Social integration is important for health. This assumption is based on the idea that people mainly interact with others who are supportive and beneficial to them, while avoiding those they perceive as demanding or difficult. In reality, however, social relationships are often more complex: some contain both positive and negative aspects, while others are experienced as predominantly stressful or burdensome.
In a study involving nearly 900 participants from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), DSS researcher Lea Ellwardt and her colleague Theo van Tilburg from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam investigated how often older adults experience such difficult relationships and what causes them. The findings showed that around 15 percent of older adults reported burdensome social relationships.
These difficult relationships occurred especially often in ties that cannot easily be avoided, such as relationships with siblings, parents, or neighbors. Relationships were also more likely to be perceived as difficult when individuals provided a great deal of emotional support themselves but received little in return. Relatively new relationships were likewise more frequently experienced as burdensome.
Another interesting finding was that people who already had one difficult relationship often reported additional stressful ties within their social network. The researchers therefore suggest that older adults may sometimes become stuck in social situations that they cannot easily change — for example because of their living arrangements or caregiving responsibilities. As a result, relationships may continue even when they are emotionally draining.
The study highlights that burdensome relationships are fairly common and should be taken into account when studying social integration and health.