Contrary to our expectations, however, European Americans were more vulnerable to the lasting negative effects of family network events, whereas African Americans’ well-being improved the day after they reported a family network event. In European American families, the distress associated with another family member’s problem may be exacerbated because there may be fewer family members available to share the burden of providing support, whereas African Americans’ more extensive family networks may buffer individuals from the persistent concerns that accompany family network events (Chatters et al., 2002; Sarkisian & Gerstel, 2004). Our results suggest that for European Americans, being called upon to listen and provide assistance to family may exhaust an individual’s ability to cope with the negative feelings of worry and concern elicited by these stressors (Almeida, 2005).
