Network Range and Health

The inclusion of network concepts in the stress-distress model of health represents a major theoretical advance. Most researchers use the dyadic approach of social network analysis to construct network measures of social support. Working from the argument that network structure and social support are conceptually and empirically distinct, we extend the stress-distress model to include measures of network structure (network range) as predictors of exposure to stress, access to social support, and distress. We find that the density, diversity, and size dimensions of network range affect exposure to stress, access to social support, and distress differentially and that, in each case, their effects are gender-specific.