in a back rest for a vehicle seat , particularly motor vehicle seats , an upholstery support includes side beams and a yoke portion which extends from one side beam to the other in the vicinity of the upper ends of the side beams . the yoke portion is formed as a bending and kinking resistant spacer which abuts the side beams but is not connected thereto and extends rearwardly beyond the side beams at least in the area of its end sections which abut the side beams . a lateral element which engages the side beams from behind is attached to the outwardly facing sides of both side beams and the back side of the spacer abuts the lateral element .