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The Social support divide: the unequal distribution of the benefits of social support among Chinese government employees

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Social support can reduce the level of burnout and lower the influence of job stressor on burnout. However, these benefits may be unequally distributed between groups of different socioeconomic statuses (SES). Drawing upon the main effect model and the stress-buffering model of social support, the present study proposed a new concept—social support divide, meaning that high-SES groups should be more confident in support mobilization and enjoy more stress-buffering benefits of social support. A paper-pencil survey was conducted with 2801 employees in a municipal government in China. High-ranked government employees reported higher levels of perceived social support, which negatively predicted burnout, compared to their low-ranked counterparts. Additionally, perceived social support reduced the relationship between job stressor and burnout only among high-ranked government employees. These findings develop the scholarship on social support by suggesting that social support exchanges may be intertwined with power.

Source: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-07093-3

Author: Jian Raymond Rui

Institution: South China University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Stress and Burnout Research

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,890