Receiving emotional support can improve one’s emotional well-being, but findings have been mixed regarding whether providing emotional support to friends and family can also improve the provider’s emotional well-being. Providing emotional support could be impactful during the COVID-19 pandemic, when individuals may be particularly in need of emotional support and social connection. Therefore, the present study assessed whether providing emotional support was related to role fulfillment and enhanced emotional well-being on a day-to-day basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants ( N = 167; Mage = 20.42, SD = 2.30; 73.1% female; 40.1% Asian, 18. 6% Latinx, 16.8% white) completed up to eight daily checklists ( Mchecklists = 6.54, SD = 2.10) in which they reported whether they provided emotional support to their friends and to their parents, their role fulfillment (i.e., the extent to which they felt like a good son/daughter and friend), and the degree of positive and negative emotion they were feeling. Participants reported higher positive emotion and lower negative emotion on days when they provided emotional support to friends, but not to parents, with potentially stronger associations in-person than virtually. Participants also reported higher role fulfillment as a good son/daughter and a good friend on days when they provided emotional support, and role fulfillment significantly mediated associations between providing emotional support and daily emotion. Taken together, results suggested that providing emotional support to friends—particularly in-person—was related to better emotional well-being by promoting a sense of role fulfillment as a good friend. Providing emotional support may provide one means for reinforcing social relationships and promoting emotional well-being during times of social isolation.

中文翻译：

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在 COVID-19 大流行期间为本科生提供情感支持和日常情感健康

接受情感支持可以改善一个人的情感健康，但关于向朋友和家人提供情感支持是否也可以改善提供者的情感健康，研究结果不一。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，当个人可能特别需要情感支持和社会联系时，提供情感支持可能会产生影响。因此，本研究评估了在 COVID-19 大流行期间提供情感支持是否与角色履行和增强日常情感健康有关。参与者（N = 167；M年龄= 20.42，标准差 = 2.30；73.1% 女性；40.1% 亚洲人、18. 6% 拉丁裔、16.8% 白人）完成了多达八份每日检查清单（ M清单= 6.54，SD = 2.10），其中他们报告了是否向朋友和父母提供了情感支持、他们的角色履行感（即，他们感觉自己是个好儿子/女儿和朋友的程度）以及他们感受到的积极和消极的情绪。参与者在向朋友而非父母提供情感支持的日子里报告了更高的积极情绪和更低的消极情绪，因为面对面的联系可能比虚拟的联系更强烈。参与者还报告说，在提供情感支持的日子里，他们作为好儿子/女儿和好朋友的角色成就感更高，并且角色成就感显着介导了提供情感支持和日常情绪之间的关联。总而言之，结果表明，向朋友提供情感支持（尤其是当面）可以促进作为好朋友的角色满足感，从而与更好的情感健康相关。提供情感支持可能是在社交孤立时期加强社会关系和促进情感健康的一种手段。