stress in that greater social support had a positive effect on level of psychological stress and demographic characteristics were also related to level of psychological stress.