Dysfunctional social support: Delivering social support at work in an unappreciative way

Self-esteem, both personal and social, constitutes a core concern for many people. Accordingly, Stress-as-Offense-to-Self theory focuses on threats, as well as boosts, to the self as important topics in occupational health science. Workplace social support is well established as a resource that signals acceptance and appreciation. At the same time, however, social support, notably support actually received, as opposed to perceived support availability, has been shown to have the potential to “backfire” and act as a stressor rather than a resource. The current study emphasizes the potential of social support to constitute a threat to the self if not delivered appropriately, that is, if it contains derogatory messages, even minor ones. The “Bern Dysfunctional Social Support Scale” (BDSSS) focuses on such threats entailed in supportive attempts, focusing on provider behavior rather than recipient reactions and covering a broader range of (mostly subtle) derogatory behaviors than previously existing measures. In a cross-sectional study of 468 Swiss employees, it was associated with strain and attitudes in a way that characterizes it as a stressor. Effects were not strong, but dysfunctional support explained variance over and above demographic characteristics, neuroticism, classical social stressors, task stressors, and functional social support, as well as the outcome variables from a previous wave of measurement. The BDSSS therefore constitutes a valuable complement to existing measures. Although further research on this issue is needed, results underscore the need to sensitize employees and supervisors about pitfalls of support that is well intended but delivered in a potentially offending way.