Selected results shed some light on

Selected results shed some light on the potential mechanisms of the relationship between support and self-management. Of the few studies that were explicitly based on a theoretical foundation, Christensen et al. incorporated theories of stress and social support and attempted to discern main verses buffering effects of social support. Their findings supported a main effect of social support on adherence, as opposed to a buffering effect in the face of the stress of physical impairment. DiIorio and colleagues’ work, which examines epilepsy self-management, is explicitly based on social cognitive theory and offers some evidence that the perceived availability of support leads to increased selfefficacy.