Interpersonal support and coping among first-year dental students.

Previous studies have suggested that individuals involved in supportive interpersonal relationships are buffered against the deleterious effects of stress. This hypothesis was evaluated in a dental school setting by examining the support networks of 63 first-year students. Levels of support were correlated with academic performance and indices of physical and psychological well-being. For men, social support was generally associated with better performance and well-being. Women, on the other hand, exhibited predominately negative relationships between support and all outcome measures. An unexpected finding for both men and women was the consistent, positive relationship between support and reported drug use. Tentative interpretations of the drug use findings as well as the paradoxical support-performance correlations for women are made. Several strategies for enhancing support system benefits are suggested.