Association of depressive symptoms and social support on blood pressure among urban African American women and girls.

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Wu, Chun Yi; Prosser, Rachel A; Taylor, Jacquelyn Y

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between depressive symptoms and perceived social support on blood pressure in African American women. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 159 African American women from multiple sites in the Detroit Metro area. Results from this study found that both higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with higher depressive symptom scores (r= .20 and .18, p social support scores (r=-.44, p social support scores were not significantly correlated with blood pressure readings. Higher depressive symptom scores were associated with increased systolic blood pressure independent of social support. Findings of the present study suggest the importance of appropriate social support to help alleviate depressive symptoms. However, to effectively control blood pressure in patients with depressive symptoms, other pathophysiologic mechanisms between depressive symptoms and elevated blood pressures independent of social support should be examined in future research. Future studies should consider a cohort design to examine the temporal relationship of depressive symptoms, social support, and blood pressure readings. ©2010 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2010 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

The Relationship between Perceived Social Support in the First Pregnancy and Fear of Childbirth.

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Azimi, Masoomeh; Fahami, Fariba; Mohamadirizi, Soheila

2018-01-01

Numerous empirical evidences have shown that social and environmental circumstances and social relations have an important impact on pregnancy outcomes, women's ability to cope with stressful situations, and childbirth pain management. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between perceived social support and fear of childbirth. The present descriptive correlational study was conducted on 270 nulliparous pregnant women who referred for pregnancy care in 2016. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling method. The data collection tools were a demographic characteristics form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics tests. The mean perceived social support score of the participants was 77.90 and a significant correlation was observed between the perceived social support score and fear of childbirth score (β = -0.18, p = 0.004). The participants' mean score of fear of childbirth was 36.8. The results of study after the evaluation of the effect of predictive variables on the fear of childbirth are as follows: pregnancy preparation classes: ( β = 3.50, p = 0.220); observation of natural childbirth videos: ( β = 5.26, p = 0.040); and use of educational software: ( β =5.82, p = 0.080). In order to reduce the fear of childbirth, women's social support structure during pregnancy should be assessed. Moreover, demographic characteristics form the structure and determine the extent of individuals' social network and, through the evaluation of these characteristics during pregnancy, the rate of effective support can be predicted in individuals.

Family Function and Self-esteem among Chinese University Students with and without Grandparenting Experience: Moderating Effect of Social Support

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Jingyu Shi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study examines the association between family function and self-esteem of Chinese university students with grandparenting experience, and explores the moderating effects of social support in this link. Two thousand five hundred thirty university students (1372 males and 1158 females from a Chinese university completed the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, and the Family Assessment Device (FAD. Six hundred and forty-five (25.69% students reported grandparenting experience and they reported lower scores on self-esteem and social support than the students raised only by their parents. The grandparenting group scored higher on such dimensions of family functioning as Communication, Role, Affective Involvement, Affective Responsiveness, and General Family Function (GF than their counterpart group. For both groups, self-esteem scores were positively correlated with social support scores, while negatively correlated with FAD all sub-scale scores. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that for the students with grandparenting experience the social support moderated the relationship between GF and self-esteem. When students reported a high level of social support, those with low GF score reported higher scores in self-esteem than those with low self-esteem. However, in case of low social support, there were no differences in self-esteem between groups with high and low GF scores. These findings suggest that social support plays a positive role to relieve the adverse impact of poor family function on self-esteem of the adolescents with grandparenting experience. In addition, the significance and limitations of the results will be discussed.

Family Function and Self-esteem among Chinese University Students with and without Grandparenting Experience: Moderating Effect of Social Support.

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Shi, Jingyu; Wang, Lu; Yao, Yuhong; Su, Na; Zhao, Xudong; Zhan, Chenyu

2017-01-01

This study examines the association between family function and self-esteem of Chinese university students with grandparenting experience, and explores the moderating effects of social support in this link. Two thousand five hundred thirty university students (1372 males and 1158 females) from a Chinese university completed the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Six hundred and forty-five (25.69%) students reported grandparenting experience and they reported lower scores on self-esteem and social support than the students raised only by their parents. The grandparenting group scored higher on such dimensions of family functioning as Communication, Role, Affective Involvement, Affective Responsiveness, and General Family Function (GF) than their counterpart group. For both groups, self-esteem scores were positively correlated with social support scores, while negatively correlated with FAD all sub-scale scores. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that for the students with grandparenting experience the social support moderated the relationship between GF and self-esteem. When students reported a high level of social support, those with low GF score reported higher scores in self-esteem than those with low self-esteem. However, in case of low social support, there were no differences in self-esteem between groups with high and low GF scores. These findings suggest that social support plays a positive role to relieve the adverse impact of poor family function on self-esteem of the adolescents with grandparenting experience. In addition, the significance and limitations of the results will be discussed.

Family Function and Self-esteem among Chinese University Students with and without Grandparenting Experience: Moderating Effect of Social Support

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Shi, Jingyu; Wang, Lu; Yao, Yuhong; Su, Na; Zhao, Xudong; Zhan, Chenyu

2017-01-01

This study examines the association between family function and self-esteem of Chinese university students with grandparenting experience, and explores the moderating effects of social support in this link. Two thousand five hundred thirty university students (1372 males and 1158 females) from a Chinese university completed the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Six hundred and forty-five (25.69%) students reported grandparenting experience and they reported lower scores on self-esteem and social support than the students raised only by their parents. The grandparenting group scored higher on such dimensions of family functioning as Communication, Role, Affective Involvement, Affective Responsiveness, and General Family Function (GF) than their counterpart group. For both groups, self-esteem scores were positively correlated with social support scores, while negatively correlated with FAD all sub-scale scores. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that for the students with grandparenting experience the social support moderated the relationship between GF and self-esteem. When students reported a high level of social support, those with low GF score reported higher scores in self-esteem than those with low self-esteem. However, in case of low social support, there were no differences in self-esteem between groups with high and low GF scores. These findings suggest that social support plays a positive role to relieve the adverse impact of poor family function on self-esteem of the adolescents with grandparenting experience. In addition, the significance and limitations of the results will be discussed. PMID:28611720

Perceived social support interacts with prenatal depression to predict birth outcomes.

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Nylen, Kimberly J; O'Hara, Michael W; Engeldinger, Jane

2013-08-01

Prenatal depression has been linked to adverse reproductive outcomes including preterm labor and delivery, and low birth weight. Social support also has been linked to birth outcomes, and may buffer infants from the adverse impact of maternal depression. In this prospective study, 235 pregnant women completed questionnaires about depression and social support. Clinical interviews were administered to assess for DSM-IV axis I disorders. Following delivery, birth outcomes were obtained from medical records. Babies of depressed mothers weighed less, were born earlier and had lower Apgar scores than babies of nondepressed mothers. Depressed women had smaller social support networks and were less satisfied with support from social networks. We found no direct associations between perceived social support and birth weight. However, depressed women who rated their partners as less supportive had babies who were born earlier and had lower Apgar scores than depressed mothers with higher perceived partner support. Women's perception of partner support appears to buffer infants of depressed mothers from potential adverse outcomes. These results are notable in light of the low-risk nature of our sample and point to the need for continued depression screening in pregnant women and a broader view of risk for adverse birth outcomes. The results also suggest a possible means of intervention that may ultimately lead to reductions in adverse birth outcomes.

Resilience amid Academic Stress: The Moderating Impact of Social Support among Social Work Students

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Scott E. Wilks

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic stress and perceived resilience among social work students, and to identify social support as a protective factor of resilience on this relationship. A conceptual model of moderation was used to test the role of social support as protective. Methods: The sample consisted of 314 social work students (BSW=144; MSW=170 from three accredited schools/programs in the southern United States. Voluntary survey data were collected on demographics and constructs of academic stress, family support, friend support, and resilience. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to show the composite impact of demographic and model factors on the resilience outcome. Moderation was tested using a traditional regression series as guidelines of moderation with continuous variables. Path analyses illustrated main effects and moderation in the study’s conceptual model. Results: The sample reported moderate levels of academic stress and social support, and a fairly high level of resilience. Academic stress negatively related to social support and resilience. Social support positively influenced resilience. Academic stress accounted for the most variation in resilience scores. Friend support significantly moderated the negative relationship between academic stress and resilience. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated the likelihood that friend support plays a protective role with resilience amid an environment of academic stress. Implications for social work faculty and internship agency practitioners are discussed.

fMRI Study of Social Anxiety during Social Ostracism with and without Emotional Support.

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Yoshiko Nishiyama

Full Text Available Social anxiety is characterized by an excessive fear of being embarrassed in social interactions or social performance situations. Emotional support can help to decrease or diminish social distress. Such support may play an important role at different points of social interaction. However, it is unclear how the beneficial effects of social support are represented in the brains of socially anxious individuals. To explore this, we used the same paradigm previously used to examine the effects of emotional support on social pain caused by exclusion. Undergraduates (n = 46 showing a wide range of social anxiety scores underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI while participating in a Cyberball game. Participants were initially included and later excluded from the game. In the latter half of the session in which participants were excluded, they were provided with supportive messages. In line with our previous work, we found that social exclusion led to increased anterior cingulate cortex (ACC activity, whereas emotional support led to increased left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC activity. Despite validation of the paradigm, social anxiety was not associated with increased ACC activity during social exclusion, or during perceived emotional support. Instead, fear of negative evaluation as assessed by the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE scale showed positive associations with left DLPFC activation while receiving emotional support, compared to while being socially excluded. The more socially anxious an individual was, the greater was the left DLPFC activity increased during receipt of messages. This suggests that highly socially anxious people still have the ability to perceive social support, but that they are nevertheless susceptible to negative evaluation by others.

fMRI Study of Social Anxiety during Social Ostracism with and without Emotional Support.

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Nishiyama, Yoshiko; Okamoto, Yasumasa; Kunisato, Yoshihiko; Okada, Go; Yoshimura, Shinpei; Kanai, Yoshihiro; Yamamura, Takanao; Yoshino, Atsuo; Jinnin, Ran; Takagaki, Koki; Onoda, Keiichi; Yamawaki, Shigeto

2015-01-01

Social anxiety is characterized by an excessive fear of being embarrassed in social interactions or social performance situations. Emotional support can help to decrease or diminish social distress. Such support may play an important role at different points of social interaction. However, it is unclear how the beneficial effects of social support are represented in the brains of socially anxious individuals. To explore this, we used the same paradigm previously used to examine the effects of emotional support on social pain caused by exclusion. Undergraduates (n = 46) showing a wide range of social anxiety scores underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participating in a Cyberball game. Participants were initially included and later excluded from the game. In the latter half of the session in which participants were excluded, they were provided with supportive messages. In line with our previous work, we found that social exclusion led to increased anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity, whereas emotional support led to increased left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity. Despite validation of the paradigm, social anxiety was not associated with increased ACC activity during social exclusion, or during perceived emotional support. Instead, fear of negative evaluation as assessed by the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) scale showed positive associations with left DLPFC activation while receiving emotional support, compared to while being socially excluded. The more socially anxious an individual was, the greater was the left DLPFC activity increased during receipt of messages. This suggests that highly socially anxious people still have the ability to perceive social support, but that they are nevertheless susceptible to negative evaluation by others.

Study on the Correlation between job adaptation obstacle and perceived social support of community nurses in Changchun

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Meng Wei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the present situation of job adaptation and perceived social support of community nurses in Changchun, and to explore the relevance between them, for the purpose of providing the basis for community nursing managers to implement effective human resource management. Methods: A general demographic information questionnaire, job adaptation obstacle scale and perceived social support scale were used to investigate 290 community nurses in Changchun. Results: The score of job adaptation obstacle was 20.85±5.18; the score of perceived social support was 64.25±10.32, the score of support in the family was 20.01±3.58, and the score of the support out of family was 42.57±6.86; the job adaptation obstacle was negatively correlated with the perceived social support, the support in the family, and the support out of family. Conclusion: The job adaptation situation of the nurses in the survey communities was generally poor and the perceived social support was at a moderate level. Therefore, community nursing managers should actively understand the situation of nurse job adaptation, and then take effective measures to improve the community nurses social support, improve the current situation of the poor job adaptation of the community nurses, and prevent loss of nursing talents, for the improvement of the quality of nursing service.

FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF LIFE AND LEVEL OF SOCIAL SUPPORT IN CANCER PATIENTS

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Ayse Berivan Bakan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: When people face health problems, their life satisfaction levels and social relations could be ruined. When it comes to an eerie, deadly and chronic disease like cancer, the individual is much more likely to be affected by it. Objective: This descriptive study aims to identify quality of life and level of social support and the affecting factors in cancer patients. Methods: The sample included 170 patients who applied to Internal Diseases, Radiation Oncology, Thorax diseases clinics and Chemotherapy polyclinic in a university hospital in Turkey between March and August, 2005, who met the research criteria, and who volunteered to participate in the study. The sample represented 20 % of the target population. Data were collected through SF-36 Quality of Life Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Results: The patients’ Global Quality of Life mean score was found 38.67 ± 13.64, and mean score for the Perceived Social Support was found 59.19 ± 17.5. Global Quality of Life score was higher in those who underwent an operation and who received ambulatory health care. Although Global Quality of Life was not influenced by the gender variable, male patients’ level of well-being was found to be higher. Perceived Social Support total score was found to be higher in those who knew about their disease. Family support was found to be higher in those who were married and who lived in town; it was found to be low in those who had low socio-economic level and who received inpatient treatment. Friend support was found to be high in those who knew about their disease. Conclusion: There was a linear relationship between Perceived Social Support and Quality of Life. It is recommended that more studies with wider groups of participants would shed more light to the issue of identifying quality of life, social support level and the relationships between them in cancer patients.

Social support and depression of adults with visual impairments.

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Papadopoulos, Konstantinos; Papakonstantinou, Doxa; Montgomery, Anthony; Solomou, Argyro

2014-07-01

Relatively little research exists with regard to the relationship between social support and depression among adults with visual impairments. Such a gap is noteworthy when one considers that individuals become more dependent on others as they enter middle and late adulthood. The present research will examine the association between social networks, social support and depression among adults with visual impairments. Seventy-seven adults with visual impairments participated in the study. Depression, social network and emotional/practical social support were measured with self-report measures. Additionally, the degree to which emotional/practical social support received were positive or negative and the ability of respondents to self-manage their daily living were assessed. Less than a third of respondents scored above the threshold for depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were not related to gender or vision status. Depression was correlated with age, educational level, less positive practical support, more negative practical support and more negative emotional support, with lower perceptions of self-management representing the most robust predictor of depression. Age moderated the relationship between depression and self-management, and between depression and negative emotional support. Lower perceptions of self-management and negative emotional support were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived social support among patients with burn injuries: A perspective from the developing world.

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Waqas, Ahmed; Turk, Marvee; Naveed, Sadiq; Amin, Atif; Kiwanuka, Harriet; Shafique, Neha; Chaudhry, Muhammad Ashraf

2018-02-01

Social support is among the most well-established predictors of post-burn psychopathology after burn. Despite a disproportionately large burden of burns in the developing world, the nature of social support among burn patients in this context remains elusive. We, therefore, seek to investigate social support and its biopsychosocial determinants among patients with burn injuries in Pakistan. A cross-sectional study of 343 patients presenting with burn injuries at four teaching hospitals in the Punjab province of Pakistan was conducted. Patient evaluation consisted of a multi-part survey of demographic status, clinical features, and social support as measured by the validated Urdu translation of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate associations between patient characteristics and MSPSS score. Mean overall MSPSS score was 57.64 (std dev 13.57). Notable positive predictors of social support include male gender, Punjabi ethnicity, burn surface area, and ego resiliency. Our study reveals a troubling pattern of inadequate social support among certain subgroups of Pakistani burn patients. Addressing these inequities in the provision of social support must be prioritized as part of the global burn care agenda. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Impacts of social support on symptoms in Brazilian women with fibromyalgia

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Rodrigo Pegado de Abreu Freitas

Full Text Available ABSTRACT We aimed to assess the impact of social support on symptoms in Brazilian women with FM. An observational, descriptive study enrolling 66 women who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR criteria. Social support was measured by the Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS, functionality was evaluated using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ, depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI, anxiety was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS, affectivity was measured by Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS, and algometry was carried out to record pressure pain threshold (PPth and tolerance (PPTo at 18 points recommended by the ACR. Patients were divided into normal (NSS or poor social support (PSS groups with PSS defined as having a MOS-SSS score below the 25th percentile of the entire sample. Mann-Whitney or Unpaired t-test were used to compare intergroup variables and Fisher's for categorical variables. Analysis of covariance and Pearson correlation test were used. No differences in sociodemographic variables between PSS and NSS were found. Differences between NSS and PSS groups were observed for all four subcategories of social support and MOS-SSS total score. Significant differences between NSS and PSS on depression (p = 0.007, negative affect (p = 0.025 and PPTh (p = 0.016 were found. Affectionate subcategory showed positive correlation between pain and positive affect in PSS. Positive social interaction subcategory showed a negative correlation between FIQ and depression state. Therefore social support appears to contribute to ameliorate mental and physical health in FM.

Assessment of Depression in Elderly. Is Perceived Social Support Related? A Nursing Home Study : Depression and Social Support in Elderly.

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Patra, Paraskevi; Alikari, Victoria; Fradelos, Evangelos C; Sachlas, Athanasios; Kourakos, Michael; Rojas Gil, Andrea Paola; Babatsikou, Fotoula; Zyga, Sofia

2017-01-01

Geriatric depression is more common in nursing homes and social support is a mechanism that mitigates the stressors of life factors and simultaneously promotes wellness and health. The purpose of the study was to assess the levels of depression and social support among elderly in nursing homes. During the period February 2016-March 2016 170 elderly residents in nursing homes completed the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Statistical analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics 23. 37, 1% of the sample had depressive symptoms. Depression is statistically correlated with age and it is affected by the years of education (p = 0.003), the number of the children (p = 0.006), whether the elderly person is bedridden or not (p elderly performs activities outside the nursing home (0.001). Higher GDS score had those who were illiterate (6.41), those with one or no children (6.82 and 6.59 respectively), the bedridden (6.70), people without visits from relatives (7.69) and without activities outside (5.64). Also, social support is affected by the family status (p elderly performs activities outside the foundation (p elderly population leads to the need for more aid social support.

Social support and the self-rated health of older people

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Dai, Yue; Zhang, Chen-Yun; Zhang, Bao-Quan; Li, Zhanzhan; Jiang, Caixiao; Huang, Hui-Ling

2016-01-01

Abstract The lack of social support in elderly populations incurs real societal costs and can lead to their poor health. The aim of this study is to investigate the self-rated health (SRH) and social support among older people as well as its associated factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 312 urban community-dwelling elderly aged 65 to 90 years in Tainan Taiwan and Fuzhou Fujian Province from March 2012 to October 2012. A Spearson correlation test, independent t test, a Pearson χ2 test, a linear regression analysis, and a multiple-level model were performed to analyze the results. The participants identified children as the most important source of objective and subjective support, followed by spouse and relatives. Tainan's elderly received more daily life assistance and emotional support, showed stronger awareness of the need to seek help, and maintained a higher frequency of social interactions compared with the elderly in Fuzhou. The mean objective support, subjective support, and support utilization scores as well as the overall social support among Tainan's elderly were significantly high compared with the scores among Fuzhou's elderly. Further, Tainan's elderly rated better SRH than Fuzhou's elderly. Correlation analysis showed that social support was significantly correlated with city, age, living conditions, marital status, and SRH. Multiple linear regression analysis, with social support as a dependent variable, retained the following independent predictors in the final regression model: city (4.792, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.068–6.516, P = 0.000), age (−0.805, 95% CI: −1.394 to −0.135, P = 0.013), marital status (−1.260, 95% CI: −1.891 to −0.629, P = 0.000), living conditions (4.069, 95% CI: 3.022–5.116, P = 0.000), and SRH −1.941, 95% CI: −3.194 to −0.688, P = 0.003). The multiple-level model showed that city would impact older people's social support (χ2 = 5.103, P older people. This study presents some

[Investigation on occupational stress, social support and job burnout of the staffs in sport goods chain stores].

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Wang, H Y; Wei, W

2018-02-20

Objective: To understand the relationship between occupational stress, social support and job burnout, and to explore the moderating role of social support for occupational stress and job burnout. Methods: 256 employees were conveniently chosen to engage in a survey, including occupational stress indicator (OSI) , social support rating scale (SSRS) as well as maslach burnout inventory-general survey (MBI-GS) from March to June in 2017. Results: The occupational stress score of the stafls in sport goods Chain stores was 55.5 ± 11.7, the score of social support was 28.2 ± 7.6, and the score of job burnaut was 41.3 ± 11.6. Occupational stress was positively correlated with job burnout ( r =0.425, P occupational stress was negatively related to objective support, subjective support and support utilization ( r values were-0.182, -0.227, and-0.208, P occupational stress and subjective support and support utilization were statistically significant ( β values were-0.069 and-0.077, P occupational stress and job burnout, especially in subjective support and support utilization.

Social support of adults and elderly with chronic kidney disease on dialysis

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Simone Márcia da Silva

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the instrumental and emotional social support of patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Method: descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was sized for convenience and included 103 participants under treatment in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews, using the Social Support Scale. Results: the mean scores of the emotional and instrumental social support were 3.92 (± 0.78 and 3.81 (± 0.69 respectively, an indication of good support received. The most frequent sources of instrumental and emotional social support mentioned by participants were partners, spouse, companion or boyfriend and friends. Conclusion: patients with chronic kidney disease have high social support, both instrumental and emotional, and the main support comes from the family.

The effect of social networking sites on the relationship between perceived social support and depression.

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McDougall, Matthew A; Walsh, Michael; Wattier, Kristina; Knigge, Ryan; Miller, Lindsey; Stevermer, Michalene; Fogas, Bruce S

2016-12-30

This study examined whether Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have a negative moderator effect on the established relationship between perceived social support and depression in psychiatric inpatients. Survey instruments assessing for depression, perceived social support, and SNS use, were filled out by 301 psychiatric inpatients. Additional data on age, gender, and primary psychiatric diagnosis were collected. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine significant interactions. There was no significant interaction of SNS use on the relationship between perceived social support and depression when measured by Social Media Use Integration Scale or by hours of SNS use per day. There was a significant negative relationship between perceived social support and depression, and a significant positive relationship between hours of SNS use per day and depression, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Limitations include a gender discrepancy among participants, generalizability, recall bias, and SNS measurement. This is the first study to look at SNS use and depression in psychiatric inpatients. SNS use did not affect perceived social support or the protective relationship between perceived social support and depression. Hours of SNS use per day were correlated with depression scores. Future studies between SNS use and depression should quantify daily SNS use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Correlation between social support and quality of life in patients with breast cancer at different periods of treatment].

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Yang, L; Song, W P; Chen, Z L; Wang, Y; Chen, Y Y; Hua, Y H; Chen, M; Zou, W B

2017-03-23

Objective: To analyze the differences between the social support for breast cancer patients and healthy female, and to explore the correlation between social support and quality of life (QOL) in the patients. Methods: From January 2013 to December 2014, 101 patients with operable breast cancer treated at Xinyu City People's Hospital were recruited as the experimental group. They completed questionnaires in the preoperative, postoperative chemoradiotherapy and rehabilitation periods, respectively.101 healthy female volunteers recruited from the community were included as control group, whose age and level of education were matched with those of the experimental group.The general questionnaire including basic information, disease conditions and other projects, perceived social support scale (PSSS), quality of life of breast cancer patients (FACT-B) were applied to evaluate the general situation, social support and QOL of the subjects. The differences in PSSS scores between the experimental and control groups were compared. The correlation between PSSS score and FACT-B score in the experimental group was analyzed. SPSS 18.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The general situations of the experimental and control groups were comparable (all P >0.05). The rates of the total social support score ≥50 in the experimental and control groups were not significantly different (93.6% vs. 94.7%, P =0.067). Compared with that of the control group (23.2±4.8), the scores of family support in the experimental group in preoperative, postoperative chemoradiotherapy and rehabilitation periods were statistically higher (25.6±3.2, 24.2±4.2 and 24.0±3.4, respectively, P =0.034). The social support scores of patients with different demographic characteristics were different. Among the demographic characteristics, years of education and place of residence had the largest impact. The scores of social support in patients with longer education years and living in the

Social support and psychological well-being in gender dysphoria: a comparison of patients with matched controls.

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Davey, Amanda; Bouman, Walter P; Arcelus, Jon; Meyer, Caroline

2014-12-01

There is a paucity of research in the area of social support and psychological well-being among people with gender dysphoria. The present study aimed to investigate levels of social support among individuals with gender dysphoria compared with a matched control group. It also aimed to examine the relationship between social support and psychological well-being. Participants were 103 individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria (according to ICD-10 criteria) attending a national gender identity clinic and an age- and gender-matched nonclinical control group recruited via social networking websites. All participants completed measures of social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, MSPSS), psychopathology (Symptom Checklist 90 Revised, SCL), quality of life (Short Form 36 version 2, SF), and life satisfaction (Personal Wellbeing Index, PWI). Trans women reported significantly lower MSPSS total and MSPSS family scores compared with control women, although these differences in levels of social support were no longer significant when SCL depression was controlled for. No significant differences were found between trans men and any other group. MSPSS scores did not significantly predict SCL subscales but did predict both SF subscales and PWI total scores. Trans women perceived themselves to be lacking social support. Given that social support is beneficial to quality of life and life satisfaction in those with gender dysphoria, this is of great concern. Though these findings have been derived from correlational results, extended research may highlight the value of clinicians helping trans women to seek out and maintain social support. Additionally, efforts could be made to educate and challenge attitudes of nontrans people towards those with gender dysphoria. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Socioeconomic Status, Structural and Functional Measures of Social Support, and Mortality

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Stringhini, Silvia; Berkman, Lisa; Dugravot, Aline; Ferrie, Jane E.; Marmot, Michael; Kivimaki, Mika; Singh-Manoux, Archana

2012-01-01

The authors examined the associations of social support with socioeconomic status (SES) and with mortality, as well as how SES differences in social support might account for SES differences in mortality. Analyses were based on 9,333 participants from the British Whitehall II Study cohort, a longitudinal cohort established in 1985 among London-based civil servants who were 35–55 years of age at baseline. SES was assessed using participant's employment grades at baseline. Social support was assessed 3 times in the 24.4-year period during which participants were monitored for death. In men, marital status, and to a lesser extent network score (but not low perceived support or high negative aspects of close relationships), predicted both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Measures of social support were not associated with cancer mortality. Men in the lowest SES category had an increased risk of death compared with those in the highest category (for all-cause mortality, hazard ratio = 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.21, 2.08; for cardiovascular mortality, hazard ratio = 2.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.55, 3.92). Network score and marital status combined explained 27% (95% confidence interval: 14, 43) and 29% (95% confidence interval: 17, 52) of the associations between SES and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. In women, there was no consistent association between social support indicators and mortality. The present study suggests that in men, social isolation is not only an important risk factor for mortality but is also likely to contribute to differences in mortality by SES. PMID:22534202

[An investigation of occupational stress, social support, and happiness of junior civil servants].

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Wang, Lingfeng

2015-10-01

To investigate the current status of occupational stress, social support, and happiness in junior civil servants in northern Zhejiang Province, China, and to investigate the relationship between occupational stress, social support and happiness. A total of 360 junior civil servants from below-county-level administrative organizations in Huzhou, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou were surveyed using the job stress questionnaire and social support rating scale for civil servants. The total average score of occupational stress in junior civil servants was 2.52 ± 0.48, indicating a moderate level of occupational stress; career prospects topped the rank list of sources of occupational stress with a score of 2.90 ± 0.60; different generations showed significant differences in the sources and total average scores of occupational stress, with the scores of the 1980s, 1990s, 1970s, 1950s, and 1960s groups decreasing in the same order (Phappiness among the junior civil servants were relatively low, with scores of 38.43 ± 8.38 and 76.88 ± 12.77, respectively; different generations also showed significant differences, with the scores of 1980s, 1990s, 1970s, 1950s, and 1960s groups increasing in the same order (Phappiness than males (Phappiness of junior civil servants (r=0.405~0.571, Phappiness of junior civil servants.

Continuous use of intermittent bladder catheterization - can social support contribute?

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Marjoyre Anne Lindozo Lopes

2014-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to investigate the factors affecting the adequate continuous use of intermittent catheterization and its relation with social support.METHOD: sectional, descriptive and correlational study involving 49 patients with neuropathic bladder caused by spinal cord injury.RESULTS: almost all (92% participants continued the intermittent catheterization, but 46.9% made some changes in the technique. The complications (28.6% of the sample were mainly infection and vesicolithiasis. There were high scores for social support in relation to people that were part of the patient's social support.CONCLUSION: All of them noticed great support from the family, but not from the society in general. The difficulties were related to the lack of equipment and inadequate infrastructure, leading to changes that increased urologic complications.

The Reverse of Social Anxiety Is Not Always the Opposite: The Reverse-Scored Items of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale Do Not Belong

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Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Woods, Carol M.; Heimberg, Richard G.

2007-01-01

Although well-used and empirically supported, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) has a questionable factor structure and includes reverse-scored items with questionable utility. Here, using samples of undergraduates and a sample of clients with social anxiety disorder, we extend previous work that opened the question of whether the…

Is overprotection a different construct of social support?

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Victoria Permuy

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to contribute to a better definition of the overprotection construct. More specifically, it aims at establishing whether or not it can be considered just an excess of social support. To do this, two instruments, OPSA and UCLA-SSI, developed from different perspectives on the issue, were translated and adapted from English into Spanish. Analysis performed on a diverse sample of 436 subjects show a good reliability of scores obtained with the Spanish versions, as much on the OPSA test (α = .82 with the full format and α = .81 with the short one as on the two selected subscales of the UCLA-SSI test (α = .88 with Need/ Want Support subscale, and α = .90 with the Support Received subscale. The relationship among the different measurements was analyzed in a typical sample of 50 recent myocardial infarction patients, as usual in this field. Results suggest that overprotection differs both in quality and quantity from given social support, but it is however related to needed social support. This new finding seems to indicate that those individuals who are more in need of social support could indeed be the more overprotected ones. Clinical and educational implications of the results are discussed.

Gender differences in posttraumatic stress symptoms and social support in a sample of HIV-positive individuals.

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Rzeszutek, Marcin; Oniszczenko, Włodzimierz; Firląg-Burkacka, Ewa

2017-08-01

The aim of the authors of the present study was to investigate gender differences in the levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and social support in a Polish sample of HIV+ men (n = 613) and women (n = 230). This was an anonymous cross-sectional study, and participation was voluntary. The research questionnaires were distributed in paper form among patients of Warsaw's Hospital for Infectious Diseases from January to October 2015. The level of PTSS was assessed using the PTSD Factorial Version Inventory. Social support was assessed using the Berlin Social Support Scales. HIV+ women scored higher on all PTSS dimensions compared to HIV+ men. HIV+ women were characterized by a higher need for support and more support actually received compared to HIV+ men. We observed a positive association between HIV infection duration and AIDS phase and the global trauma score only among HIV+ men. The moderation analysis also revealed a positive relationship between actual received support and the global trauma score among HIV+ women only. Increased clinician awareness is needed about the role of PTSS and social support among people living with HIV, especially taking gender differences into account.

Association between suicidal ideation and behavior, and depression, anxiety, and perceived social support in cancer patients.

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Balcı Şengül, Melike Ceyhan; Kaya, Vildan; Şen, Cenk Ahmet; Kaya, Kemal

2014-02-27

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between suicidal behavior and associated factors such as depression, anxiety, and perceived social support level in cancer patients. The study group included 102 patients who were under treatment in the oncology department and the control group included 100 individuals with similar sociodemographic features. A sociodemographic information form, Beck depression inventory, Beck anxiety inventory, suicidal behavior inventory, suicidal ideation inventory, and multidimensional inventory of perceived social support were used. The mean Beck depression inventory and Beck anxiety inventory scores in the study group were significantly higher compared to the control group. Thirteen patients in the study group attempted suicide, whereas 3 individuals attempted suicide in the control group. Similarly, the mean suicide behavior and ideation scores in the study group were significantly higher compared to the control group. The mean total multidimensional inventories of perceived social support score, as well as the mean family and friend sub-inventory scores in the control group were significantly higher compared to the study group. This study revealed that depression and anxiety occur frequently in cancer patients. Suicide attempts and ideation are higher in cancer patients compared to the control group. Social support perceived from family and friends is lower in cancer patients. Suicide attempts are correlated with depression, anxiety, low level of perceived social support, and advanced disease stage.

The need for friendships and information: Dimensions of social support and posttraumatic growth among women with breast cancer.

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Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Tuval-Mashiach, Rivka; Goldzweig, Gil; Levi, Rienat; Pizem, Noam; Kaufman, Bela

2016-08-01

Employing a cross-sectional design, the current study examined the relationships between various agents and types of support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among women with breast cancer. Eighty married women who were coping with breast cancer completed social support and PTG questionnaires. All agents of social support (family, friends, belief-based), excluding spousal support, and all types of social support were found to be related to the various PTG dimensions and its total score. Regression analyses revealed that, among the agents of support, only support provided from friends and belief-based support uniquely contribute to prediction of total PTG score. While examining the contribution of various types of support, only cognitive support had a unique contribution to prediction of total PTG score. Various agents and types of support play different roles in the PTG process following breast cancer. Accordingly, friends as an agent of support and information as a type of support seem to be most important in enhancing PTG among women with breast cancer.

[Resilience in Individuals with Gender Dysphoria: Association with Perceived Social Support and Discrimination].

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Başar, Koray; Öz, Gökhan

2016-01-01

Psychological distress associated with discrimination is proposed to have an indirect effect on the development of mental disorders, through its negative influence on individual's cognitive, affective and social coping strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between resilience, perceived social support, and perceived discrimination in individuals with gender dysphoria. Individuals with gender dysphoria were assessed with Turkish validated forms of Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perceived Discrimination Scale (PDS), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Diagnoses of mental disorders, history of suicide attempt and non-suicidal self injury were assessed with clinical interviews. Self-report forms were used to obtain demographic information and gender transition related features. Participants' (n=116, 88 trans men) median age was 25. Significantly low RSA scores, indicating poor resilience, were obtained in participants with lifetime (59.5 %) and present (27.6 %) diagnosis of any mental disorder, history of suicide attempt (23.3 %). There was significant direct correlation between RSA and MSPSS scores, inverse correlation with BDI and personal PDS scores, but not with group PDS. Regression analysis revealed that only friends domain score in MSPSS predicted better resilience, whereas personal perceived discrimination score predicted poor resilience. Findings support the association between poor resilience and vulnerability to mental and behavioral problems in individuals with gender dysphoria. The associations reveal the significance of addressing discrimination and assisting individuals with gender dysphoria in developing strategies to obtain peer support in providing mental health services.

Social supports and mental health: a cross-sectional study on the correlation of self-consistency and congruence in China.

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Gu, YanMei; Hu, Jie; Hu, YaPing; Wang, JianRong

2016-06-28

Psychosocial job characteristics require nursing staff with high self-consistency and good mental health. However, the attention and effort of such study remained very limited in China. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the bedside nurses in an affiliated hospital of Hebei Medical University, China. Of 218 registered bedside nurses eligible to participate in the survey anonymously, the data producing sample of 172 subjects resulted in a 79 % of effective response rate.. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to measure social support, and the Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale were used to measure mental health. Compared with the normal referenced group of college students, higher self-flexibility scores, lower self-conflict and self-stethoscope scores from the sample group were obtained with statistical significance in self-conflict scores. The close correlations were observed between participants' social support and Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale score. The difference of Social Support Rating Scale score was significant in demographic features including years of work, marital status, only child family, and levels of cooperation with other health worker. Bedside nurses in this study show a better inner harmony, and their Self-Consistency and Congruence closely correlates with the levels of social support. Thus, it is substantial to improve inner perception of support and external factors, such as the workplace support, and offer beneficial social environment to improve the bedside nurse's sub-health symptoms and decrease the high turnover rate.

Social support differentially moderates the impact of neuroticism and extraversion on mental wellbeing among community-dwelling older adults.

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McHugh, J E; Lawlor, B A

2012-10-01

Personality affects psychological wellbeing, and social support networks may mediate this effect. This may be particularly pertinent in later life, when social structures change significantly, and can lead to a decline in psychological wellbeing. To examine, in an older population, whether the relationships between neuroticism and extraversion and mental wellbeing are moderated by available social support networks. We gathered information from 536 community-dwelling older adults, regarding personality, social support networks, depressive symptomatology, anxiety and perceived stress, as well as controlling for age and gender. Neuroticism and extraversion interacted with social support networks to determine psychological wellbeing (depression, stress and anxiety). High scores on the social support networks measure appear to be protective against the deleterious effects of high scores on the neuroticism scale on psychological wellbeing. Meanwhile, individuals high in extraversion appear to require large social support networks in order to maintain psychological wellbeing. Large familial and friendship social support networks are associated with good psychological wellbeing. To optimise psychological wellbeing in older adults, improving social support networks may be differentially effective for different personality types.

Influence of Social Support on Health-Related Quality of Life in New-Generation Migrant Workers in Eastern China.

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Xing, Haiyan; Yu, Wei; Chen, Sanmei; Zhang, Dengke; Tan, Rongmei

2013-08-01

The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) has generally been used for patients, few studies in migrants who move from rural to urban within one country. Many studies asserted that social isolation presents a risk to individual health. Poor social networks are associated with worse QOL. This study examined health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and social support in new-generation migrant workers and compared it with urban workers. Nine hundred thirty new-generation migrant workers and 939 urban controls completed the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) by stratified sampling in 2011. Spearman's correlation was performed to clarify the relationship between social support and HRQOL in migrants. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify the variables that were associated with HRQOL. The general health, psychological health, and environmental scores of QOL in new-generation migrant workers were lower than in urban workers. New-generation migrants had poorer social support compared with urban controls with regard to general support, objective support, and support utilization. A positive correlation was found between social support and HRQOL. Workers with a higher level of education achieved better psychological, environmental, and general scores than workers with a primary education. Physical, social, environmental, and general health was also closely connected with the age factor. Physical health scores were higher in males than in females. These data suggest that new-generation migrant workers have significant impairment in HRQOL and receive less social support. HRQOL may be affected by social support, education, age, and gender.

Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in child victims of sexual abuse: perceived social support as a protection factor.

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Aydin, Berna; Akbas, Seher; Turla, Ahmet; Dundar, Cihad

2016-08-01

Background Social support has been shown to play a protective role against the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in individuals exposed to trauma. Aims The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of perceived social support on depression and PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and to determine the relationship between them. Method In total 182 victims of sexual abuse aged 6-18 at time of interview were assessed. Clinical interviews, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI) were used to assess children's psychological status, while the Perceived Social Support Scale-Revised (PSSS-R) was used to measure social support. Results Girls had significantly higher median CDI and CPTS-RI scores than boys, while no significant difference was determined between boys and girls in terms of PSSS-R scores. A statistically significant negative correlation was determined between CDI and PSSS-R scores, CPTS-RI scores and PSSS-R scores in girls, while no significant correlation was identified in male victims. Conclusions In conclusion, we think that social support networks for victims of sexual abuse need to be broadened and increased, and that importance should be attached to protective approaches in that context.

Longitudinal analysis of relationships between social support and general health in an Australian population cohort of young women.

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Holden, Libby; Lee, Christina; Hockey, Richard; Ware, Robert S; Dobson, Annette J

2015-02-01

The influence of social support on health and quality of life has been well documented. There is less evidence on whether health status affects social support, and little is known about longitudinal relationships between social support and health in early adulthood. This study investigates these associations using both concurrent and time-lagged measures at 5 time-points over 12 years during early adulthood. A population-based cohort of 9,758 young women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was used. Women were aged 22-27 in 2000 and 35-39 in 2012. The General Health subscale of the SF-36 and the MOS Social Support Survey 6-item Scale were used, with scores standardised to a range of 0-100. Longitudinal tobit models were used, because both social support and general health data were left skewed, with marked ceiling effects. All models were adjusted for status of the outcome of interest at the immediately previous survey. With both concurrent and time-lagged measures, there was a statistically significant difference in mean general health scores across social support quintiles after adjusting for demographic and behavioural covariates: lower general health was associated with lower social support. In reverse, social support mean scores were also significantly different across general health quintiles in both concurrent and time-lagged fully adjusted models. Social support is significantly associated with both current and subsequent general health in early adulthood. The significance of the reverse associations indicates that the two mutually influence each other. This study highlights the importance of social support as a health-related quality of life issue.

Depression and perceived social support from family in Turkish patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis

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Ayfer Tezel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Dialysis patients experience psychosocial problems, such as anxiety, depression, social isolation, loneliness, helplessness, and hopelessness. All of these psychosocial problems can increase patients′ need for holistic care, including attention to the person′s environment and receiving support from family. If dialysis patients are better supported and cared for, these negative consequences might be prevented or at least decreased. This study was performed to determine the perceived social support from family and depression level of hemodialysis patients. Methods: In this study, descriptive design was used. Data were collected during structured interviews in an outpatient clinic using a questionnaire. The questionnaire aimed to determine the patients′ descriptive characters and the scores of Beck Depression Inventory and Perceived Social Support from Family Scales. In data evaluation, descriptive statistics, Student′s t tests, Kruskal Wallis tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and Pearson product moment correlations were used. Results: The mean depression score was very high (23.2 ± 10.5. Significant differences were found between employment status and level of depressive symptoms. The mean level of perceived social support from family was 15.23 ± 5.37. There were no statistically significant differences between all the variables for the level of perceived social support from family. Perceived social support from family was negatively correlated with depression. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that Turkish hemodialysis patients experience depression. However, patients who were dissatisfied with their social relationships had higher depression scores.

A Sectional Study: The Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Depression in Turkish Infertile Women

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Kubra Erdem

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Studies conducted on infertile women in the literature investigated some features such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social support. However, there has been no study examining the relationship between levels of perceived social support and depression in infertile women. Considering this deficiency, the study was conducted to determine the relationship between perceived social support and depression in infertile women. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between perceived social support and depression in infertile women. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and sectional study was conducted between 16 April and 31 October 2012 in in vitro fertilisation (IVF Centre of Fırat University Research Hospital. Sampling formula was used in cases when the number of elements in the population was not known to calculate minimum sample size required to be included in the study. A total of 238 women who applied to the relevant centre between the specified dates constituted the sample group of the study. A Questionnaire Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS were used to collect the data. A pilot study was carried out on nine infertile women. As a result of the pilot study, we formed the final version of the Questionnaire Form. The data of these nine women were not involved in the research. The data obtained from the study was assessed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA version 15.0. Percentage distribution, mean, t test, one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data. Results: The women’s total mean score on the BDI was 12.55 ± 8.07. Scores obtained by women on the MSPSS was 15.75 ± 8.53 for the subscale of friend, 21.52 ± 8.20 for the subscale of family, and 15.62 ± 8.45 for the subscale of significant others. The women’s total

The relation between social support, anxiety and distress symptoms and maternal fetal attachment.

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Hopkins, Joyce; Miller, Jennifer L; Butler, Kristina; Gibson, Lynda; Hedrick, Laura; Boyle, Deborah Anne

2018-05-04

The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the relation between social support, trait anxiety, symptoms of maternal distress (including stress, depression and anxiety) and maternal-fetal attachment; and (2) to determine if social support buffers the relation between trait anxiety, symptoms of distress and maternal-fetal attachment. Ninety-four pregnant women completed five self-report questions. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the influence of trait anxiety, symptoms of distress, and social support on two factors of maternal-fetal attachment, quality and intensity/frequency. In the first model with the dependent measure as the maternal-fetal attachment quality score, trait anxiety (β = -.24, p social support (β = .30, p social support (β = .32, p social support is high, the relation between anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment intensity/frequency is attenuated. This study demonstrates that prenatal attachment is related to trait anxiety and social support. These findings suggest that interventions to decrease anxiety and increase social support could enhance maternal-fetal attachment.

Physiological-Social Scores in Predicting Outcomes of Prehospital Internal Patients

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Abbasali Ebrahimian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The physiological-social modified early warning score system is a newly developed instrument for the identification of patients at risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the physiological-social modified early warning score system for the identification of patients that needed prehospital emergency care. This prospective cohort study was conducted with 2157 patients. This instrument was used as a measure to detect critical illness in patients hospitalised in internal wards. Judgment by an emergency medicine specialist was used as a measure of standard. Data were analyzed by using receiver operating characteristics curves and the area under the curve with 95% confidence interval. The mean score of the physiological-social modified early warning score system was 2.71 ± 3.55. Moreover, 97.6% patients with the score ≥ 4 needed prehospital emergency services. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.738 (95% CI = 0.708–0.767. Emergency medical staffs can use PMEWS ≥ 4 to identify those patients hospitalised in the internal ward as at risk patients. The physiological-social modified early warning score system is suggested to be used for decision-making of emergency staff about internal patients’ wards in EMS situations.

Social support received by multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients and related factors: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China

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Chen B

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Bin Chen,1 Yin Peng,1 Lin Zhou,1 Chengliang Chai,1 Hui-Chi Yeh,2 Songhua Chen,1 Fei Wang,1 Mingwu Zhang,1 Tieniu He,1 Xiaomeng Wang1 1Department of Tuberculosis Control and Prevention, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Politics & International Relations, Social Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the social support received by patients diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB in Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China and the factors that may have influenced it. Methods: A total of 220 MDR-TB patients participated in the questionnaire-based survey, and the data from 212 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The respondents reported their sociodemographic status, disease features, and attitudes toward the disease. The social support rating scale was used to measure the patients’ social support scores. An Independent Samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and a multiple linear regression model were used to analyze the related factors for the social support scores. Result: The average social support score of each MDR-TB patient was 32.56±7.86. Participants who were single, widowed or divorced, retired, and had fewer family members and lower family income were found to have lower social support scores. Participants unwilling to disclose their disease tended to have less social support (31.59<34.23, P=0.010. Participants who perceived great help from health care workers reported higher social support rating scale scores than those who perceived no help (35.36>29.89, P=0.014. Conclusion: MDR-TB patients in Zhejiang Province were shown to have a low level of social support. Patients who were not married, had smaller families, and lower family income received less social support, suggesting that family harmony could be an important source of social support. Patients�

Communication competence, social support, and depression among college students: a model of facebook and face-to-face support network influence.

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Wright, Kevin B; Rosenberg, Jenny; Egbert, Nicole; Ploeger, Nicole A; Bernard, Daniel R; King, Shawn

2013-01-01

This study examined the influence of the social networking site Facebook and face-to-face support networks on depression among (N = 361) college students. The authors used the Relational Health Communication Competence Model as a framework for examining the influence of communication competence on social support network satisfaction and depression. Moreover, they examined the influence of interpersonal and social integrative motives as exogenous variables. On the basis of previous work, the authors propose and test a theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results indicated empirical support for the model, with interpersonal motives predicting increased face-to-face and computer-mediated competence, increased social support satisfaction with face-to-face and Facebook support, and lower depression scores. The implications of the findings for theory, key limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Relationship between Emotional and Esteem Social Support Messages and Health.

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Robinson, James D; Turner, Jeanine W; Tian, Yan; Neustadtl, Alan; Mun, Seong Ki; Levine, Betty

2017-11-28

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the relative contribution of five types of social support to improved patient health. This analysis suggests that emotional and esteem social support messages are associated with improved patient health as measured by a decrease in average blood glucose levels among diabetic patients. In addition, when two system feature variables, two system use variables, two measures of learning, one measure of self-efficacy, and one measure of affect toward their HCP were added to the baseline model, a third significant factor emerged. Perceptions about learning about diabetes from reading the digital messages sent by their HCP also predicted improved patient health. Cognitive-Emotional Theory of Esteem Support Messages suggests a combination of esteem social support and emotional social support messages enhanced our ability to predict improved patient health by change in patient hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) scores. While a nonrandomized prospective study, this investigation provides support for the notion that provider-patient interaction is related to improved patient health and that both emotional and esteem social support messages play a role in that process. Finally, the study suggests some types of social support are and other types are not associated with improved patient health; this is consistent with the optimal matching hypothesis.

[Mediation role of self-efficacy between social support and depression of only-child-lost people].

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Zhang, Wen; Wang, Anni; Guo, Yufang; Yao, Shuyu; Luo, Yuanhui; Zhang, Jingping

2017-07-28

To investigate the relationship between social support and depression of only-child-lost (OCL) people, and the mediation role of self-efficacy in this relationship. 
 Methods: By stratified cluster sampling, 214 OCL people were enrolled, with 80 males and 134 females, ages from 49 to 83 years old. They were assessed by General Self-Efficacy Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, and Self-rating Depression Scale.
 Results: Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age groups (t=2.85, Psocial support scores. There was significant difference between the per capita monthly income and self-efficacy scores in QCL people (F=5.46, Psocial support were positively correlated (r=0.26, Psocial support (r=-0.59, Psocial support and depression.
 Conclusion: The person who is social support levels among QCL people. The person who has high per capita monthly income would have high self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is one of the direct prediction for depression, and plays an indirect role between social support and depression. Intervention of depression among OCL people could be applied to change their cognition, and to enhance their self-efficacy.

Standardization of Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) in Japan.

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Aiba, Miyuki; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Fukuoka, Yoshiharu; Lebowitz, Adam; Shiratori, Yuki; Doi, Nagafumi; Matsui, Yutaka

2017-07-01

This study describes the Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) as a standardized brief inventory measuring various aspects of social support. We confirmed the reliability and validity for function and direction of support and standardized the BISSEN. For Sample 1, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 5200 residents in Japan. We conducted mail surveys and responses were retrieved from 2274 participants (collection rate 43.7%). Participants completed a questionnaire packet that included BISSEN, suicidal ideation, depression, support seeking, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Sample 2 surveys for test-retest reliability were conducted on 23 residents at approximately two-week intervals. Participants were asked about gender, age, and BISSEN. First, we assessed the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct, convergent, and concurrent validity. McDonald's omega (.73-.92) and test-retest correlations (.78-.85) demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Depression, support seeking, and MSPSS were significantly correlated with all scores of BISSEN. The non-suicidal ideation group had significantly more support compared to the suicidal ideation group. Therefore, function and direction of support in BISSEN had sufficient reliability and validity. Next, we standardized BISSEN using Z-scores and percentile rank with respect to each 12 norm groups by age and gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Type D personality, illness perception, social support and quality of life in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

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Li, Jianying; Wu, Xiaofeng; Lin, Jianxiong; Zou, Dongmei; Yang, Xiao; Cheng, Shouzhen; Guo, Qunying

2017-02-01

The previous studies reported Type D was associated with poor quality of life (QoL), increased psychological distress, and impaired health status in cardiac patients. The aim of this study is to assess the relationships among Type D personality, illness perception, social support, and investigate the impact of Type D personality on QoL in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Type D personality was assessed by the Chinese 14-item Type D Personality Scale (DS14). Illness perceptions were assessed using the Chinese version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ). Social support status was assessed by the well-validated social support rating scale (SSRS). Patients' QoL was assessed by using Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36), respectively. The Type Ds had significantly lower objective support score (8.18 ± 2.56 vs. 9.67 ± 3.28, p = 0.0001), subjective support score (6.71 ± 2.0 vs. 7.62 ± 1.93, p = 0.0001) and utilization of social support score (6.76 ± 2.0 vs. 7.61 ± 1.94, p = 0.0001) than that of the non-type Ds. Type Ds believed their illness had much more serious consequences (7.67 ± 2.64 vs. 6.27 ± 3.45, p illness (6.65 ± 2.54 vs. 7.31 ± 2.36, p = 0.023). Significant differences were found between Type Ds and non-Type Ds in PCS (40.53 ± 6.42 vs. 48.54 ± 6.21 p mental component score (MCS) (r = -0.31, p social support (r = -0.24, p illness perceptions, social support and QoL in CAPD patients. The worse illness perceptions and lower social support level therefore represent possible mechanisms to explain the link between Type D and poor QoL in CAPD patients.

Perceived social support and the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans in urban Kenya.

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Okawa, Sumiyo; Yasuoka, Junko; Ishikawa, Naoko; Poudel, Krishna C; Ragi, Allan; Jimba, Masamine

2011-09-01

Parental deaths due to AIDS seriously affect the psychological well-being of children. Social support may provide an effective resource in the care of vulnerable children in resource-limited settings. However, few studies have examined the relationships between social support and psychological well-being among AIDS orphans. This cross-sectional study was conducted to explore associations between perceived social support (PSS) and the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans, and to identify socio-demographic factors that are associated with PSS. Data were collected from 398 pairs of AIDS orphans (aged 10-18 years) and their caregivers in Nairobi, Kenya. The participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics, the children's PSS, and the children's psychological status (based on measures of depressive symptoms and self-esteem). Of the 398 pairs, 327 were included in the analysis. PSS scores of AIDS orphans showed significant correlations with depressive symptoms (ρ =-0.31, psiblings (β=3.044, p=0.016), were also associated with higher PSS scores. In particular, HIV-infected children (n=37) had higher scores of PSS from a special person (β=2.208, p=0.004), and children living with biological siblings (n=269) also had higher scores of PSS from both a special person (β=1.411, p=0.029) and friends (β=1.276, p=0.039). In conclusion, this study showed that PSS is positively associated with the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans. Siblings and special persons can be effective sources of social support for AIDS orphans, which help to promote their psychological well-being.

Correlation between social support, personality traits and mental health in antiaircraft artillerymen

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Bin TIAN

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Objective To quantitatively assess the mental health status and analyze the relationship between social support, personality traits and mental health in antiaircraft artillery personnel. Methods One hundred and forty-five antiaircraft artillerymen were tested with the Social Support Scale, the Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90, and the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale for Chinese (EPQ-RSC. The questionnaires were returned by 143 artillerymen and the data were processed by t-test, pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis. Results Every factor score of SCL-90 was significantly higher than that of civilian cohorts (P < 0.001. The total score(151.88±38.39, P < 0.05 and the scores of somatization (1.63±0.48, P < 0.05, obsessive-compulsiveness (1.95±0.59, P < 0.001, anxiety (1.67±0.51, P < 0.01 and hostility (1.78±0.62, P < 0.01 of SCL-90 were significantly higher than the norm of those of Chinese army men. The utilization of social support showed significant negative correlation with total score (r=－0.205, P < 0.05, interpersonal sensitivity (r=－0.182, P < 0.05, depression (r=－0.200, P < 0.05, paranoid ideation (r=－0.263, P < 0.01, and neuroticism in personality traits (r=－0.241, P < 0.01. There was significant positive correlation between the utilization of social support and EPQ-E (r=0.339, P < 0.01. Every factor of SCL-90 except hostility (r=－0.202 to －0.393, P < 0.05, P < 0.01 showed significant negative correlation with EPQ-E. There was significant positive correlation between most factors of SCL-90 and EPQ-P (except obsessive-compulsive and somatization, r=0.167-0.246, P < 0.05, P < 0.01 and EPQ-N (r=0.386-0.584, P < 0.01. Conclusions The mental health of antiaircraft artillerymen is not so optimistic, and it should be taken care seriously. In addition, we should also pay attention to the effect of utilization of social support and personality trait in improving mental health.

Social support and factors associated with self-efficacy among acute-care nurse practitioners.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Sophia H; Yu, Ya-Mei; Chang, Wen-Yin; Lin, Yen-Kuang

2018-02-01

To investigate the relationship of nurse practitioners' social support as well as other factors associated with perceived self-efficacy. There is a growing demand for nurse practitioners in Taiwan, for whom self-perceived efficacy is associated with performance. Nevertheless, research on the self-efficacy and social support of nurse practitioners is limited. This is a cross-sectional survey study. Questionnaires were distributed to nurse practitioners in seven hospitals in northern Taiwan from May 2015 to March 2016. In total, data from 335 (78% return rate) certified nurse practitioners were analysed. Social support was measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), and perceived self-efficacy was measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE). Data were analysed by ANOVAs with post hoc test and multiple linear regression. The mean score for self-efficacy was 27.60 ± 6.17. Support scores were 11.574 ± 2.37 for supervisors, 12.795 ± 1.92 for coworkers and 64.07 ± 10.16 for family, friends and significant others. nurse practitioners in the high monthly salary group had significantly higher self-efficacy than nurse practitioners in the medium and low monthly salary group (F = 8.99; p Social support from coworkers (β = 0.18, p social support were found to contribute to nurse practitioners' self-efficacy. Thus, to enhance nurse practitioners' self-efficacy and work performance, nursing leaders should address these issues. The findings inform hospital administrators to be aware of the importance of salary in relation to nurse practitioners' perceptions of social support and self-efficacy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Private support and social securityPrivate support and social security

OpenAIRE

Frans van Dijk

1998-01-01

The issue is addressed whether assistance to persons in need can be left to the `family' and the `community'. In that case people depend on their social networks. The support a person receives through a given network of social ties is examined. However, ties are diverse and subject to change. By means of a model of the dynamics of social ties, the conditions for adequate private support are analyzed. The sustainability of private support over time is examined by incorporating the impact on so...

The relationship of maternal-fetal attachment and depression with social support in pregnant women referring to health centers of Tabriz-Iran, 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Delavari, Mina; Mirghafourvand, Mojgan; Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, Sakineh

2018-09-01

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship of maternal-fetal attachment and depression during pregnancy with social support. This cross-sectional study was done on 287 primipara women. The data collection tools used included a demographic characteristics questionnaire, Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Social Support Scale. Pearson's correlation test and general linear model were used for data analysis. The mean maternal-fetal attachment score was 90.0 (SD: 10.3). The highest score was obtained in the "role taking" domain and the lowest in the "interaction with the fetus" domain. The mean depression score was 8.5 (SD: 4.0). The score of perceived social support was 135.5 (SD: 15.6). Pearson's correlation test showed a significant positive correlation between social support and maternal-fetal attachment (r = 0.36, p social support and depression (r= -0.14, p = .018). The present study found a significant relationship between maternal-fetal attachment, depression and social support. It is recommended to devise plans for increasing the support given to women and to improve the society's and families' awareness about these issues in the attempt to have healthy mothers and thereby healthy families and communities.

The influence of social support on psychological distress in Canadian adults with bipolar disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Christie D; Fowler, Ken; Speed, David; Walsh, Anna

2018-05-08

Individuals with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and bipolar II disorder (BD-II) are at higher risk for experiencing high levels of psychological distress and low levels of social support. The primary objectives of this study were to examine perceived social support and psychological distress among Canadian adults with self-reported BD-I or BD-II as diagnosed by a health professional and explore the relationship between types of social support and psychological distress within this sample. Using a cross-sectional, national datafile, 563 Canadian male and female adults (20-64 years) who reported being diagnosed with BD-I or BD-II were investigated using the Social Provisions Scale (SPS), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). It was observed that while the BD-I or BD-II sample had significantly lower SPS scores and significantly higher K10 scores than the overall Canadian sample, age and support in the form of reassurance of worth and social integration were associated with decreased psychological distress. Further, a diagnosis of BD-I and BD-II was found to moderate the effect of social support on psychological distress. Despite the limitations, which include self-reported diagnosis of BD-I and BD-II and potential exclusion of those who are not diagnosed but have BD-I or BD-II, these findings suggest that reassurance of worth and social integration may act as protective factors for psychological distress among individuals with BD-I or BD-II.

Dimensions of functional social support and psychological symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Schonfeld, I S

1991-11-01

In the summer following graduation a sample of 125 female college graduates (mean age = 28) completed Cohen & Wills' ISEL (1985) which includes scales measuring four social support functions: belonging (social companionship), appraisal (availability of confidants), tangible (instrumental), and self-esteem support. In the summer and fall subject status on two outcome scales was ascertained: the Psychophysiologic Symptom Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Reliability of the difference scores suggested that the ISEL scales do not measure entirely different constructs and the ISEL Self-esteem Scale is operationally redundant with the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale and the CES-D. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that the ISEL scales were related to symptoms. By contrast, standard longitudinal and prospective MLR analyses indicated that only the Belonging Scale was significantly related to future symptoms. The issues of confounding support with symptoms and the dimensionality of the subscales were discussed. The study suggests that specific functions of support take on greater importance during major life transitions and that any one supportive behaviour often serves multiple functions.

Social Anxiety and Social Support in Romantic Relationships.

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Porter, Eliora; Chambless, Dianne L

2017-05-01

Little is known about the quality of socially anxious individuals' romantic relationships. In the present study, we examine associations between social anxiety and social support in such relationships. In Study 1, we collected self-report data on social anxiety symptoms and received, provided, and perceived social support from 343 undergraduates and their romantic partners. One year later couples were contacted to determine whether they were still in this relationship. Results indicated that men's social anxiety at Time 1 predicted higher rates of breakup at Time 2. Men's and women's perceived support, as well as men's provided support, were also significantly predictive of breakup. Social anxiety did not interact with any of the support variables to predict breakup. In Study 2, a subset of undergraduate couples with a partner high (n=27) or low (n=27) in social anxiety completed two 10-minute, lab-based, video-recorded social support tasks. Both partners rated their received or provided social support following the interaction, and trained observers also coded for support behaviors. Results showed that socially anxious individuals received less support from their partners during the interaction according to participant but not observer report. High and lower social anxiety couples did not differ in terms of the target's provision of support. Taken together, results suggest that social anxiety is associated with difficulties even in the context of established romantic relationships. Clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Social support and pregnancy: II. Its relationship with depressive symptoms among Japanese women.

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Kitamura, T; Toda, M A; Shima, S; Sugawara, K; Sugawara, M

1998-02-01

In a questionnaire survey among 1329 first-trimester pregnant women, both the husband support measures and unwanted pregnancy ('stressor' agent in pregnancy) showed significant effects on an elevated score of the cognitive disturbance subscale of the Zung's self-rating depression scale (SDS), while only unwanted pregnancies showed an effect on an elevated score of the dysphoric mood subscale of the SDS. However, no interaction was observed between the husband support measures and unwanted pregnancy, therefore the effect of the husband's social support on the cognitive disturbance score was not that of a buffer, but rather a main effector. Finally, multiple regression analyses showed that the dysphoric mood score was preceded by unwanted pregnancy, premenstrual irritability, public self-consciousness, and maternal overprotection; while the cognitive disturbance score was preceded by unwanted pregnancy, husband reduced 'given' and 'giving' support, maternal reduced care and overprotection, paternal reduced care, low annual income, low private self-consciousness, and smoking. These findings suggest that the husband's support for a pregnant woman is effective only in reducing cognitive symptoms, and that different symptomatic constellations have different sets of psychosocial correlates.

Racial differences in the impact of social support on nocturnal blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Denise C; Ziegler, Michael G; Nelesen, Richard A; Dimsdale, Joel E

2009-06-01

To investigate whether black and white adults benefit similarly from perceived social support in relation to blood pressure (BP) dipping during sleep. The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL, 12-item version), which measures the perceived availability of several types of functional social support, was examined for interactive effects with race on dipping of mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) derived from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). The sample consisted of 156 young to middle-aged adults (61 blacks, 95 whites; mean age = 35.7 years). Mean ISEL scores did not differ between racial groups. Controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), resting BP, and socioeconomic status (SES), the interaction of social support by race yielded associations with nighttime dipping in MAP and DBP (p social support increased, white adults received cardiovascular benefits as suggested by enhanced nocturnal dipping of BP, but black adults accrued risks as evidenced by blunted declines in BP during sleep.

Gender Differences in Perceived Social Support and Stressful Life Events in Depressed Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Soman, S; Bhat, S M; Latha, K S; Praharaj, S K

2016-03-01

To study the gender differences in perceived social support and life events in patients with depression. A total of 118 patients aged 18 to 60 years, with depressive disorder according to the DSM-IV-TR, were evaluated using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale. The perceived social support score was significantly higher in males than females (p friends than females (p life events as well as specific type of life events in males that became apparent after controlling for education (p life event in both males and females. Work-related problems were more commonly reported by males, whereas family and marital conflict were more frequently reported by females. Perceived social support and stressful life events were higher in males with depression than females.

Relationships among depression, anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and perceived social support in adolescents with conversion disorder.

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Yılmaz, Savaş; Bilgiç, Ayhan; Akça, Ömer Faruk; Türkoğlu, Serhat; Hergüner, Sabri

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess the relationships of depression, anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and perceived social support with conversion symptoms in adolescents with conversion disorder (CD). Fifty outpatients, aged 8-18 years, who had been diagnosed with CD and members of a control group were assessed using the psychological questionnaires. Compared with controls, adolescents with CD scored higher on the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Screen for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI) total, CASI physical and cognitive subscales, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support family subscale. Multiple regression analysis showed that CDI, CASI total, and CASI cognitive scores predicted the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ) scores and that CDI and CASI total scores predicted the Children's Somatization Inventory (CSI) scores of subjects. This study suggest that adolescents with CD had poor psychosocial well-being, and depression, global anxiety sensitivity and anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns are related to conversion symptoms.

Measures of Patient Activation and Social Support in a Peer-Led Support Network for Women With Cardiovascular Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Dawn; Benson, Gretchen; Campbell, Susan; Sillah, Arthur; Berra, Kathy

Social support has been associated with beneficial effects on many disease states and overall health and well-being. However, there is limited research exploring the impact of peer-led support models among women living with coronary heart disease. This study describes the structure of peer-led support groups offered by WomenHeart (WH): The National Coalition for Women Living with Heart Disease, and assesses WH participants' quality of life and social, emotional, and physical health. Participants were recruited from 50 WH groups. A 70-item online survey was administered, and the main analytic sample included 157 women. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between patient activation levels (lower activation levels: 1, 2 vs higher activation levels: 3, 4) and social support scores (range: lowest 8 to highest 34), adjusting for age. High levels of social support, patient activation, physical activity, and low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were reported. Those who were at or above the median for the social support measures (indicating high levels of social support) had greater odds of high levels of patient activation (level 3 or 4) than individuals reporting low levels of social support (OR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.04-4.76; P = .012). Women who regularly attended a support group by a trained peer leader were highly engaged in their health care and had low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. These findings lend credibility to the value of the peer support model and could potentially be replicated in other disease states to enhance patient care.

Association of social network and social support with health-related quality of life and fatigue in long-term survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, A; Biasoli, I; Scheliga, A; Baptista, R L; Brabo, E P; Morais, J C; Werneck, G L; Spector, N

2013-08-01

As the number of survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) increases, there has been a growing interest in long-term treatment-related side effects and their impact on the quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the association of social network and social support with the QoL and fatigue among long-term HL survivors. A total of 200 HL survivors were included. The generic Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire, the QoL cancer survivor's questionnaire (QOL-CS), and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory were used to assess QoL and fatigue. Social network and social support were evaluated with the Social Support Survey. Social network and all social support measures were favorably associated with two or more SF-12 scales, mainly with physical functioning and the mental health scales. Social network and social support dimensions were also associated with better QOL-CS scores. Affective support, informational support, positive interaction, and emotional support were associated with less fatigue. Both social network and social support are associated with better QoL and lower levels of fatigue in HL survivors. This information may be useful to health professionals and community organizations in implementing effective interventions to improve these patients' quality of life.

[Influence of social support and personality traits on psychological characteristic of patients with chronic cervicodynia and lumbodynia].

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jie; Zhao, Ping; Chen, Li-Jun; Qin, Hui-Qing; Shi, Wang-Hong; Guo, Wei; Zhen, Ying

2012-03-01

To explore the effects of social support and personality traits on psychological characteristic of patients with chronic cervicodynia and lumbodynia and improve the level of diagnosis and treatment. From August 2009 to April 2010, 231 patients (obtained 217 effective responses) with chronic cervicodynia and lumbodynia were recruited. Among the patients, there were 123 males and 94 females, with an average age of (38.00 +/- 5.67) years (ranged from 15 to 66 years). Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used to test social support and psychological characteristic and compared the difference of psychological, personality traits and norm, then analyzed the effect of social support and personality traits on psychological characteristic. Two hundred and seventeen (93.9%) patients completed the questionnaire. Compared with normal 16PF scores, there were significant differences in factor scores of intelligence, stability, excitability, perseverance,social boldness, vigilance, sophistication, experimental, independence and tonicity (P characteristic between patients with chronic cervicodynia and lumbodynia and norms. Improving social support level and optimizing personality traits can improve psychological profile of these patients.

Perceived social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Tehranian adults: Tehran lipid and glucose study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalali-Farahani, Sara; Amiri, Parisa; Karimi, Mehrdad; Vahedi-Notash, Golnaz; Amirshekari, Golshan; Azizi, Fereidoun

2018-05-10

Several studies have demonstrated the positive association between perceived social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in certain groups; however, few studies have assessed this relationship in general population and between genders. This study aimed to investigate associations between socio-demographic factors, perceived social support and HRQoL among an urban Iranian population. The study population were 1036 adults who had participated in Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Data on socio-demographic information, perceived social support and HRQoL were collected using standard questionnaires by trained interviewers. Perceived social support and HRQoL were assessed using Iranian versions of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Short-Form 12-Item Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2) respectively. Data on sets of associations among socio-demographic factors, perceived social support and quality of life were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with IBM SPSS AMOS software. Mean ages were 50.3 ± 16.3 and 49.6 ± 14.0 years in men and women respectively and 40.9% of participants were male. In terms of perceived social support scores, except for family subscale scores (p = 0.003), there were no significant differences between men and women. However, men had significantly higher HRQoL scores, compared to women in all subscales. The findings of SEM analysis demonstrated that being married in both genders (p social support. In terms of physical HRQoL, being single and higher perceived social support in both genders and lower age and not having any chronic diseases, only in women were associated with higher physical HRQoL. However, for mental HRQoL, age and perceived social support had significant direct associations with mental HRQoL in both genders (p social support was found to be both directly and indirectly associated with physical and mental aspects of HRQoL in both genders. Current

Relationship between perceived social support and self-care behavior in type 2 diabetics: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohebi, Siamak; Parham, Mahmoud; Sharifirad, Gholamreza; Gharlipour, Zabihollah; Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl; Rajati, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

Social support is one of the most effective factors on the diabetic self-care. This study aimed to assess social support and its relationship to self-care in type 2 diabetic patients in Qom, Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 325 diabetics attending the Diabetes Mellitus Association. Patients who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected using random sampling method. Data were collected by the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, with hemoglobin A 1 C test. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t -test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and linear regression test, using 0.05 as the critical significance level, provided by SPSS software. The mean and standard deviation of self-care and social support scores were 4.31 ± 2.7 and 50.32 ± 11.09, respectively. The mean level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1 C) of patients was 7.54. There was a significant difference between mean score of self-care behaviors and social support according to gender and marital status ( P social support significantly correlated ( r = 0.489, P > 0.001) and also predictive power of social support was 0.28. Self-care was significantly better in diabetics with HbA 1 C ≤7%. Patients who had higher HbA 1 C felt less, but not significant, social support. This study indicated the relationship between social support and self-care behaviors in type 2 diabetic patients. Interventions that focus on improving the social support and self-care of diabetic control may be more effective in improving glycemic control.

Supporting the Co-operative Organisation of Rational Energy Use (SCORE). Romania Country Document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-10-01

Energy efficiency improvements in the various end-use sectors constitute a very substantial saving potential, which presently is insufficiently addressed in Central and Eastern Europe. For that reason the SCORE concept has been initiated. SCORE stands for 'Supporting the Cooperative Organisation of Rational Energy Use'. SCORE is a Netherlands society to society programme, aiming at assisting the social transformation in the Central and Eastern European countries through projects and actions aiming at improvements in environmental protection and energy end-use sectors. SCORE is managed by the Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment (Novem) in partnership with local agencies in Central and Eastern Europe. The SCORE Country Document is based on: Survey on the existing policies and measures for energy efficiency, identified barriers, and the priorities for energy efficiency improvement in the country. The survey was carried out among some of the most important actors in this area by interviews, supported by filling in a questionnaire in a common format. Review of the existing strategic and regulatory documents and policy papers, different information sources like studies, reports, Internet sites. In chapter 2 the qualitative and quantitative situation in the field of energy supply and consumption is presented. In chapter 3 several topics will be addressed to provide insight into the national energy efficiency and climate change policy, a review, of the actors, with their tasks and responsibilities, the domestic programmes and initiatives as well as the foreign assistance programmes and initiatives. Chapter 4 includes the bottlenecks and problems identified to improve the energy efficiency situation in Romania. In chapter 5 some remarks are made on the criteria for SCORE projects

Supporting the Co-operative Organisation of Rational Energy Use (SCORE). Bulgaria Country Document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-12-01

SCORE stands for Supporting the Co-operative Organisation of Rational Energy Use. It aims at assisting the social transformation in the Central and Eastern European countries by creating self-supporting structures that are able to stimulate the efficient use of energy in end-user sectors. This document aims at presenting an in-depth institutional analysis of the energy efficiency situation in Bulgaria, including the current situation with regard to energy supply, consumption and environmental aspects, as well as an analysis of energy efficiency policies, instruments and organisations. Also, the document identifies problems related to energy efficiency in Bulgaria and indicates the areas of actions for an integrated SCORE programme in Bulgaria. The input for this process was provided by a survey among the main actors in the field, consisting of a questionnaire and interviews and a review of available information. The results were discussed in a workshop attended by the main stakeholders. The main characteristics of the Bulgarian energy sector are summarised in chapter 2. They indicate a high dependency on imported resources, a low quality of domestic fuels, a relatively high energy intensity of production and a low efficiency at supply and demand side with consider able potential for improvement. The restructuring of the sector has started but the process is far from completed. In the main towns heat is mainly supplied by district heating generated partly in co-generation plants. Gas distribution for public and residential buildings is quickly developing. In Chapter 3 the existing policies and actors are described and a 'roadmap' for energy efficiency actors is given. This provides the basis for defining the priorities for energy efficiency improvements presented in Chapter 4, by analysing the tools, policy instruments and organisations. Barriers and priority actions were defined in relation to the national policy level, the institutional structure, financial and

Características do apoio social oferecido a idosos de área rural assistida pelo PSF Characteristics of social support offered rural elderly persons assisted by PSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Leonel Gonçalves Pinto

2006-09-01

domiciles. Elevated mean support scores were identified, indicating a favorable situation among the elderly persons studied. In average terms, the category of support with the worst score was "positive social interaction". Bivariate analysis demonstrated a positive association between the affective support score and emotional support with the number of persons in the domicile and greater frequency of high social-interaction scores (3rd tercile in elderly men and those with a greater degree of formal education. The study also showed that lower social-support scores were more frequent in women, illiterates, widowers or single men, and elderly persons with income between one and two times the minimum salary.

Effects of Social Support and Volunteering on Depression Among Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Heejung; Tang, Fengyan

2016-10-01

Guided by a stress-buffering model, this study examined the effect of the caregiver stress on depressive symptoms, specifically the moderating effects of social support and volunteering on the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms among grandparent caregivers. The 2010 Health and Retirement Survey included a sample of 1,973 grandparent caregivers who reported their stress scores. Findings suggest that positive social support and volunteering significantly moderated the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms. In particular, the study revealed that perceived quality of relations may help grandparent caregivers cope with their ongoing stress and enlarged social interaction may buffer the increase of negative stressor outcomes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Social Support and HIV Risks Among Migrant and Non-Migrant Market Workers in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Science.gov (United States)

Mergenova, Gaukhar; Shaw, Stacey A; Terlikbayeva, Assel; Gilbert, Louisa; Gensburg, Lenore; Primbetova, Sholpan; El-Bassel, Nabila

2017-08-01

Migration processes are listed within the primary factors facilitating the heterosexual spread of HIV. The study examines the relationship between social support, sexual HIV risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among 1342 male migrant and non-migrant market workers from Barakholka Market in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (1) higher level of perceived social support [Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) Social Support Instrument (ESSI score)] was associated with a lower likelihood of having sex with a female sex worker (FSW) [OR = 0.952 (0.927, 0.978) p social support factors should be considered as a component of HIV and STI prevention programs for male migrant workers from Central Asia in Kazakhstan.

Online Social Support for Young People: Does It Recapitulate In-person Social Support; Can It Help?

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, David A; Nick, Elizabeth A; Zelkowitz, Rachel L; Roeder, Kathryn M; Spinelli, Tawny

2017-03-01

As social media websites have grown in popularity, public concern about online victimization has grown as well; however, much less attention has focused on the possible beneficial effects of online social networks. If theory and research about in-person social networks pertain, then online social relationships may represent an important modern source of or vehicle for support. In a study of 231 undergraduates, three major findings emerged: (1) for people with weaker in-person social support, social media sites provide a source of social support that is less redundant of the social support they receive in person; (2) in ways that were not redundant of each other, both online and in-person social support were associated with lower levels of depression-related thoughts and feelings, and (3) the beneficial effects of online social support (like in-person social support) offset some of the adverse effects of peer victimization. The study suggests that augmenting social relations via strategic use of social media can enhance young people's social support systems in beneficial ways.

The Relationship Between Maternal Attachment, Perceived Social Support and Breast-Feeding Sufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cinar, N.; Kose, D.; Altinkaynak, S.

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine the relationship between maternal attachment, perceived social support and breast-feeding sufficiency. Study Design: Descriptive correlational design. Place and Duration of Study: A state hospital and two family health centers in Sakarya, Turkey, between June to December 2011. Methodology: The sample was 122 voluntary mothers who had healthy babies of 1 - 2 months old. The data were collected by a Personal Information Form, Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Breast-feeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). The data collected were analysed by percentage distribution, mean square, independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskall-Wallis and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean age of the mothers was 25.01 ± 2.2 years, and 48.4% of them were primary school graduates. BSESSF was 61.02 ± 8.44 (16 - 70), MAI was 99.07 ± 7.19 (56 - 100) and MSPSS was 66.40 ± 13.58 (37 - 84). There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total scores of BSES-SF and MAI (r=0.370, p < 0.001). There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total score of BSES-SF and the score from family subdimension of MSPSS (r=0.255, p < 0.01).There was a positive, medium level, significant relationship between the total score of MAI and the total score of family subdimension of MSPSS (r=0.339, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Successful maternal attachment and familial support positively affected the breast-feeding sufficiency of the mother. (author)

Perceived Discrimination, Social Support, and Quality of Life in Gender Dysphoria.

Science.gov (United States)

Başar, Koray; Öz, Gökhan; Karakaya, Jale

2016-07-01

Transgender individuals experience discrimination in all domains of their personal and social life. Discrimination is believed to be associated with worse quality of life (QoL). To investigate the relation between QoL and perceived levels of discrimination and social support in individuals with gender dysphoria (GD). Individuals with GD who attended a psychiatry clinic from January 2012 through December 2014 were recruited. Demographic, social, and medical transition features were collected with standardized forms. Self-report measurements of QoL (Turkish version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life-BREF) that included physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains, perceived discrimination with personal and group subscales (Perceived Discrimination Scale [PDS]), and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) were completed. Ninety-four participants (76.6% trans men) adequately completed the study measurements. Regression models with each QoL domain score as a dependent variable indicated a significant predictor value of personal PDS in social and environmental QoL. Social support from family was associated with better QoL in psychological QoL, whereas perceived support from friends significantly predicted all other domains of QoL. There was a tendency for group PDS to be rated higher than personal PDS, suggesting personal vs group discrimination discrepancy. However, group PDS was not found to be a predictor of QoL in the multivariate model. Perceived personal discrimination and social support from different sources predicted domains of QoL with a non-uniform pattern in individuals with GD. Social support and discrimination were found to have opposing contributions to QoL in GD. The present findings emphasize the necessity of addressing discrimination and social support in clinical work with GD. Moreover, strategies to improve and strengthen friend and family support for individuals with GD should be explored by

Postinjury anxiety and social support among collegiate athletes: a comparison between orthopaedic injuries and concussions.

Science.gov (United States)

Covassin, Tracey; Crutcher, Bryan; Bleecker, Alisha; Heiden, Erin O; Dailey, Alexander; Yang, Jingzhen

2014-01-01

When an athlete is injured, the primary focus of the sports medicine team is to treat the physical effects of the injury. However, many injured athletes experience negative psychological responses, including anxiety, regarding their injury. To compare the anxiety and social support of athletes with concussions and a matched group of athletes with orthopaedic injuries. Cross-sectional study. Athletic training room. A total of 525 injuries among athletes from 2 Big Ten universities were observed. Of these, 63 concussion injuries were matched with 63 orthopaedic injuries for the athlete's sex, sport, and time loss due to injury. Clinical measures included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (which measures both state and trait anxiety) and the modified 6-item Social Support Questionnaire. The group with concussions relied on their family for social support 89% of the time, followed by friends (78%), teammates (65%), athletic trainers (48%), coaches (47%), and physicians (35%). The group with orthopaedic injuries relied on their family for social support 87% of the time, followed by friends (84%), teammates (65%), athletic trainers (57%), coaches (51%), and physicians (36%). We found no differences for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (t = -1.38, P = .193) between the concussed and orthopaedic-injury groups. Social Support Questionnaire scores were significant predictors for postinjury state anxiety. Specifically, increased scores were associated with decreased postinjury state anxiety (β = -4.21, P = .0001). Both the concussed athletes and those with orthopaedic injuries experienced similar state and trait anxiety and relied on similar sources of social support postinjury. However, athletes with orthopaedic injuries reported greater satisfaction with support from all sources compared with concussed athletes. In contrast, concussed athletes showed more significant predictor models of social support on state anxiety at return to play.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE AMONG ARAB ADOLESCENTS IN ISRAEL AND ITS RELATION TO SELF-CONTROL SKILLS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT.

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Agbaria, Qutaiba; Daher, Wajeeh

2015-08-01

In this paper, the author used a cross-sectional design to assess the association between the tendency toward school violence, on the one hand, and self-control, social support, and sex, on the other, among 148 Arab-Israeli adolescents in schools in northern Israel. Standard questionnaires on violence, self-control, and social support were administered. In line with expectations, self-reported violence was significantly associated with males, as well as low scores on self-control and social support.

Contingent association between the size of the social support network and osteoporosis among Korean elderly women.

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Lee, Seungwon; Seo, Da Hea; Kim, Kyoung Min; Lee, Eun Young; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Kim, Chang Oh; Youm, Yoosik; Rhee, Yumie

2017-01-01

To investigate the association between the number of personal ties (or the size of the social support network) and the incidence of osteoporosis among older women in Korea. Data from the Korean Urban Rural Elderly Study were used. Bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femur neck. T-score, the standardized bone density compared with what is normally expected in a healthy young adult, was measured and the presence of osteoporosis was determined, if the T-score was social support network size was measured by self-responses (number of confidants and spouse). Of the 1,846 participants, 44.9% were diagnosed with osteoporosis. The association between the social support network size and the incidence of osteoporosis was curvilinear in both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Having more people in one's social support network size was associated with lower risk of osteoporosis until it reached around four. Increasing the social support network size beyond four, in contrast, was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. This association was contingent on the average intimacy level of the social network. At the highest average intimacy level ("extremely close"), increasing the number of social support network members from one to six was associated with linear decrease in the predicted probability of osteoporosis from 45% to 30%. However, at the lowest average intimacy level ("not very close"), the predicted probability of osteoporosis dramatically increased from 48% to 80% as the size of the social network increased from one to six. Our results show that maintaining a large and intimate social support network is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis among elderly Korean women, while a large but less-intimate social relationship is associated with a higher risk.

Association between regular physical exercise and depressive symptoms mediated through social support and resilience in Japanese company workers: a cross-sectional study.

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Yoshikawa, Eisho; Nishi, Daisuke; Matsuoka, Yutaka J

2016-07-12

Regular physical exercise has been reported to reduce depressive symptoms. Several lines of evidence suggest that physical exercise may prevent depression by promoting social support or resilience, which is the ability to adapt to challenging life conditions. The aim of this study was to compare depressive symptoms, social support, and resilience between Japanese company workers who engaged in regular physical exercise and workers who did not exercise regularly. We also investigated whether regular physical exercise has an indirect association with depressive symptoms through social support and resilience. Participants were 715 Japanese employees at six worksites. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, social support with the short version of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and resilience with the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14). A self-report questionnaire, which was extracted from the Japanese version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, was used to assess whether participants engage in regular physical exercise, defined as more than 20 min, three or more times per week. The group differences in CES-D, SSQ, and RS-14 scores were investigated by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Mediation analysis was conducted by using Preacher and Hayes' bootstrap script to assess whether regular physical exercise is associated with depressive symptoms indirectly through resilience and social support. The SSQ Number score (F = 4.82, p = 0.03), SSQ Satisfaction score (F = 6.68, p = 0.01), and RS-14 score (F = 6.01, p = 0.01) were significantly higher in the group with regular physical exercise (n = 83) than in the group without regular physical exercise (n = 632) after adjusting for age, education, marital status, and job status. The difference in CES-D score was not significant (F = 2.90, p = 0.09). Bootstrapping revealed significant negative indirect

Impact of Perceived Stress, Anxiety-Depression and Social Support on Coping Strategies of Parents Having A Child With Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome.

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Goussé, Véronique; Czernecki, Virginie; Denis, Pierre; Stilgenbauer, Jean-Louis; Deniau, Emmanuelle; Hartmann, Andreas

2016-02-01

Previous reports have indicated that raising a child with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) could be considered a stressful experience. Thus our study aimed to assess the impact of perceived stress (i.e. parental cognitive perception of their child's disorder) and social support (number of people surrounding the subject providing support) on coping strategies-defined as processes of restoring balance between excessive demands and inadequate resources-of parents having a child with GTS. Twenty-eight parents of 21 patients with GTS (aged 6 to 16years) completed questionnaires on perceived stress (ALE Scale), social support (SSQ6), coping strategies (WCC-R) and anxiety-depression (HAD). Principal component analysis showed a negative correlation between social support on one side and perceived stress and anxiety/depression on the other. Problem- and emotion-focused coping both correlated with social support, all of them being independent from perceived stress and anxiety/depression. Hierarchical ascendant classification showed three clusters of individuals in our parents' groups: i) those having high scores in perceived stress and anxiety-depression; ii) those having high scores in social support associated with low scores in perceived stress; iii) parents having lower than average scores on both problem- and emotion- focused coping and social support. Our results reinforce the need for developing training programs for parents with GTS children to better understand and tolerate the disorder to decrease their stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived Social Support and Maternal Competence in Primipara Women during Pregnancy and After Childbirth.

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Esmaelzadeh Saeieh, Sara; Rahimzadeh, Mitra; Yazdkhasti, Mansooreh; Torkashvand, Shoukofeh

2017-10-01

Developing maternal competence in first time mothers has a significant impact on neonate's growth psychosocial development and neonates growth and psychological development. Social support can be an important element for becoming a new mother. We aimed to investigate how social support and maternal competence change during pregnancy and 4 months after it and examine the relationships among social support and maternal competence. This longitudinal study was conducted on 100 first time mothers attending health centers in Alborz city, Alborz Province, between February 2015 and January 2016. Data were collected through perceived social support questionnaire that consisted of 12 questions and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale consisting of 17 items scored based on Likert's scale. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 16. Repeated-measure test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used. Psocial support did not show any significant reduction (P=0.286). A direct relationship was found between social support and maternal competent six weeks after childbirth (r=0.19, P=0.049), and also social support and maternal competence sixteen weeks after childbirth (r=0.23, P=0.01). Considering the reduction of maternal competency during the study, social support by healthcare providers may be helpful for the mothers' transition to motherhood, and midwives must design specific interventions to promote the sense of maternal competence and perceived social support in first time mothers.

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN OLDER PERSONS: AN EXAMINATION OF INTERACTION PROCESSES IN AUSTRALIA.

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Sharpley, Christopher; Hussain, Rafat; Wark, Stuart; Mcevoy, Mark; Attia, John

2015-12-01

Social support is proposed as a coping mechanism against anxiety and depression amongst older persons, but few data have examined how this occurs. This study assessed the contributions of two sub-components of social support as mediators against psychological distress-broadly defined as anxiety and depression. 1,560 men and 1,758 women from the Hunter Community Study (Australia) completed the Duke Social Support Scale and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The Duke Social Support Scale examined the amount of social interaction and satisfaction with social interactions. Significant mediating effects of social support were found in the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale items measuring depression but not anxiety. Satisfaction with social support was a significant predictor of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale total score and Sadness items, but the amount of social support was not a predictor of stress. Social support may assist with symptoms of depression, i.e., specific sadness/depressed mood, but not necessarily with anxiety. Implications for policy and service delivery were discussed.

INTERNET DEPENDENCE IN CHINESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: RELATIONSHIP WITH SEX, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT.

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Zhang, Ruiping

2015-08-01

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships among self-esteem, social support, and Internet dependence. A sample of young people aged between 15 and 18 years old (M age = 16.3 yr., SD = 0.7; 470 boys, 441 girls) completed measures of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Internet Dependence Test. According to the cognitive-behavioral model of problematic Internet use, social support should mediate the relationship between self-esteem and Internet dependence. Furthermore, based on previous research it was predicted that boys would score higher on Internet dependence than women. Support for this model was obtained. Internet dependent students were more likely to be boys. Self-esteem and social support were negatively correlated with Internet dependence. The relationship between self-esteem and Internet dependence was mediated by social support. Although the effect sizes were small, the findings of the present study are of significance in investigating adolescents' Internet dependence.

Perceived social support affects disease coping among people living with HIV: a study in Tehran, Iran

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Elham Faraji

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine potential correlations between perceived social support and disease coping styles among people living with HIV infection at a referral center in Tehran. Methods: In an observational study, 112 patients were recruited between April and July 2012. Along with demographic characteristics, availability of tangible, informational, and emotional support was measured using subscales extracted from the medical outcomes study: social support survey; disease coping styles were investigated in four groups (problem-focused, emotion-focused, engagement-based, and meaning-based. Data were analyzed to examine whether social support subscales predict coping styles. Results: Almost 70% of the patients were male, and 52% reported sexual contact as their perceived route of infection. Use of coping styles was positively correlated with social support scores (rs = 0.53, P < 0.001, and informational support had significant influence on implementation of three out of the four coping styles (emotion-focused, problem-focused, engagement-based. Being married and not reporting the route of infection were associated with higher social support scores; monthly income and level of education had significant associations with the use of various coping styles. Conclusions: Patients who implement strategies to cope with HIV/AIDS have received more informational and emotional support. This study recommends that the delivery of informational support in a comprehensive package can practically target the current demands of our patients; while thorough investigation of potential effects on disease coping, response to treatment, and compliance can aid us in the design of interventions to target stigma at societal level.

Life stressors, coping strategies, and social supports in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

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Roohafza, Hamidreza; Keshteli, Ammar Hassanzadeh; Daghaghzadeh, Hamed; Afshar, Hamid; Erfani, Zahra; Adibi, Peyman

2016-01-01

The frequency and the perceived intensity of life stressors, coping strategies, and social supports are very important in everybody's well-being. This study intended to estimate the relation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and these factors. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Isfahan on 2013. Data were extracted from the framework of the study on the epidemiology of psychological, alimentary health, and nutrition. Symptoms of IBS were evaluated by Talley bowel disease questionnaire. Stressful life event, modified COPE scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were also used. About 4763 subjects were completed questionnaires. Analyzing data were done by t -test and multivariate logistic regression. Of all returned questionnaire, 1024 (21.5%) were diagnosed with IBS. IBS and clinically-significant IBS (IBS-S) groups have significantly experienced a higher level of perceived intensity of stressors and had a higher frequency of stressors. The mean score of social supports and the mean scores of three coping strategies (problem engagement, support seeking, and positive reinterpretation and growth) were significantly lower in subjects with either IBS-S or IBS than in those with no IBS. Multivariate logistic regression revealed a significant association between frequency of stressors and perceived intensity of stressors with IBS (odds ratio [OR] =1.09 and OR = 1.02, respectively) or IBS-S (OR = 1.09 and OR = 1.03, respectively). People with IBS had higher numbers of stressors, higher perception of the intensity of stressors, less adaptive coping strategies, and less social supports which should be focused in psychosocial interventions.

Birth Cohort Changes in Chinese College Students' Loneliness and Social Support

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Xin, Sufei; Xin, Ziqiang

2016-01-01

With the dramatic recent changes in Chinese society, Chinese college students' average levels of loneliness and social support might also have changed across their birth cohorts. The present cross-temporal meta-analysis of 56 studies (N = 21,541) found that Chinese college students' scores on the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) increased…

Influence of hope, social support, and self-esteem in early stage dementia.

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Cotter, Valerie T; Gonzalez, Elizabeth W; Fisher, Kathleen; Richards, Kathy C

2018-02-01

Background People in the early stages of dementia adjust to the illness through stages of awareness, coping, and evaluation. Studies have found that hope, social support, and self-esteem facilitate coping, adjustment, and adaptation in chronic illness. Objective The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationships between hope, social support, and self-esteem in individuals with early stage dementia. Methods Data were obtained from 53 individuals with early stage dementia. The scores on the Herth Hope Index, Social Support Questionnaire Short-Form, and the State Self-Esteem Scale were analyzed using linear regression. Results Hope was moderately associated with self-esteem ( r = .49, p self-esteem and was a key component in predicting self-esteem. No significant relationship was found between social support and self-esteem. Conclusion Findings suggest that hope may be an important factor to help individuals manage potential threats to self-esteem in the experience of early stage dementia. Strategies to inspire hope and then enhance self-esteem are promising for individuals living with early stage dementia.

Quality of life and social support in patients with multiple sclerosis.

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Rosiak, Katarzyna; Zagożdżon, Paweł

2017-10-29

Quality of life and needforsocial support in persons diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are to a large extent determined by the degree of their disability. The aim of the study was to analyze an association between specific forms of MS, subjectively perceived quality of life and social support. The study included subjects with established diagnosis of MS, treated at rehabilitation centers, hospitals and in a home setting, as well as the members of patient organizations. After being informed about objectives of the study, type of included tasks and way to complete them, each participant was handed out a set of questionnaires: Berlin Social Support Scales (Łuszczyńska, Kowalska, Schwarzer, Schulz), Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOLBREF), as well as a survey developed specifically for the purposes of this project. The results were subjected to statistical analysis with STATA 12 package. The study included a total of 110 persons (67 women and 43 men). Quality of life overall, as well in physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental health domains, turned out to be particularly important in patients with primary-progressive MS. Irrespective of MS type, social support overall did not play a significant role on univariate analysis. However, subgroup analysis according to sex demonstrated that men with MS received social support four times less often than women. Quality of life in individuals with primary-progressive MS is significantly lower than in patients presenting with other types of this disease. Men with MS are more likely to present with worse scores for social support overall. They are less likely both to acknowledge the need for support and to realize the availability of support they actually need.

The predicting roles of reasons for living and social support on depression, anxiety and stress among young people in Malaysia.

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Amit, N; Ibrahim, N; Aga Mohd Jaladin, R; Che Din, N

2017-10-01

This research examined the predicting roles of reasons for living and social support on depression, anxiety and stress in Malaysia. This research was carried out on a sample of 263 participants (age range 12-24 years old), from Klang Valley, Selangor. The survey package comprises demographic information, a measure of reasons for living, social support, depression, anxiety and stress. To analyse the data, correlation analysis and a series of linear multiple regression analysis were carried out. Findings showed that there were low negative relationships between all subdomains and the total score of reasons for living and depression. There were also low negative relationships between domain-specific of social support (family and friends) and total social support and depression. In terms of the family alliance, self-acceptance and total score of reasons for living, they were negatively associated with anxiety, whereas family social support was negatively associated with stress. The linear regression analysis showed that only future optimism and family social support found to be the significant predictors for depression. Family alliance and total reasons for living were significant in predicting anxiety, whereas family social support was significant in predicting stress. These findings have the potential to promote awareness related to depression, anxiety, and stress among youth in Malaysia.

The Social Interaction Phobia Scale: Continued support for the psychometric validity of the SIPS using clinical and non-clinical samples.

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Menatti, Alison R; Weeks, Justin W; Carleton, R Nicholas; Morrison, Amanda S; Heimberg, Richard G; Hope, Debra A; Blanco, Carlos; Schneier, Franklin R; Liebowitz, Michael R

2015-05-01

The present study sought to extend findings supporting the psychometric validity of a promising measure of social anxiety (SA) symptoms, the Social Interaction Phobia Scale (SIPS; Carleton et al., 2009). Analyses were conducted using three samples: social anxiety disorder (SAD) patients, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients, and healthy controls. SIPS scores of SAD patients demonstrated internal consistency and construct validity, and the previously demonstrated three-factor structure of the SIPS was replicated. Further, the SIPS total score uniquely predicted SA symptoms, and SIPS scores were significantly higher for SAD patients than GAD patients or controls. Two cut-off scores that discriminated SAD patients from GAD patients and from healthy controls were identified. The current study is the first to replicate the SIPS three-factor model in a large, treatment-seeking sample of SAD patients and establish a cut-off score discriminating SAD from GAD patients. Findings support the SIPS as a valid, SAD-specific assessment instrument. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between regular physical exercise and depressive symptoms mediated through social support and resilience in Japanese company workers: a cross-sectional study

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Eisho Yoshikawa

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Regular physical exercise has been reported to reduce depressive symptoms. Several lines of evidence suggest that physical exercise may prevent depression by promoting social support or resilience, which is the ability to adapt to challenging life conditions. The aim of this study was to compare depressive symptoms, social support, and resilience between Japanese company workers who engaged in regular physical exercise and workers who did not exercise regularly. We also investigated whether regular physical exercise has an indirect association with depressive symptoms through social support and resilience. Methods Participants were 715 Japanese employees at six worksites. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D scale, social support with the short version of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ, and resilience with the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14. A self-report questionnaire, which was extracted from the Japanese version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, was used to assess whether participants engage in regular physical exercise, defined as more than 20 min, three or more times per week. The group differences in CES-D, SSQ, and RS-14 scores were investigated by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA. Mediation analysis was conducted by using Preacher and Hayes’ bootstrap script to assess whether regular physical exercise is associated with depressive symptoms indirectly through resilience and social support. Results The SSQ Number score (F = 4.82, p = 0.03, SSQ Satisfaction score (F = 6.68, p = 0.01, and RS-14 score (F = 6.01, p = 0.01 were significantly higher in the group with regular physical exercise (n = 83 than in the group without regular physical exercise (n = 632 after adjusting for age, education, marital status, and job status. The difference in CES-D score was not significant (F = 2.90, p = 0

Social support, oxytocin, and PTSD

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olff, Miranda; Koch, Saskia B. J.; Nawijn, Laura; Frijling, Jessie L.; van Zuiden, Mirjam; Veltman, Dick J.

2014-01-01

A lack of social support and recognition by the environment is one of the most consistent risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PTSD patients will recover faster with proper social support. The oxytocin system has been proposed to underlie beneficial effects of social support as

PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND PARENTS ADJUSTMENT

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Patrizia VELOTTI

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Social networks often provide an important source of support for new parents. General, parent support programs sustain social-emotional development of children. Different aspects could impact both the quantity and quality of the sources of social support and the perception that parents would had. This study examines the role of social support in the couples of new-parents and assesses the influence of attachment models on it. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS were administered to a sample of 100 participants. Results indicated a perception of social support more pronounced in women, mainly on the dimension of social support derived from the partner. Furthermore, for women and not for men, an association between attachment models to the AAI and the different perceptions of social support was revealed. Data seems support the opportunity to assess parents during early rehabilitation interventions. Support groups could be used with insecure parents and has positive effects in reducing stress and promoting adjustment to the disability for children and their families.

Recovery from musculoskeletal injury: the role of social support following a transport accident.

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Prang, Khic-Houy; Berecki-Gisolf, Janneke; Newnam, Sharon

2015-07-03

Social support can be an important coping resource for persons recovering from injury. In this study, we examined the effects of family structure and sources of social support on physical health, persistent pain and return to work (RTW) outcomes following musculoskeletal injury (MSI) sustained in a transport accident. Secondary analysis of Transport Accident Commission (TAC) cross-sectional surveys held in 2010 and 2011 was conducted. In total 1649 persons with MSI were identified and included. Family structure was determined by marital status and number of children. Sources of social support were measured as perceived help from family, friends, neighbours and employers. Physical health was measured with the Physical Component Summary (PCS) score of the Short-Form-12 Health Survey Version 2. Persistent pain was defined as self-reported persistent pain experienced in the last 3 months, and RTW was defined as being back at work for ≥3 months at time of interview. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were used for the analyses. Family and friends' support was associated with better physical health among persons with >1 day hospital stay. Being married or in a de facto relationship was associated with greater PCS score among non-hospitalised persons. Being widowed/separated/divorced was associated with more self-reported persistent pain (odds ratio 1.62 [95 % confidence intervals 1.11-2.37]). Support from family (0.40 [0.24-0.68]), friends (0.29 [0.17-0.47]) and neighbours (0.59 [0.41-0.84]) was associated with less persistent pain. Among women, support from family (0.09 [0.01-0.78]) was negatively associated with RTW, whereas support from friends (3.03 [1.15-8.02]) was positively associated with RTW. These associations were not observed among men. For both men (5.62 [2.77-11.38]) and women (7.22 [2.58-20.20]), support from employers was positively associated with RTW. Family structure and sources of social support had a positive impact on physical health

Heterogeneity in Social Dilemmas: The Case of Social Support

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Vogt, S.B.

2007-01-01

“Heterogeneous Social Dilemmas: The Case of Social Support” studies the level of social support between heterogeneous actors. We consider heterogeneity with respect to several individual properties: the likelihood of needing support, the costs of providing support, and the benefits from receiving

Influence of Neighborhood-level Factors on Social Support in Early-stage Breast Cancer Patients and Controls

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Thompson, Tess; Rodebaugh, Thomas L.; Pérez, Maria; Struthers, Jim; Sefko, Julianne A.; Lian, Min; Schootman, Mario; Jeffe, Donna B.

2016-01-01

Rationale Low social support has been linked to negative health outcomes in breast cancer patients. Objective We examined associations between perceived social support, neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, and neighborhood-level social support in early-stage breast cancer patients and controls. Methods This two-year longitudinal study in the United States included information collected from telephone interviews and clinical records of 541 early-stage patients and 542 controls recruited from 2003 to 2007. Social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SS). Residential addresses were geocoded and used to develop measures including neighborhood social support (based on MOS-SS scores from nearby controls) and neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation (a composite index of census tract characteristics). Latent trajectory models were used to determine effects of neighborhood conditions on the stable (intercept) and changing (slope) aspects of social support. Results In a model with only neighborhood variables, greater socioeconomic deprivation was associated with patients’ lower stable social support (standardized estimate = −0.12, p = .027); neighborhood-level social support was associated with social support change (standardized estimate = 0.17, p = .046). After adding individual-level covariates, there were no direct neighborhood effects on social support. In patients, neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with support indirectly through marriage, insurance status, negative affect, and general health. In controls, neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with support indirectly through marriage (p social support differed in patients and controls. Psychosocial and neighborhood interventions may help patients with low social support, particularly patients without partnered relationships in deprived areas. PMID:27017091

THE MEASUREMENT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT IN THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH ON INCAPACITATING DISEASES AND SOCIAL SUPPORT - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL SUPPORT QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TRANSACTIONS (SSQT)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SUURMEIJER, TPBM; DOEGLAS, DM; BRIANCON, S; KRIJNEN, WP; KROL, B; SANDERMAN, R; MOUM, T; BJELLE, A; VANDENHEUVEL, WJA

Social support is supposed to have a beneficial effect on the health and wellbeing of people. It is a central concept in the 'EUropean Research on Incapacitating DIseaes and Social Support' (EURIDISS). In general, two main distinctions concerning social support are made in the literature, providing

The measurement of social support in the European Research on incapaciting diseases and social support : the development of the social support questionnaire for transactions (SSQT)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suurmeijer, T P B M; Doeglas, D M; Briançon, S; Krijnen, W; Krol, B.; Sanderman, R.; Moum, T; Bjelle, A; van den Heuvel, W.J.A.

1995-01-01

Social support is supposed to have a beneficial effect on the health and wellbeing of people. It is a central concept in the "European Research on Incapacitating Diseases and Social Support" (EURIDISS). In general, two main distinctions concerning social support are made in the literature, providing

Private support and social security.

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Van Dijk, F

1998-01-01

"The issue is addressed whether assistance to persons in need can be left to the ¿family' and the ¿community'. In that case people depend on their social networks. The support a person receives through a given network of social ties is examined. However, ties are diverse and subject to change. By means of a model of the dynamics of social ties, the conditions for adequate private support are analyzed. The sustainability of private support over time is examined by incorporating the impact on social ties of lending and receiving support. It is shown that support is only an effective alternative in a limited number of situations." excerpt

A survey of social support for exercise and its relationship to health behaviours and health status among endurance Nordic skiers.

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Anderson, Paul J; Bovard, Ralph S; Wang, Zhen; Beebe, Timothy J; Murad, Mohammad Hassan

2016-06-23

Regular exercise is a key component of obesity prevention and 48% of Americans do not meet minimum guidelines for weekly exercise. Social support has been shown to help individuals start and maintain exercise programmes. We evaluated social support among endurance athletes and explored the relationship between social support for exercise, health behaviours and health status. Survey. The largest Nordic ski race in North America. 5433 past participants responded to an online questionnaire. Social support, health behaviours and health status. The mean overall support score was 32.1 (SD=16.5; possible range=-16.0 to 88.0). The most common forms of social support were verbal such as discussing exercise, invitations to exercise and celebrating the enjoyment of exercise. We found that an increase of 10 points in the social support score was associated with a 5 min increase in weekly self-reported exercise (5.02, 95% CI 3.63 to 6.41). Physical activity recommendations should incorporate the importance of participation in group activities, especially those connected to strong fitness cultures created by community and competitive events. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Perceived Social Support and Maternal Competence in Primipara Women during Pregnancy and After Childbirth

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Sara Esmaelzadeh Saeieh

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Developing maternal competence in first time mothers has a significant impact on neonate’s growth psychosocial development and neonates growth and psychological development. Social support can be an important element for becoming a new mother. We aimed to investigate how social support and maternal competence change during pregnancy and 4 months after it and examine the relationships among social support and maternal competence. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted on 100 first time mothers attending health centers in Alborz city, Alborz Province, between February 2015 and January 2016. Data were collected through perceived social support questionnaire that consisted of 12 questions and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale consisting of 17 items scored based on Likert’s scale. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 16. Repeated-measure test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Maternal competence significantly reduced during the study (P=0.008, while perceived social support did not show any significant reduction (P=0.286. A direct relationship was found between social support and maternal competent six weeks after childbirth (r=0.19, P=0.049, and also social support and maternal competence sixteen weeks after childbirth (r=0.23, P=0.01. Conclusion: Considering the reduction of maternal competency during the study, social support by healthcare providers may be helpful for the mothers’ transition to motherhood, and midwives must design specific interventions to promote the sense of maternal competence and perceived social support in first time mothers.

Social support and ovarian cancer incidence - A Swedish prospective population-based study.

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Idahl, Annika; Hermansson, Andrea; Lalos, Ann

2018-05-01

Low social support is associated with worse prognosis for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. However, few studies have explored the relation between low social support and incidence of EOC. The aim of this prospective nested case-control study was to examine whether self-perceived low social support was associated with the incidence of EOC. The Swedish Cancer Registry was used to identify participants in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) comprising 58,000 women, who later developed EOC. Each case was matched to four cancer free controls. The VIP uses the Social Support questionnaire, a modified version of the validated questionnaire "The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction" (ISSI) measuring quantitative (AVSI) and qualitative (AVAT) aspects of social support. The risk of EOC in relation to AVSI and AVAT was similar between the 239 cases and the 941 controls after adjustment for educational level, smoking, BMI, Cambridge Physical Activity Index and age (aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.72-1.01 and aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.16-1.81). Lagtime was found to have no impact. A decreased risk of serous ovarian cancer was seen in women with fewer persons available for informal socializing (aOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59-0.95). Adjusted analyses showed non-significant odds ratios below 1.0 in the vast majority of histotypes. A general trend towards a decreased risk of ovarian cancer associated with low AVSI and AVAT was identified. Solely the serous subtype was significantly associated with low scores of AVSI. Prospective pathophysiological and epidemiological studies regarding social support are needed. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Injured athletes' perceptions about social support.

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Clement, Damien; Shannon, Vanessa R

2011-11-01

According to the buffering hypothesis, social support moderates the harmful effects of stress and, in turn, indirectly affects injured athletes' health and well-being. Previous research suggests that perceptions of social support influence athletes' psychological reactions, as well as their rehabilitation adherence, but additional research in this area is warranted. To examine injured athletes' perceptions regarding satisfaction, availability, and contribution for each of the 8 types of social support. Descriptive. Mid-Atlantic Division II and III institutions. 49 injured athletes. Social support was assessed using a modified version of the Social Support Survey. Injured athletes were significantly more satisfied with social support provided by athletic trainers (ATCs) than that provided by coaches and teammates. In addition, injured athletes reported that social support provided by ATCs contributed significantly more to their overall well-being. Athletes reported several significant differences regarding satisfaction and contribution to well-being among the 8 different types of social support. Injury, an unavoidable part of sport, is often accompanied by negative psychological reactions. This reaction may have a negative influence on an athlete's experience of injury and rehabilitation. Findings suggest that perceptions of social support provided by ATCs have the greatest influence on injured athletes' rehabilitation and well-being.

[Social support after traumatism].

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Maercker, A; Heim, E; Hecker, T; Thoma, M V

2017-01-01

The classical concept of social support has recently become of relevance again, particularly in the context of traumatized patient groups, which include refugees and migrants. This article summarizes the evidence from social support research, e. g. different types of positive effects as well as context, gender and cultural aspects. These aspects are highlighted by means of studies stemming from applied healthcare research and thus describe a wide range of health effects, e.g. increased well-being and reduced depressive symptoms, improved functional abilities, better immune status and longevity. Two new trauma-specific differentiations of the social support concept are introduced: societal acknowledgement as a trauma survivor and disclosure of traumatic experiences. Against this background several implications for working with refugees arise: promotion of self-efficacy and posttraumatic maturation as well as the treatment of mental disorders show considerable benefits from focusing on social support. Finally, possibilities emerging from digital communication media are discussed, which are particularly relevant in this context.

Influence of perceived social support on health and socio-economic differences in social support in adolescents

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Gecková, A.; Pudelsky, M.; van Dijk, J.P.

2001-01-01

The influence of perceived social support on health and socio-economic differences in social support were investigated in sample of adolescents (n = 2616, including 1370 boys, mean age 15 years). The perceived social support was studied in five spheres: school, interpersonal relations, serious

Social support, socio-economic status, health and abuse among older people in seven European countries.

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Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella; Chiatti, Carlos; Lamura, Giovanni; Torres-Gonzales, Francisco; Stankunas, Mindaugas; Lindert, Jutta; Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth; Barros, Henrique; Macassa, Gloria; Soares, Joaquim F J

2013-01-01

Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment. The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60-84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse. High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age.

Social support, socio-economic status, health and abuse among older people in seven European countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Gabriella Melchiorre

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment. METHODS: The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60-84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age.

Social Support, Socio-Economic Status, Health and Abuse among Older People in Seven European Countries

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Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella; Chiatti, Carlos; Lamura, Giovanni; Torres-Gonzales, Francisco; Stankunas, Mindaugas; Lindert, Jutta; Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth; Barros, Henrique; Macassa, Gloria; Soares, Joaquim F. J.

2013-01-01

Background Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment. Methods The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60–84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Results Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse. Conclusions High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age. PMID:23382989

The longitudinal relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and perceived social support in survivors of traumatic injury.

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Nickerson, A; Creamer, M; Forbes, D; McFarlane, A C; O'Donnell, M L; Silove, D; Steel, Z; Felmingham, K; Hadzi-Pavlovic, D; Bryant, R A

2017-01-01

Although perceived social support is thought to be a strong predictor of psychological outcomes following trauma exposure, the temporal relationship between perceived positive and negative social support and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has not been empirically established. This study investigated the temporal sequencing of perceived positive social support, perceived negative social support, and PTSD symptoms in the 6 years following trauma exposure among survivors of traumatic injury. Participants were 1132 trauma survivors initially assessed upon admission to one of four Level 1 trauma hospitals in Australia after experiencing a traumatic injury. Participants were followed up at 3 months, 12 months, 24 months, and 6 years after the traumatic event. Latent difference score analyses revealed that greater severity of PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent increases in perceived negative social support at each time-point. Greater severity of PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent decreases in perceived positive social support between 3 and 12 months. High levels of perceived positive or negative social support did not predict subsequent changes in PTSD symptoms at any time-point. Results highlight the impact of PTSD symptoms on subsequent perceived social support, regardless of the type of support provided. The finding that perceived social support does not influence subsequent PTSD symptoms is novel, and indicates that the relationship between PTSD and perceived social support may be unidirectional.

Social support for patients undergoing liver transplantation in a Public University Hospital.

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Garcia, Clerison Stelvio; Lima, Agnaldo Soares; La-Rotta, Ehideé Isabel Gómez; Boin, Ilka de Fátima Santana Ferreira

2018-02-17

Several diseases may lead to the need for liver transplantation due to progressive organ damage until the onset of cirrhosis, resulting in changes in interpersonal relationships. Social Support for transplant candidates is an important variable, providing them with psychological and social well-being. This study aims to assess social support in chronic hepatic patients, waiting for liver transplantation. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 119 patients, for convenience sampling, from the liver transplant waiting list at a Brazilian University Hospital Outpatients. The information was collected through semistructured questionnaires, in four stages: 1) socioeconomic and demographic information 2) clinical aspects 3) feelings 4) Social Support Network Inventory (SSNI), to Brazilian Portuguese. The statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA and multivariate linear regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the scales of social support and the collected co-variables. Average age was 50.2 ± 11.6, and 87 (73.1%) were men. Patients with alcohol and virus liver disease etiology had the same frequency of 28%. The MELD, without extrapoints, was 16.7 ± 4.9. Global social support family score was 3.72 ± 0.39, and Cronbach's alpha = 0.79. The multivariate analysis presented the following associations, age = [- 0.010 (95% CI = - 0.010 - -0.010); P = 0.001], etiology of hepatic disease = [- 0.212 (95% CI = - 0.37 - -0.05); P = 0.009], happiness = [- 0.214(95% CI = - 0.33 - -0.09) P = 0.001) and aggressiveness = [0.172 (95% CI = 0.040-0.030); P = 0.010). The social support was greater when the patients were younger (18 to 30 years). Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, regardless of whether or not they were associated with virus, had less social support. As for feelings, the absence of happiness and the presence of aggressiveness showed a negative effect on social support.

Social support, stress and the aging brain.

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Sherman, Stephanie M; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Fingerman, Karen L; Schnyer, David M

2016-07-01

Social support benefits health and well-being in older individuals, however the mechanism remains poorly understood. One proposal, the stress-buffering hypothesis states social support 'buffers' the effects of stress on health. Alternatively, the main effect hypothesis suggests social support independently promotes health. We examined the combined association of social support and stress on the aging brain. Forty healthy older adults completed stress questionnaires, a social network interview and structural MRI to investigate the amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex circuitry, which is implicated in social and emotional processing and negatively affected by stress. Social support was positively correlated with right medial prefrontal cortical thickness while amygdala volume was negatively associated with social support and positively related to stress. We examined whether the association between social support and amygdala volume varied across stress level. Stress and social support uniquely contribute to amygdala volume, which is consistent with the health benefits of social support being independent of stress. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The role of social support on occupational stress among hospital nurses.

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Yu, Jiegen; Ren, Xiaohua; Wang, Quanhai; He, Lianping; Wang, Jinquan; Jin, Yuelong; Chen, Yan; Wang, Linghong; Nie, Zhonghua; Guo, Daoxia; Yao, Yingshui

2014-01-01

Stress is a nonspecific reaction to everything the body needs. Although occupational stress exists in every occupation, it is seen with more frequency and intensity amongst those occupations related to human health. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and social support (SS) among hospital nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1144 hospital nurse in China. They were investigated with a self-administered questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, occupational stress and social support. A validated version of the revised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI-R) was applied to evaluate occupational stress; SS was measured by nine questions. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between occupational stress and SS and adjusted for income, gender, marital status, working years, educational level, and profession. Of 1144 nurses, the majority age group was less than 30 years, and the mean age across participants was 31.8 years. Further correlation analysis indicated that score of ORQ and PSQ had a significant negative correlation with score of SS (Poccupational stress in hospitals nurse. We also should pay more attention to occupational stress of married and long working years nurse.

Social support for diabetes illness management: supporting adolescents and caregivers.

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Idalski Carcone, April; Ellis, Deborah A; Weisz, Arlene; Naar-King, Sylvie

2011-10-01

The aim of this research study was to examine the relationship between 4 sources of social support (support for the adolescent from family, support for the adolescent from friends, support for the caregiver from another adult, and support to the family from the health care provider) and adolescents' diabetes outcomes (illness management behavior and health status) using a diverse sample of urban adolescents. One hundred forty-one adolescents with insulin-managed diabetes and their primary caregivers completed questionnaires assessing social support and illness management behavior. Glucose meters were downloaded and hemoglobin A1c assays were obtained. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model social support informed by social ecological theory. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that support for the caregiver from another adult was directly and positively related to support for the adolescent from family and indirectly related to better illness management. Support for the adolescent from family was directly related to better diabetes management and, through better management, to better diabetes health. Support to the family from the health care provider was not related to support for the adolescent and support to the adolescent from friends was not related to illness management, as hypothesized. This study identifies a novel target for social support intervention to improve adolescents' illness management behavior-the caregivers of adolescents with diabetes. By enhancing the social support caregivers receive from other adults in their lives, caregivers' ability to support their adolescent children with diabetes might also be improved which, in turn, improves adolescents' illness outcomes.

[Self-esteem, coping, perceived social support and substance use in young adults with a cannabis dependence disorder].

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Dorard, G; Bungener, C; Corcos, M; Berthoz, S

2014-06-01

Self-esteem, coping strategies and perceived social support play a role in the adaptive functioning of the human being: they allow the adjustment of the subject to his/her environment. These dimensions could be protective factors regarding multiple risks associated with adolescent development, and particularly substance use. Thus our objective was twofold: to evaluate self-esteem, coping strategies and perceived social support in adolescents and young adults with a cannabis dependence in comparison with subjects from the general population; to establish the correspondence between these psychological dimensions and the patients' substance use pattern. Data from 43 young patients (36 males; mean age=19.6±3), consulting for their cannabis dependence, and 50 young adults from the general population (39 males; mean age=19.7±3.4) were included. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory, the Social Self-Esteem Inventory of Lawson, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situation of Endler & Parker, and the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire of Sarason. The MINI was administered to evaluate cannabis abuse or dependence; a semi-structured clinical interview was given to determine psychoactive substance use. Between-group comparisons (two independent sample t-tests) showed that the patients had significantly lower scores on global (P=0.002) and social (P=0.035) self-esteem, task-oriented coping (Pself-esteem scores (P=0.028). Moreover, polysubstance misuse is associated with low distraction-avoidant coping scores. No association was found between clinical scores and tobacco and alcohol uses variables. These results suggest that cannabis dependent patients may present a lack in individual and interpersonal resources. This clinical study underscores the potential contribution of maladaptive coping to the development or maintenance of substance use in young adulthood. Copyright © 2013 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights

The effects of temperament and character traits on perceived social support and quality of life in patients with epilepsy.

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Demirci, Kadir; Demirci, Seden; Taşkıran, Esra; Kutluhan, Süleyman

2017-09-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of temperament and character traits on perceived social support and quality of life in patients with epilepsy (PWE). Fifty-two PWE and 54 healthy controls were included in this study. Demographics and clinical data were recorded. Temperament and Character traits were investigated using Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Perceived Social Support was evaluated by Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and quality of life was assessed using a 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). TCI and MSPSS scores showed no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). Mental and physical subscales of SF-36 were significantly lower in PWE than the controls (p=0.012, p=0.020, respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that Reward Dependence and Cooperativeness were independent predictors for perceived social support, and Persistence score was an independent predictor for the physical subscale of SF-36 even after adjustment for confounding background variables (plife in PWE. Thus, an evaluation of temperament and character traits may play a significant role in preventing negative effects on perceived social support and quality of life in PWE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Peer social support training in UK prisons.

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Stewart, Warren; Lovely, Rachel

2017-10-11

To undertake a service evaluation to assess the effect of peer social support training using two separate learning programmes, which were designed to assist prisoners to support older prisoners and prisoners with disabilities. The service evaluation used an action research approach to support planning, delivery and data collection. Eleven interviews with nine prisoners who had undertaken the peer social support training programmes and two members of prison staff (one nurse manager and one prison officer) were recorded and transcribed by the researchers. This data was coded and thematically analysed to evaluate the findings. Recommendations were made regarding the format and content of the training. The training was well received by the peer social support worker trainees and had several positive outcomes, including increased peer social support, improved relationships between peer social support workers and older prisoners and prisoners with disabilities, increased self-esteem, measured as 'social capital', among peer social support workers, and effective teamworking. The peer social support training programmes were considered to be a positive intervention and were effective in supporting peer social support roles. Recommendations for future training of prisoner peer support workers include involving existing peer social support workers in training and recruitment, and enhancing the role of peer social support workers in prisons by providing them with job descriptions. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Social Support as a Mediator of Posttraumatic Embitterment and Perceptions of Meaning in Life among Danwon Survivors of the Sewol Ferry Disaster.

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Lee, So Hee; Nam, Hee Sun; Kim, Hak Beom; Kim, Eun Ji; Won, Sung Doo; Chae, Jeong Ho

2017-11-01

Our research was designed to test and explore the relationships among embitterment, social support, and perceptions of meaning in life in the Danwon High School survivors of the Sewol ferry disaster. Seventy-five Sewol ferry disaster survivors were eligible for participation, and were invited to participate in the study 28 months after the disaster. Forty-eight (64%) survivors (24 males, 24 females) completed questionnaires; the Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED) scale, the Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ), and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). PTED scores were negatively correlated with scores on the FSSQ and the Presence of Meaning (MLQ-P) (r=-0.43 and -0.40, respectively). The hierarchical regression analysis showed that FSSQ scores may fully mediate the effects of PTED scores on MLQ-P scores, given that the indirect effect was significant whereas the direct effect was not (95% confidence interval=-0.5912 to -0.0365). These findings imply that therapies targeting embitterment may play a vital role in increasing positive cognitions, such as those related to perceived social support and the meaningfulness of life. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017

[Influence of social support and coping style on chronic post-traumatic stress disorder after floods].

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Dai, W J; Chen, L; Tan, H Z; Lai, Z W; Hu, S M; Li, Y; Liu, A Z

2016-02-01

To explore the long-term prognosis and influence of social support and coping style of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after suffering from floods. Patients suffered PTSD due to Dongting lake flood in 1998 were selected through cluster random sampling. PTSD scale civilian version (PCL-C) was used to examine and diagnose the participants in this study. PTSD was then evaluated by the social support rating scale (SSRS) and the simple coping style questionnaire (SCSQ). Among all the 120 subjects, 14(11.67%) of them were diagnosed as having PTSD. Compared with the rehabilitation group, scores on subjective support, objective support, total social support and positive coping, total of coping style from the non-rehabilitation group all appeared significant low (Pfloods while disaster experience (OR=1.626, 95%CI: 1.118-2.365) appeared as a risk factor. Chronic PTSD developed after the floods called for attention. Better social support, positive coping style could significantly improve the long-term prognosis of patients with PTSD after the floods.

Social Support and Social Networks in COPD: A Scoping Review.

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Barton, Christopher; Effing, Tanya W; Cafarella, Paul

2015-01-01

A scoping review was conducted to determine the size and nature of the evidence describing associations between social support and networks on health, management and clinical outcomes amongst patients with COPD. Searches of PubMed, PsychInfo and CINAHL were undertaken for the period 1966-December 2013. A descriptive synthesis of the main findings was undertaken to demonstrate where there is current evidence for associations between social support, networks and health outcomes, and where further research is needed. The search yielded 318 papers of which 287 were excluded after applying selection criteria. Two areas emerged in which there was consistent evidence of benefit of social support; namely mental health and self-efficacy. There was inconsistent evidence for a relationship between perceived social support and quality of life, physical functioning and self-rated health. Hospital readmission was not associated with level of perceived social support. Only a small number of studies (3 articles) have reported on the social network of individuals with COPD. There remains a need to identify the factors that promote and enable social support. In particular, there is a need to further understand the characteristics of social networks within the broader social structural conditions in which COPD patients live and manage their illness.

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND STRESS - THE ROLE OF SOCIAL-COMPARISON AND SOCIAL-EXCHANGE PROCESSES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BUUNK, BP; HOORENS, [No Value

1992-01-01

This paper first presents four different conceptualizations of social support: social integration, satisfying relationships, perceived helpfulness and enacted support. Then, classic and contemporary social comparison theory and social exchange theory are analysed as they are two theoretical

Social support and bipolar disorder

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Paula Mendonça Studart

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that affects the functioning of its carriers in many different ways, even when treated properly. Therefore, it’s also important to identify the psychosocial aspects that could contribute to an improvement of this population’s quality of life.Objective Carry out a literature review on the role of social support in cases of bipolar disorder.Method A research on the following online databases PubMed, Lilacs and SciELO was conducted by using the keywords “social support” or “social networks” and “mood disorders” or “bipolar disorder” or “affective disorder,” with no defined timeline.Results Only 13 studies concerning the topic of social support and BD were found in the search for related articles. Generally speaking, the results show low rates of social support for BD patients.Discussion Despite the growing interest in the overall functioning of patients with bipolar disorder, studies on social support are still rare. Besides, the existing studies on the subject use different methodologies, making it difficult to establish data comparisons.

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile.

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Molero Jurado, María Del Mar; Pérez-Fuentes, María Del Carmen; Gázquez Linares, José Jesús; Barragán Martín, Ana Belén

2018-01-01

Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome. Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout. Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used. Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified. Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

Burnout in Health Professionals According to Their Self-Esteem, Social Support and Empathy Profile

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María del Mar Molero Jurado

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Professionals in the healthcare field are in situations that could be a source of stress and sometimes develop burnout syndrome. Self-esteem, social support, and empathy are variables which intervene and influence the appearance of this syndrome.Objective: Identify healthcare professional profiles based on self-esteem, empathy and perceived social support, and analyze the extent to which these profiles show differences in developing burnout.Method: The sample was made up of 719 healthcare professionals with a mean of 38.52 years of age. The Short Questionnaire of Burnout, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Basic Empathy Scale were used.Results: The results of a cluster analysis with self-esteem, empathy, and perceived social support showed four groups/profiles. Two of them, which included professionals with low self-esteem, differed in the rest of the characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences in burnout scores were found among the groups identified.Conclusion: The results show the need to study burnout with attention to individual and or social characteristics, where self-esteem is shown to be one of the explanatory variables making the main differences among the groups.

Modern Social Support Structures: Online Social Networks and their Implications for Social Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kala Chakradhar

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Mapping and assessing social networks and the quality of their social support is a valuable intervention strategy for social workers. These networks have now spread onto the digital realm in the form of Online Social Networks (OSNs. This study investigated the nature of social support provided by such networks to their users in a rural mid-South University (USA and explored parallels with the current understanding of social support in conventional social networks. A web-based survey administered to college students revealed that users of these online networks were predominantly undergraduate first year students, female, single, unemployed and from a variety of academic disciplines. The examination of the components of OSNs appears to mirror those of offline networks. They also seem to complement the effects of each other while contributing to an individual's support system. The paper concludes with critical implications of such online social networking for University students and social workers in practice and education.

Changes in maternal self-efficacy, postnatal depression symptoms and social support among Chinese primiparous women during the initial postpartum period: A longitudinal study.

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Zheng, Xujuan; Morrell, Jane; Watts, Kim

2018-07-01

There are many parenting problems during infancy for Chinese primiparous women. As an important determinant of good parenting, maternal self-efficacy (MSE) should be paid more attention by researchers. At present, the limitations of previous research examining MSE during infancy are that most studies were conducted with a homogeneous sample and there were few studies with Chinese women. Secondly, the trajectory of change in MSE, postnatal depression symptoms and social support for Chinese primiparous women was not clear during the initial postpartum period in earlier studies. This study aimed to describe changes in MSE, postnatal depression symptoms and social support among Chinese primiparous women in the first three months postnatally. A quantitative longitudinal study using questionnaires was conducted. Obstetric wards at three hospitals in Xiamen City, South-East China. In total, 420 Chinese primiparous women were recruited. Initial baseline questionnaires to measure socio-demographic and clinical characteristics at three days postnatally were distributed to participants face-to-face by the researcher on the postnatal ward. Follow-up questionnaires at six and 12 weeks postnatally were sent via e-mail by the researcher to participants, including the Self-efficacy in Infant Care Scale (SICS), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Postpartum Social Support Scale (PSSS) to measure MSE, postnatal depression symptoms and social support, respectively. These were returned by participants via e-mail. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS. The mean MSE score at six weeks postnatally was 74.92 (SD = 11.05), and increased to 77.78 (SD = 11.13) at 12 weeks postnatally. The mean social support scores at six and 12 weeks postnatally were 40.99 (SD = 9.31) and 43.00 (SD = 9.55). The mean EPDS scores decreased from 9.09 (SD = 4.33) at six weeks postnatally to 8.63 (SD = 4.40) at 12 weeks postnatally; the proportion of women with an

Perceived Social Support from Friends and Parents for Eating Behavior and Diet Quality among Low-income, Urban, Minority Youth

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Steeves, Elizabeth Anderson; Jones-Smith, Jessica; Hopkins, Laura; Gittelsohn, Joel

2016-01-01

Objective Evidence of associations between social support and dietary intake among adolescents is mixed. This study examines relationships between social support for healthy and unhealthy eating from friends and parents, and associations with diet quality. Design Cross-sectional analysis of survey data. Setting Baltimore, MD. Participants 296 youth ages 9-15 years, 53% female, 91% African American, participating in the B’More Healthy Communities for Kids study. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary dependent variable: Diet quality measured using Healthy Eating Index 2010 overall score, calculated from the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. Independent variables: Social support from parents and friends for healthy eating (4 questions analyzed as a scale) and unhealthy eating (3 questions analyzed individually), age, gender, race, and household income, reported via questionnaire. Analysis Adjusted multiple linear regressions. Alpha, pFriend and parent support for healthy eating did not have statistically significant relationships with overall HEI scores. Youth who reported their parents offering high fat foods or sweets more frequently had lower overall HEI scores (β=−1.65; SE=0.52; 95% CI: −2.66 to −0.63). Conclusions and Implications These results are novel and demonstrate the need for additional studies examining support for unhealthy eating. These preliminary findings may be relevant to researchers as they develop family-based nutrition interventions. PMID:26865358

Quality of life in family caregivers of schizophrenia patients in Spain: caregiver characteristics, caregiving burden, family functioning, and social and professional support.

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Ribé, José M; Salamero, Manel; Pérez-Testor, Carles; Mercadal, Josep; Aguilera, Concepción; Cleris, Margarida

2018-03-01

Caregivers experience physical and mental stress that ends up lowering their quality of life (QoL). Our goal was to research (a) the level of caregivers QoL; (b) the relationships between the demographic characteristics of the caregivers, their caregiving burden, their family functioning, their social and professional support and their QoL and (c) the best predictors of caregivers QoL. 100 key caregivers (70% parents, 8% spouses, 17% siblings and 5% children) were studied using the world health organization quality of life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) to research their QoL, the Zarit Scale to assess their perception of their caregiving burden, the Social Network Questionnaire to examine their social support, the Family APGAR to assess the satisfaction with social support from the family and a professional support scale (Escala de Apoyo Profesional) to determine the professional support received by caregivers was performed. Scores on the WHOQOL-BREF in the Physical, Psychological, Social and Environment domains were 15.0 (SD = 3.7), 13.3 (SD = 4.2), 11.0 (SD = 4.7) and 13.5 (SD = 3.1), respectively. Through bivariate analysis, the dimensions that showed a positive significant association with QoL were being a young male caregiver who was a working father with a high educational level and help from other family members. Caregivers of patients who were older and had a later onset of the illness, a lower score on the Zarit Scale and a high score on the Social Network Questionnaire, Family APGAR and Escala de Apoyo Profesional showed higher QoL. Many of these variables made a unique contribution in the multivariate analysis. There is a significant association between the caregiver's burden and their QoL. Regression analysis showed that the best predictors of QoL were caregiving burden, social support and professional support.

Family functioning in severe brain injuries: correlations with caregivers' burden, perceived social support and quality of life.

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Tramonti, Francesco; Bonfiglio, Luca; Di Bernardo, Carolina; Ulivi, Chiara; Virgillito, Alessandra; Rossi, Bruno; Carboncini, Maria Chiara

2015-01-01

Severe brain injuries have long-term consequences on functional status and psychosocial functioning. Family life can be greatly influenced as well, and features of high caregiver burden can emerge. Although the data on caregivers' distress are constantly increasing, less information is available about the role of family functioning. Thirty caregivers of hospitalised patients with severe brain injuries received questionnaires for the evaluation of caregiver burden, family functioning and perceived social support. A semi-structured interview was performed for the evaluation of quality of life. Family cohesion and adaptability positively correlated with caregivers' quality of life and perceived social support. Partner caregivers' scores were significantly higher on the time-dependent burden than those of sons and daughters, whereas the latter scored higher on the emotional burden.

Perceived health status and life satisfaction in old age, and the moderating role of social support.

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Dumitrache, Cristina G; Rubio, Laura; Rubio-Herrera, Ramona

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was on one hand to examine the associations between health impairment and life satisfaction, as well as social support and life satisfaction, and on the other, to analyze the moderating effect of social support with regard to health impairment and life satisfaction in a sample of community-dwelling older adults from urban areas of Granada, southern Spain. This was a cross-sectional survey in which a sample of 406 older adults with ages between 65 and 99 years old (M age = 74.88, SD = 6.75) was selected. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to assess the impact of health impairment and perceived social support on life satisfaction. Moderation analysis was performed using the bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrapping approach. Significant differences in life satisfaction scores were found by number and type of disease, restrictions in daily life activities and subjective health. Perceived health and perceived social support predicted life satisfaction. Besides global social support, emotional and affectionate support moderated the link between perceived health and life satisfaction. Older people who do not rate their health status positively and indicate low levels of social support have a higher risk of being dissatisfied with their lives and due to this they should receive special attention from gerontologists.

Social skills: a resource for more social support, lower depression levels, higher quality of life, and participation in individuals with spinal cord injury?

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Müller, Rachel; Peter, Claudio; Cieza, Alarcos; Post, Marcel W; Van Leeuwen, Christel M; Werner, Christina S; Geyh, Szilvia

2015-03-01

To examine the relevance of social skills and their different dimensions (ie, expressivity, sensitivity, control) in relation to social support, depression, participation, and quality of life (QOL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cross-sectional data collection within the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort. Community-based. Individuals with SCI (N=503). Not applicable. Depression, participation, and QOL were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation, and 5 selected items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale. The Social Skills Inventory and the Social Support Questionnaire were used to assess social skills (expressivity, sensitivity, control) and social support, respectively. Structural equation modeling was conducted. In model 1 (χ(2)=27.81; df=19; P=.087; root mean square error of approximation=.033; 90% confidence interval=.000-.052), social skills as a latent variable was related to social support (β=.31; R(2)=.10), depression (β=-.31; total R(2)=.42), and QOL (β=.46; R(2)=.25). Social support partially mediated the effect of social skills on QOL (indirect effect: β=.04; P=.02) but not on depression or participation. In model 2 (χ(2)=27.96; df=19; P=.084; root mean square error of approximation=.031; 90% confidence interval=.000-.053), the social skills dimension expressivity showed a path coefficient of β=.20 to social support and β=.18 to QOL. Sensitivity showed a negative path coefficient to QOL (β=-.15) and control a path coefficient of β=-.15 to depression and β=.24 to QOL. Social skills are a resource related to more social support, lower depression scores, and higher QOL. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived Social Support among Mentally Ill Patients

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Bandana Pokharel

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Social support is the perception that one is cared for, has assistance available from significant others and its benefit is by buffering stress by influencing the ability to adjust and live with illness. Social support can uplift the quality and subjective wellbeing of people. The objective of this study was to examine the perceived social support and factors influencing it among mentally ill patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Ninety cases aged more than 18 years visiting outpatient of psychiatric department and diagnosed as a case of mental illness for at least a year were included. Instruments used were self-developed proforma and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Interview technique was used to collect the data. Results: Majority (60% of the patients perceive social support from family, 28% of the patients perceive social support from significant others. Regression analysis showed that the perceived social support is influenced by employment status, type of family one lives in and physical illness. It is not influenced by gender, subjective financial status and frequency of hospitalization. Conclusion: Perceived social support is influenced by employment status, type of family one lives in and physical illness. Majority (60% of the patients perceive social support from family.

Childhood Social Anxiety and Social Support-Seeking: Distinctive Links with Perceived Support from Teachers

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Leeves, Sylvia; Banerjee, Robin

2014-01-01

Social support-seeking is recognised as an important strategy used by children to cope with negative emotions. However, there are important gaps in our knowledge about children's perceptions of different sources of social support, and the associations that these perceptions have with individual differences in socio-emotional functioning. The…

Social networks, social support and psychiatric symptoms: social determinants and associations within a multicultural community population.

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Smyth, Natasha; Siriwardhana, Chesmal; Hotopf, Matthew; Hatch, Stephani L

2015-07-01

Little is known about how social networks and social support are distributed within diverse communities and how different types of each are associated with a range of psychiatric symptoms. This study aims to address such shortcomings by: (1) describing the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of social networks and social support in a multicultural population and (2) examining how each is associated with multiple mental health outcomes. Data is drawn from the South East London Community Health Study; a cross-sectional study of 1,698 adults conducted between 2008 and 2010. The findings demonstrate variation in social networks and social support by socio-demographic factors. Ethnic minority groups reported larger family networks but less perceived instrumental support. Older individuals and migrant groups reported lower levels of particular network and support types. Individuals from lower socioeconomic groups tended to report less social networks and support across the indicators measured. Perceived emotional and instrumental support, family and friend network size emerged as protective factors for common mental disorder, personality dysfunction and psychotic experiences. In contrast, both social networks and social support appear less relevant for hazardous alcohol use. The findings both confirm established knowledge that social networks and social support exert differential effects on mental health and furthermore suggest that the particular type of social support may be important. In contrast, different types of social network appear to impact upon poor mental health in a more uniform way. Future psychosocial strategies promoting mental health should consider which social groups are vulnerable to reduced social networks and poor social support and which diagnostic groups may benefit most.

Association between social support and health-related quality of life among Chinese seafarers: A cross-sectional study.

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Xiao, Jing; Huang, Binjun; Shen, Huan; Liu, Xiuli; Zhang, Jie; Zhong, Yaqing; Wu, Chuanli; Hua, Tianqi; Gao, Yuexia

2017-01-01

Seafarers have reported impaired health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Social support might increase HRQOL, but little is known about this association among Chinese seafarers. The aim of this study was to describe social support and explore its association with HRQOL among Chinese seafarers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the ports of Nantong and Rugao, China, from April to December 2013. A total of 917 Chinese seafarers were interviewed on social support, mental distress, perceived occupational stress, and HRQOL using the following self-administered questionnaires: The Social Support Rating Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Occupational Stress Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used to analyze the association between seafarers' subjective level of social support and their HRQOL. Of the 917 male Chinese seafarers included in the study, 40.7% perceived high levels of social support, and 39.1% were highly satisfied with their overall quality of life (QOL). Hierarchical regression analysis showed significant associations between level of social support and all health dimensions in the WHOQOL-BREF, even after adjusting for depressive symptoms, occupational stress, occupational activities, sleep duration, and other relevant covariates. Compared with the medium or low level social support group, seafarers with a high level of social support had better QOL scores in the general facet health and QOL (β = 2.43, phealth (β = 3.23, phealth (β = 5.56, psocial relation (β = 6.07, psocial support has a significant positive effect on their HRQOL. Efforts to improve social support should be undertaken.

Relations among social support, burnout, and experiences of anger: an investigation among emergency nurses.

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Ersoy-Kart, Müge

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether social support, burnout, and anger expression are related with each other among emergency nurses working in private- or public-sector hospitals. The sample consisted of 100 emergency nurses working in the private or public sector in Ankara, Turkey. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and The Trait-Anger and Anger Expression Scale were used. The results demonstrated that social support did not differentiate among the nurses working in the private sector or in the public sector according to the burnout subscales' scores. However, nurses in the private sector find it more difficult to express their anger. The state-trait anger levels of the nurses differ according to the burnout levels and also according to the sector that they are working in. The congruence between this study's findings and the literature is discussed.

Drivers\\' Life Quality, Marital Satisfaction, and Social Support in Cargo Terminal of Yazd City

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Mohammad Ali Morovati Sharifabadi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: This is important to consider the health, social support, and marital satisfaction of drivers since they own one of the essential and stressful jobs in society. The purpose of this research was to investigate quality of life, marital satisfaction, and social support of the drivers referring to the cargo terminal of Yazd City. Methods: In order to collect data, 134 drivers in Yazd cargo terminal were selected. The ENRICH questionnaire of marital satisfaction, SF-36 questionnaire, and social support questionnaire (SSQ have been used as data collection tools. The collected data were then analyzed by Independent T test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. Results: According to the results, the drivers' average age was 40.2±9.17 years old. The mean scores of marital satisfaction, quality of life, and social support were equal to 120.04±20.14 out of 175, 99.69±18.14 out of 149, and 15±4.76 out of 23, respectively. About 60.4 % of drivers were not satisfied with their jobs. There were significant relationships between weight and marital satisfaction (P=0.02, as well as between job satisfaction (P=0.003 (P=0.015 and income (P=0.047 (P=0.020, to social support and quality of life. Also, a strong significant positive relationship was observed in correlation coefficient between social support and two variables of quality of life and marital satisfaction (P=0.000. Conclusion: This can be argued that marital satisfaction, quality of life, and social support of the drivers are lower than the expected levels. Therefore, it can be concluded that physical and mental health of drivers can be effective on safety of roads; thereby it is necessary to improve their conditions in marital satisfaction, quality of life, and social support

Social support and loneliness in college students: effects on pulse pressure reactivity to acute stress.

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O'Donovan, Aoife; Hughes, Brian

2007-01-01

Socially supportive relationships at university may buffer against psychological stress in students, particularly in those experiencing loneliness. To examine the relation of social support at university and loneliness with pulse pressure (PP) reactivity to acute psychological stress in a sample of first-year undergraduate students. Sixty-five female, adolescent, first-year university students. Pulse pressure (PP) was calculated as the arithmetic difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, which were measured during a resting baseline and during a stressful reading task. The difference between baseline and reading task PP represents PP reactivity. The Social Support at University Scale (SSUS) was used to assess social support availability in university, and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to assess loneliness. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine main and interactive effects of SSUS and loneliness on PP change scores, and simple slopes were computed to assist in the interpretation of interaction effects. Social support at university was associated with lower PP reactivity in students reporting medium (t = -2.03, p = .04) or high levels of loneliness (t = -2.93, p = .004), but not in those reporting low levels of loneliness (t = -0.20, p = .83). Psychosocial interventions designed to increase social support available at university, and targeted at students experiencing loneliness may buffer against the harmful effects of acute stressors in lonely first-year students.

Social support and social network as intermediary social determinants of dental caries in adolescents.

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Fontanini, Humberto; Marshman, Zoe; Vettore, Mario

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between intermediary social determinants, namely social support and social network with dental caries in adolescents. An adapted version of the WHO social determinants of health conceptual framework was used to organize structural and intermediary social determinants of dental caries into six blocks including perceived social support and number of social networks. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of 542 students between 12 and 14 years of age in public schools located in the city of Dourados, Brazil in 2012. The outcome variables were caries experience (DMFT ≥ 1) and current dental caries (component D of DMFT ≥ 1) recorded by a calibrated dentist. Individual interviews were performed to collect data on perceived social support and numbers of social networks from family and friends and covariates. Multivariate Poisson regressions using hierarchical models were conducted. The prevalence of adolescents with caries experience and current dental caries was 55.2% and 32.1%, respectively. Adolescents with low numbers of social networks and low levels of social support from family (PR 1.47; 95% CI = 1.01-2.14) were more likely to have DMFT ≥ 1. Current dental caries was associated with low numbers of social networks and low levels of social support from family (PR 2.26; 95% CI = 1.15-4.44). Social support and social network were influential psychosocial factors to dental caries in adolescents. This finding requires confirmation in other countries but potentially has implications for programmes to promote oral health. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Psychological distress and academic self-perception among international medical students: the role of peer social support.

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Yamada, Yukari; Klugar, Miloslav; Ivanova, Katerina; Oborna, Ivana

2014-11-28

Psychological distress among medical students is commonly observed during medical education and is generally related to poor academic self-perception. We evaluated the role of peer social support at medical schools in the association between psychological distress and academic self-perception. An online survey was conducted in a medical degree program for 138 international students educated in English in the Czech Republic. The Medical Student Well-Being Index was used to define the students' psychological distress. Perceived peer social support was investigated with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Poor academic self-perception was defined as the lowest 30% of a subscale score of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure. Analyses evaluated the presence of additive interactions between psychological distress and peer social support on poor academic self-perception, adjusted for possible confounders. Both psychological distress and low peer social support were negatively associated with poor academic self-perception, adjusted for local language proficiency and social support from family. Students with psychological distress and low peer social support had an odds ratio of 11.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-56.6) for poor academic self-perception as compared with those without distress who had high peer social support. The presence of an additive interaction was confirmed in that the joint association was four times as large as what would have been expected to be on summing the individual risks of psychological distress and low peer social support (synergy index = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.3-14.9). Psychological distress and low peer social support may synergistically increase the probability of poor academic self-perception among international medical students. Promoting peer social relationships at medical school may interrupt the vicious cycle of psychological distress and poor academic performance.

Perceived Social Support From Friends and Parents for Eating Behavior and Diet Quality Among Low-Income, Urban, Minority Youth.

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Anderson Steeves, Elizabeth; Jones-Smith, Jessica; Hopkins, Laura; Gittelsohn, Joel

2016-05-01

Evidence of associations between social support and dietary intake among adolescents is mixed. This study examines relationships between social support for healthy and unhealthy eating from friends and parents, and associations with diet quality. Cross-sectional analysis of survey data. Baltimore, MD. 296 youth aged 9-15 years, 53% female, 91% African American, participating in the B'More Healthy Communities for Kids study. Primary dependent variable: diet quality measured using Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI) overall score, calculated from the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. Social support from parents and friends for healthy eating (4 questions analyzed as a scale) and unhealthy eating (3 questions analyzed individually), age, gender, race, and household income, reported via questionnaire. Adjusted multiple linear regressions (α, P Friend and parent support for healthy eating did not have statistically significant relationships with overall HEI scores. Youth who reported their parents offering high-fat foods or sweets more frequently had lower overall HEI scores (β = -1.65; SE = 0.52; 95% confidence interval, -2.66 to -0.63). These results are novel and demonstrate the need for additional studies examining support for unhealthy eating. These preliminary findings may be relevant to researchers as they develop family-based nutrition interventions. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlates of Social Support Among Latino Immigrants.

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Held, Mary L

2018-04-01

Latino immigrants encounter considerable stressors that pose risks to health and well-being during settlement in the USA. Social support serves as a protective factor that can help to buffer the negative effects of stress. Despite the importance of social support, we know little about how Latino immigrants differentially experience this protective factor. The current study analyzed data from 100 Latino immigrants residing in Tennessee. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was employed to examine variation in self-reported social support by immigrant characteristics and immigration-related factors. Females, immigrants who are not married/cohabitating, and those who reported experiencing a greater number of discrete stressors in the USA each reported lower levels of social support. Implications for practice include an increased emphasis on assessing levels of social support and designing services to strengthen support for the most vulnerable immigrants. Future research should consider a longitudinal analysis and specific types of social support.

Women's Experiences of Social Reactions From Informal and Formal Supports: Using a Modified Administration of the Social Reactions Questionnaire.

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DePrince, Anne P; Dmitrieva, Julia; Gagnon, Kerry L; Srinivas, Tejaswinhi

2017-11-01

A growing literature links social reactions to disclosures of intimate violence to posttraumatic outcomes. The Social Reactions Questionnaire (SRQ), a widely used measure developed to assess social reactions, asks about reactions received from people generally. The ability to examine the impact of social reactions from specific groups of people-such as criminal justice personnel versus community-based providers-has become increasingly more important from both research and practice perspectives. For example, as sexual assault responses nationally have relied on community-coordinated models that involve both criminal justice and community-based systems, tools are lacking to systematically assess the impact of social reactions from criminal justice personnel and community-based providers on survivors. Using the SRQ, the current study asked women to report separately on reactions received from criminal justice personnel, community-based providers, and informal supports. We recruited a diverse community sample of women ( N = 228, ages 18-63, 19% lesbian/bisexual, 44% ethnic minority) who experienced a sexual assault in the previous year and disclosed to the criminal justice system and/or a community-based provider. Multilevel analyses revealed considerable variability in the social reactions reported by women across criminal justice personnel, community-based providers, and informal supports. Analyses supported a seven-factor structure for the SRQ when the measure is yoked to particular experiences of disclosure, in this case to criminal justice personnel, community-based providers, or informal supports. The utility of this modified administration and scoring of the SRQ and the importance of considering reactions across different groups are described.

Relationships among depression during pregnancy, social support and health locus of control among Iranian pregnant women.

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Moshki, Mahdi; Cheravi, Khadijeh

2016-03-01

Prenatal depression is a significant predictor of postpartum depression and is detrimental to fetal development. To examine whether depression during pregnancy is associated with social support and health locus of control (HLC). Data were collected from a sample of 208 Iranian pregnant women using a demographic questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the multidimensional HLC Scale and the social support appraisals. Depression was experienced by 37% of participants. Overall, women reported higher level of family support (6.88 ± 1.15) than other supports (6.87 ± 1.29). Protective supports from other resources (6.87 ± 1.29) were higher than those from friends (5.94 ± 1.5). Internal, powerful others and chance beliefs had the highest mean scores. Social support and chance HLC significantly influenced the proposed mediator (depressive mood) in the linear regression model. Bivariate analysis showed significant associations between social support (friend, family and others) and depressive mood. Internal HLC had a significant association with social support and powerful others HLC. However, Pearson correlation coefficient was not significant between depressive mood and all dimensions of HLC. Clinicians could assess social support and chance HLC to identify and treat women at risk of prenatal depression. By providing support during pregnancy, depression levels in women and its effects on the fetus may be decreased, which could prevent postpartum depression. © The Author(s) 2015.

Online social support networks.

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Mehta, Neil; Atreja, Ashish

2015-04-01

Peer support groups have a long history and have been shown to improve health outcomes. With the increasing familiarity with online social networks like Facebook and ubiquitous access to the Internet, online social support networks are becoming popular. While studies have shown the benefit of these networks in providing emotional support or meeting informational needs, robust data on improving outcomes such as a decrease in health services utilization or reduction in adverse outcomes is lacking. These networks also pose unique challenges in the areas of patient privacy, funding models, quality of content, and research agendas. Addressing these concerns while creating patient-centred, patient-powered online support networks will help leverage these platforms to complement traditional healthcare delivery models in the current environment of value-based care.

Perceived discrimination, social support, and perceived stress among people living with HIV/AIDS in China.

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Su, Xiaoyou; Lau, Joseph T F; Mak, Winnie W S; Chen, Lin; Choi, K C; Song, Junmin; Zhang, Yan; Zhao, Guanglu; Feng, Tiejian; Chen, Xi; Liu, Chuliang; Liu, Jun; Liu, De; Cheng, Jinquan

2013-01-01

Perceived stress among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) was associated with severe mental health problems and risk behaviors. Discrimination toward PLWH in China is prevalent. Both perceived discrimination and social supports are determinants of the stress level among PLWH. Psychological support services for PLWH in China are scarce. It is unknown whether social support is a buffer between the perceived discrimination and perceived stress. With written consent, this study surveyed 258 PLWH recruited from multiple sources in two cities in China. Instruments were validated in previous or the present study, including the perceived stress scale for PLWH (PSSHIV), the perceived social support scale (PSSS), and the perceived discrimination scale for PLWH (PDSHIV). Pearson correlations and multiple regression models were fit. PDSHIV was associated with the Overall Scale and all subscales of PSSHIV, whilst lower socioeconomic status in general and lower scores of PSSS were associated with various subscales of PSSHIV. The interaction item (PSSS×PSDHIV) was nonsignificant in modeling PSSHIV, hence no significant moderating effect was detected. Whilst perceived discrimination is a major source of stress and social support can reduce stress among PLWH in China, improved social support cannot buffer the stressful consequences due to perceived discrimination. The results highlight the importance to reduce discrimination toward PLWH and the difficulty to alleviate its negative consequences. It is warranted to improve mental health among PLWH in China and it is still important to foster social support among PLWH as it has direct effects on perceived stress.

The Social Support Inventory (SSI) : A brief scale to assess perceived adequacy of social support

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Timmerman, IGH; Emanuels-Zuurveen, ES; Emmelkamp, PMG

The development of a brief measure to assess satisfaction with obtained social support using Simultaneous Components Analysis (SCA) is described. In the first study the component structure of the Social Support Questionnaire (Van Sonderen, 1991) was determined in a sample of men (n = 401) and women

Social support of adults and elderly with chronic kidney disease on dialysis.

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Silva, Simone Márcia da; Braido, Natalia Fernanda; Ottaviani, Ana Carolina; Gesualdo, Gabriela Dutra; Zazzetta, Marisa Silvana; Orlandi, Fabiana de Souza

2016-08-08

to evaluate the instrumental and emotional social support of patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was sized for convenience and included 103 participants under treatment in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews, using the Social Support Scale. the mean scores of the emotional and instrumental social support were 3.92 (± 0.78) and 3.81 (± 0.69) respectively, an indication of good support received. The most frequent sources of instrumental and emotional social support mentioned by participants were partners, spouse, companion or boyfriend and friends. patients with chronic kidney disease have high social support, both instrumental and emotional, and the main support comes from the family. avaliar o suporte social instrumental e emocional de pacientes renais crônicos em tratamento hemodialítico. estudo descritivo, de corte transversal. A amostra dimensionada por conveniência foi composta por 103 participantes em tratamento em uma Unidade de Terapia Renal Substitutiva. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista individual, utilizando-se a Escala de Suporte Social. o escore médio do suporte social emocional e instrumental foi de 3,92 (±0,78) e foi 3,81 (± 0,69) respectivamente, sendo um indicativo de bom suporte recebido. Entre as fontes mais frequentes de suporte social instrumental e emocional mencionadas pelos participantes encontram-se os parceiros, cônjuge, companheiro ou namorado e amigos. os pacientes com doença renal crônica apresentam elevado apoio social, tanto instrumental quanto emocional, sendo a principal forma de apoio proveniente da família. evaluar el apoyo social instrumental y emocional de los enfermos renales crónicos en hemodiálisis. estudio descriptivo, de cohorte transversal. La muestra ha sido dimensionada por conveniencia y compuesta de 103 participantes en tratamiento en una Unidad de Terapia de Reemplazo Renal. Los

The power of social connection and support in improving health: lessons from social support interventions with childbearing women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Small Rhonda

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and objective Social support interventions have a somewhat chequered history. Despite evidence that social connection is associated with good health, efforts to implement interventions designed to increase social support have produced mixed results. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the relationship between social connectedness and good health, by examining social support interventions with mothers of young children and analysing how support was conceptualised, enacted and valued, in order to advance what we know about providing support to improve health. Context and approach First, we provide a brief recent history of social support interventions for mothers with young children and we critically examine what was intended by ‘social support’, who provided it and for which groups of mothers, how support was enacted and what was valued by women. Second, we examine the challenges and promise of lay social support approaches focused explicitly on companionship, and draw on experiences in two cluster randomised trials which aimed to improve the wellbeing of mothers. One trial involved a universal approach, providing befriending opportunities for all mothers in the first year after birth, and the other a targeted approach offering support from a ‘mentor mother’ to childbearing women experiencing intimate partner violence. Results Interventions providing social support to mothers have most often been directed to women seen as disadvantaged, or ‘at risk’. They have also most often been enacted by health professionals and have included strong elements of health education and/or information, almost always with a focus on improving parenting skills for better child health outcomes. Fewer have involved non-professional ‘supporters’, and only some have aimed explicitly to provide companionship or a listening ear, despite these aspects being what mothers receiving support have said they valued most. Our trial

The Relationship of Social Engagement and Social Support With Sense of Community.

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Tang, Fengyan; Chi, Iris; Dong, Xinqi

2017-07-01

We aimed to investigate the relationship of engagement in social and cognitive activities and social support with the sense of community (SOC) and its components among older Chinese Americans. The Sense of Community Index (SCI) was used to measure SOC and its four component factors: membership, influence, needs fulfillment, and emotional connection. Social engagement was assessed with 16 questions. Social support included positive support and negative strain. Principal component analysis was used to identify the SCI components. Linear regression analysis was used to detect the contribution of social engagement and social support to SOC and its components. After controlling for sociodemographics and self-rated health, social activity engagement and positive social support were positively related to SOC and its components. This study points to the importance of social activity engagement and positive support from family and friends in increasing the sense of community. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relationship of Autonomy Social Support to Quitting Motivation in Diverse Smokers.

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Patten, Christi A; Clinic, Mayo; Goggin, Kathy; Harris, Kari Jo; Richter, Kimber; Williams, Karen; Decker, Paul A; Clinic, Mayo; Bradley-Ewing, Andrea; Catley, Delwyn

2016-01-01

Research examining relationships between social support and smoking cessation has paid little attention to non-treatment seeking smokers and not considered the role of autonomy support for fostering quitting motivation. This study examined if autonomy support received from family and friends was associated with quitting motivation and making a quit attempt among diverse smokers with varying levels of quitting motivation. Demographic characteristics associated with autonomy support were explored. Participants (N=312) responded to advertisements seeking smokers "not quite ready to quit," and were primarily Black, low-income, and unemployed. Most (255) enrolled in a clinical trial of smoking cessation induction strategies (treatment sample). An additional 57 not meeting the trial eligibility criteria of low quitting motivation enrolled for baseline assessments only. Participants completed baseline measures of autonomy support received from friends and autonomous quitting motivation. In the treatment sample, quit attempts were assessed at 6-months follow-up. Females reported higher levels than males of autonomy support from friends (p=0.003). Participants with a high school diploma/GED reported higher levels of support from family (pautonomy support scores were significantly, albeit weakly, associated with autonomous quitting motivation. Autonomy support was not associated with making a quit attempt. Support from family and friends may promote autonomous reasons to quit among diverse smokers. Research is needed to assess the role of social support in the pre-quitting phases among racial and socio-economically diverse populations.

The role of social support in anxiety for persons with COPD.

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Dinicola, Gia; Julian, Laura; Gregorich, Steven E; Blanc, Paul D; Katz, Patricia P

2013-02-01

This study examined the contribution of perceived social support to the presence of anxiety in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A cross-sectional survey sample of 452 persons with COPD (61.3% female; 53.5% older than 65; 70.8% without a college degree or higher educational achievement, and 54.8% with household income of $40,000 or less) completed a telephone survey. Measures included the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), 5 social support subscales from the Positive and Negative Social Exchanges (PANSE) Scale, a COPD Severity Score (CSS; a weighted algorithmic combination of symptoms and the need for various COPD medical interventions), and the Geriatric Depression Scale, Short Form (GDS-SF). Zero order correlations and a series of multiple regression analyses were calculated. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the receipt of instrumental support, feeling let down by the failure of others to provide needed help, and unsympathetic or insensitive behavior from others each positively predicted a higher level of patient anxiety in COPD patients, after controlling for demographic variables, smoking status, comorbid depression (GDS) and severity of illness (CSS). Additionally, the control variable of depression was the strongest predictor of anxiety, suggesting a high degree of co-morbidity in this sample. Anxiety and depression are serious co-morbid mental health concerns for persons with COPD. It is important to examine both positive and negative aspects of perceived social support for COPD patients and how they may impact or interact with these mental health concerns. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Study of the Relationship between Social Support and Clergy Family Stress among Korean-American Baptist Pastors and Their Wives

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Shin, Min Young

2012-01-01

Problem: The first problem of this study was to determine the relationship between the clergy family stress scores as measured by the Clergy Family Inventory (CFLI) and the specified predictor variables of social support among Korean-American Baptist pastors. The specified predictor variables included tangible support, appraisal support,…

Social support and social norms: do both contribute to predicting leisure-time exercise?

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Okun, Morris A; Ruehlman, Linda; Karoly, Paul; Lutz, Rafer; Fairholme, Chris; Schaub, Rachel

2003-01-01

To clarify the contribution of social support and social norms to exercise behavior. A sample of 363 college students completed a questionnaire that assessed social support and social negativity from friends, descriptive and injunctive social norms related to friends, perceived behavioral control, attitude, intention, and leisure-time exercise. Esteem social support was the strongest predictor of total and strenuous leisure-time exercise (P leisure-time exercise. Social support and social norms contribute independently to our understanding of variation in the frequency of strenuous leisure-time exercise.

Resilience Mediates the Longitudinal Relationships Between Social Support and Mental Health Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis.

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Koelmel, Emily; Hughes, Abbey J; Alschuler, Kevin N; Ehde, Dawn M

2017-06-01

To investigate the longitudinal relationships between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to examine resilience as a mediator between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes in this population. Observational, longitudinal cohort study. Participants were assessed at 4 time points over 12 months in the context of a previously reported randomized controlled trial. Telephone-based measures administered to community-based participants. Individuals (N=163) with MS and 1 or more of the following symptoms: depression, fatigue, and pain. Not applicable. Mental health outcomes included (1) depressive symptomatology, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9; (2) anxious symptomatology, assessed using the short form of the Emotional Distress-Anxiety Scale from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System; and (3) general mental health status, assessed using the Mental Component Summary score from the Short Form-8 Health Survey. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. At any given time, social support from significant others, family members, and friends was significantly associated with subsequent mental health outcomes for all 3 measures assessed (all P values social support significantly mediated the relationships between social support and subsequent mental health outcomes. After controlling for resilience, most of the direct relationships between social support and mental health outcomes were no longer significant. There are significant longitudinal relationships between social support, resilience, and mental health outcomes for people with MS. Given the mediating role of resilience in supporting better mental health outcomes, future clinical research and practice may benefit from an emphasis on resilience-focused psychological interventions. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. All rights reserved.

Screening for Behavioral Risk: Identification of High Risk Cut Scores within the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS)

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Kilgus, Stephen P.; Taylor, Crystal N.; von der Embse, Nathaniel P.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to support the identification of Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) cut scores that could be used to detect high-risk students. Teachers rated students across two time points (Time 1 n = 1,242 students; Time 2 n = 704) using the SAEBRS and the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System…

How perceived social support relates to suicidal ideation: a Japanese social resident survey.

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Endo, Go; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Fukuoka, Yoshiharu; Aiba, Miyuki; Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Shiratori, Yuki; Matsui, Yutaka; Doi, Nagafumi; Asada, Takashi

2014-05-01

The loss of social support is one of the major risk factors for suicide. However, there are few empirical studies that have examined how a person's suicide ideation relates to their social support. To examine the relationship between social support and suicidal ideation. Self-report questionnaires were sent to 2,200 randomly selected adults in Japan. The questionnaire inquired the participants about the severity of suicidal ideation, the details of current perceived social support and their degree of satisfaction with this social support. Social support and related indicators were compared among three groups of participants that varied in severity of suicidal ideation. People in the group that had suicide ideation during their lives reported receiving significantly less support from their family and had greater feelings of dissatisfaction with that support than those in the other groups. Furthermore, people who had suicide ideation during the month immediately preceding the survey reported providing less support to their family, relatives or friends, as well as receiving less support from family than other groups, and having stronger feelings of dissatisfaction with social support. Our study identified a strong relationship between the severity of suicidal ideation and perceived social support.

The social support and social network characteristics of smokers in methadone maintenance treatment.

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de Dios, Marcel Alejandro; Stanton, Cassandra A; Caviness, Celeste M; Niaura, Raymond; Stein, Michael

2013-01-01

Previous studies have shown social support and social network variables to be important factors in smoking cessation treatment. Tobacco use is highly prevalent among individuals in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). However, smoking cessation treatment outcomes in this vulnerable subpopulation have been poor and social support and social network variables may contribute. The current study examined the social support and social network characteristics of 151 MMT smokers involved in a randomized clinical trial of smoking cessation treatments. Participants were 50% women and 78% Caucasian. A high proportion (57%) of MMT smokers had spouses or partners who smoke and over two-thirds of households (68.5%) included at least one smoker. Our sample was characterized by relatively small social networks, but high levels of general social support and quitting support. The number of cigarettes per day was found to be positively associated with the number of smokers in the social network (r = .239, p social support and social networks of smokers in MMT.

Social Support and Emocional Stability in Adolescence

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Zuzana Mičková

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The issue of anticipation social support is actual topic because of detection important factors for positive development of personality. Emotional bonds are getting stronger with perception of social support. Subjective feeling of positive emotions and relationships is manifest with higher range of social and mental functioning, emotional - willing stability of personality. Emotional basement of personality is emotional stability, which represent relationship with the anticipated social support. The lack of social support make a negative influence on personality development and personality traits. Positive emotional relationsthips with parents are important for healthy growth of personality (Filadelfiová, 2001; Arrive, 2004; Vágnerová, 2000; Langmeier & Křejčířová, 2006; Grun, 2011; Kraus & Poláčková, 2001; Matulník, 2002; Matějček & Dytrych, 2002. The meaning of social support and partner's love is confirmed with research. The meaning of social support in adolescence is replaced from parents to life partner. Strong emotional relationship motivates, integrates and regulates (Vágnerová, 2000. Absence of positive and permanent emotional relationship hold the positive soul steadiness. The signs of soul unsteadiness are destruction of self-esteem and self-image which manifest unstable emotionality. Subjective survival of emotional and social disharmony influence mental problems - neurotic disorders, problems with adaptation, emotional and social problems (Kondáš, 2002. The goal of research was find out relationship of social support regarding with emotional-willing stability and adolescence relationships in their family. We were interested in level of social support and level of emotional- willing stability and perception of quality family relationships regarding with gender and actual partnership. The research sample contained with N= 120 respondents (men = 33, women = 87 in age 19 - 24 years old, M = 23, 97. The next criterium of

The Online Social Support Scale: Measure development and validation.

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Nick, Elizabeth A; Cole, David A; Cho, Sun-Joo; Smith, Darcy K; Carter, T Grace; Zelkowitz, Rachel L

2018-05-21

A new measure, the Online Social Support Scale, was developed based on previous theory, research, and measurement of in-person social support. It includes four subscales: Esteem/Emotional Support, Social Companionship, Informational Support, and Instrumental Support. In college and community samples, factor analytic and item response theory results suggest that subtypes of in-person social support also pertain in the online world. Evidence of reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity provide excellent psychometric support for the measure. Construct validity accrues to the measure vis-à-vis support for three hypotheses: (a) Various broad types of Internet platforms for social interactions are differentially associated with online social support and online victimization; (b) similar to in-person social support, online social support offsets the adverse effect of negative life events on self-esteem and depression-related outcome; and (c) online social support counteracts the effects of online victimization in much the same way that in-person friends in one social niche counterbalance rejection in other social niches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Managers' social support: Facilitators and hindrances for seeking support at work.

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Lundqvist, Daniel; Fogelberg Eriksson, Anna; Ekberg, Kerstin

2018-01-01

Previous research has shown that social support is important for health and performance at work, but there is a lack of research regarding managers' social support at work, and if it needs to be improvedOBJECTIVE:To investigate managers' perception of work-related social support, and facilitators and hindrances that influence their seeking of social support at work. Semi-structured interviews with sixty-two managers in two Swedish organizations. Work-related support, which strengthened their managerial image of being competent, was sought from sources within the workplace. Sensitive and personal support, where there was a risk of jeopardizing their image of being competent, was sought from sources outside the workplace. Access to arenas for support (location of the workplace, meetings, and vocational courses) and the managerial role could facilitate their support-seeking, but could also act as hindrances. Because attending different arenas for support were demanding, they refrained from seeking support if the demands were perceived as too high. Different supportive sources are distinguished based on what supportive function they have and in which arenas they are found, in order to preserve the confidence of the closest organization and to maintain the image of being a competent and performing manager.

Depression, social support, and clinical outcomes following lung transplantation: a single-center cohort study.

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Smith, Patrick J; Snyder, Laurie D; Palmer, Scott M; Hoffman, Benson M; Stonerock, Gregory L; Ingle, Krista K; Saulino, Caroline K; Blumenthal, James A

2018-05-01

Depressive symptoms are common among lung transplant candidates and have been associated with poorer clinical outcomes in some studies. Previous studies have been plagued by methodologic problems, including small sample sizes, few clinical events, and uncontrolled confounders, particularly perioperative complications. In addition, few studies have examined social support as a potential protective factor. We therefore examined the association between pretransplant depressive symptoms, social support, and mortality in a large sample of lung transplant recipients. As a secondary aim, we also examined the associations between psychosocial factors, perioperative outcomes [indexed by hospital length of stay (LOS)], and mortality. We hypothesized that depression would be associated with longer LOS and that the association between depression, social support, and mortality would be moderated by LOS. Participants included lung transplant recipients, transplanted at Duke University Medical Center from January 2009 to December 2014. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and social support using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). Medical risk factors included forced vital capacity (FVC), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO 2 ), donor age, acute rejection, and transplant type. Functional status was assessed using six-minute walk distance (6MWD). We also controlled for demographic factors, including age, gender, and native disease. Transplant hospitalization LOS was examined as a marker of perioperative clinical outcomes. Participants included 273 lung recipients (174 restrictive, 67 obstructive, 26 cystic fibrosis, and six "other"). Pretransplant depressive symptoms were common, with 56 participants (21%) exhibiting clinically elevated levels (BDI-II ≥ 14). Greater depressive symptoms were associated with longer LOS [adjusted b = 0.20 (2 days per 7-point higher BDI-II score), P social support (P social support were

Age and Social Support Seeking: Understanding the Role of Perceived Social Costs to Others.

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Jiang, Li; Drolet, Aimee; Kim, Heejung S

2018-07-01

We examined age differences in the use of different types of social support and the reasons for these differences. We found that older adults (age 60+) seek explicit social support less compared with young adults (age 18-25), but there is no difference in implicit social support seeking. Concerns about the potential social costs of seeking explicit support mediate the age differences in explicit social support seeking. Whereas young adults view this strategy as conferring more benefits than costs, older adults have a more balanced view of the costs and benefits of explicit social support seeking. Older and young adults do not differ in perceptions of the relative costs versus benefits of implicit social support seeking. Finally, we found older adults benefit more from implicit (vs. explicit) social support emotionally than young adults, which further explains why age groups differ in their use of explicit versus implicit social support.

An investigation of the relationship between social support and coping with stress in women with breast cancer.

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Ozdemir, Deniz; Arslan, Fatma Tas

2018-06-15

Social support may play a role in effective stress management and make a positive contribution to the health of women with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the ways of coping with stress and levels of perceived social support of women with breast cancer, as well as the associated factors. The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 women with breast cancer at a training and research hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using an information form including sociodemographic and disease characteristics, the Scale of Ways of Coping with Stress, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Effective ways of coping with stress were found to be significantly lower in women who were primary school graduates and who did not undergo surgery (psocial support from family and total score of perceived social support increased, so did the levels of effective coping with stress (psocial support and age significantly predicted effective stress management (pSocial support given to women with breast cancer is a key reference point in effective stress mamangement, and increased age also has an important effect on women's ability to cope with stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Social Support as a Key Protective Factor against Depression in HIV-Infected Patients: Report from large HIV clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Matsumoto, Shoko; Yamaoka, Kazue; Takahashi, Kenzo; Tanuma, Junko; Mizushima, Daisuke; Do, Cuong Duy; Nguyen, Dung Thi; Nguyen, Hoai Dung Thi; Nguyen, Kinh Van; Oka, Shinichi

2017-11-14

Depression is the most common mental health issue among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study explored how different types and sources of social support are associated with depression among HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We carried out a cross-sectional survey on 1,503 HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at two HIV clinics in Hanoi in 2016. Depression was prevalent in 26.2% of participants. Higher score of social support, especially emotional/informational support and positive social interaction, showed significant association with lower depression rate. Although family was primary source of all types of social support, receiving emotional/informational support not only from family but also from outside of family correlated with a lower proportion of depression. In countries with constrained social resources and/or with family-oriented social structures, as in Vietnam, expanding social networks between HIV populations and society is a potentially important option for reducing depression.

Psychiatric morbidity, quality of life, and perceived social support among elderly population: a community-based study

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Pallavi Kwan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The growth in the elderly population means an inevitable increase in general physical health, psychobiological and mental health-related problems. Aim of the study: The present study aims to examine psychiatric morbidity, quality of life, and perceived social support among elderly population. Research design: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted. People in age group of 60 years and above, who were permanent members of their respective households of Ranga Pukri Para and Dekargaon village in Tezpur, Sonitpur district of Assam, were the sample for the present study. One thousand four hundred and ninety adult populations had been identified as sample frame from the electorate list. One hundred and four people of age 60 years and above had been identified from the list for the study purpose. Random sampling method was used for selection of the sample. Semi-structured socio-demographic datasheet, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12, CAGE questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF scale were administered to the respondents. Results: Based on the GHQ-12 score, it was found that 24% of the respondents showed an indication of mental health problems and from the CAGE score, it indicated that 13% of the respondents were found to be misusing or was in dependence in alcohol. The result from the present study indicated that elderly population was getting more family social support, followed by friends and from significant others. The result indicated that the mean score was low in the domain of social relationships. Environment domain was high followed by physical health and psychological domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: In the elderly population, overall health can be influenced by multiple factors, including a person’s physical, psychological, behavioural, and social factors. The mental health professionals can provide resources, services

Social support and education groups for single mothers: a randomized controlled trial of a community-based program.

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Lipman, Ellen L; Boyle, Michael H

2005-12-06

Members of families headed by single mothers are at increased risk of psychosocial disadvantage and mental health problems. We assessed the effect of a community-based program of social support and education groups for single mothers of young children on maternal well-being and parenting. We recruited 116 single mothers of children 3 to 9 years old through community advertisements. Eligible mothers were randomly assigned either to participate in a 10-week program of group sessions (1.5 hours per week) offering social support and education, with a parallel children's activity group, or to receive a standard list of community resources and the option to participate in group sessions at the end of the follow-up period. Interviewers blinded to the randomization collected assessment data from all mothers at baseline and at 3 follow-up visits (immediately after the intervention and at 3 and 6 months after the intervention). Outcome measures were self-reported mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting. Between February 2000 and April 2003, the program was offered to 9 groups of single mothers. Most of the mothers in the trial reported high levels of financial and mental health problems. In the short term (after the intervention), mothers in the intervention group had improved scores for mood (p effect = 0.55) and self-esteem (p effect = 0.29) compared with mothers in the control group; scores for the other 2 measures did not differ between the groups. Growth curve analysis of program effects over the follow-up period showed improvement in all 4 outcomes, with no significant difference between the intervention and control groups. This community-based program of group sessions offering social support and education to low-income single mothers had positive short-term effects on mood and self-esteem but not on social support and parenting. Longer follow-up showed attenuation of these effects.

Association of Social Support and Family Environment with Cognitive Function in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

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Wang, Qin; Yang, Zhi-Kai; Sun, Xiu-Mei; Du, Yun; Song, Yi-Fan; Ren, Ye-Ping; Dong, Jie

♦ BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment (CI) is a common phenomenon and predictive of high mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. This study aimed to analyze the association of social support and family environment with cognitive function in PD patients. ♦ METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of PD patients from Peking University First Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. Global cognitive function was measured using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), executive function was measured by the A and B trail-making tests, and other cognitive functions were measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Social support was measured with the Social Support Scale developed by Xiaoshuiyuan and family environment was measured with the Chinese Version of the Family Environment Scale (FES-CV). ♦ RESULTS: The prevalence of CI and executive dysfunction among the 173 patients in the study was, respectively, 16.8% and 26.3%. Logistic regression found that higher global social support (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09, 1.01 - 1.17, p = 0.027) and subjective social support predicted higher prevalence of CI (OR = 1.13, 1.02 - 1.25, p = 0.022), adjusting for covariates. Analyses of the FES-CV dimensions found that greater independence was significantly associated with better immediate memory and delayed memory. Moreover, higher scores on achievement orientation were significantly associated with poorer language skills. ♦ CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that social support is negatively associated with the cognitive function of PD patients and that some dimensions of the family environment are significantly associated with several domains of cognitive function. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

Selection and Socialization Effects in Early Adolescent Alcohol Use: A Propensity Score Analysis

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Scalco, Matthew D.; Trucco, Elisa M.; Coffman, Donna L.; Colder, Craig R.

2015-01-01

The robust correlation between peer and adolescent alcohol use (AU) has been taken as evidence for both socialization and selection processes in the etiology of adolescent AU. Accumulating evidence from studies using a diverse range of methodological and statistical approaches suggests that both processes are involved. A major challenge in testing whether peer AU predicts an adolescent's drinking (socialization) or whether an adolescent's drinking predicts peer AU (selection) is the myriad of potentially confounding factors that might lead to an overestimation of socialization and selection effects. After creating AU transition groups based on peer and adolescent AU across two waves (N = 765; age = 10-15; 53% female), we test whether transitions into AU by adolescents and peers predict later peer and adolescent AU respectively, using (1) propensity score analysis to balance transition groups on 26 potential confounds, (2) a longitudinal design with three waves to establish temporal precedence, and (3) both adolescent (target) and peer self-report of peer AU to disentangle effects attributable to shared reporter bias. Both selection and socialization were supported using both peer self-report of AU and adolescent-report of peer AU. Although cross-sectional analyses suggested peer self-reported models were associated with smaller effects than perceived peer AU, longitudinal analyses suggest a similar sized effect across reporter of peer AU for both selection and socialization. The implications of these findings for the etiology and treatment of adolescent AU are discussed. PMID:25601099

Social Support and Social Anxiety in Use and Perceptions of Online Mental Health Resources: Exploring Social Compensation and Enhancement.

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Ruppel, Erin K; McKinley, Christopher J

2015-08-01

This study used the frameworks of social compensation and social enhancement to examine how social anxiety and social support were related to college students' (N=443) use and perceptions of online mental health resources (Web sites and online support groups). Potential interactions between social support and social anxiety were also examined. Consistent with the social compensation hypothesis, perceived usefulness of Web sites was positively associated with social support. Perceived usefulness of online support groups was positively associated with social support when participants reported average or high, but not low, social anxiety. In contrast, previous use of Web sites was consistent with the social compensation hypothesis. Participants who reported less social support were more likely to have used a Web site for a mental or emotional problem. These findings suggest that college students' use and perceptions of online mental health resources vary as a function of social support and social anxiety, and that patterns suggestive of social compensation and social enhancement depend on whether perceptions or actual use of resources are examined. Combined with the significant interaction between social support and social anxiety on perceived usefulness of online support groups, these findings highlight the potential complexity of social compensation and enhancement phenomena.

Group cohesion and social support of the nurses in a special unit and a general unit in Korea.

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Ko, Yu Kyung

2011-07-01

To identify the degree of group cohesion and social support of nurses in special and general units in hospitals in Korea, and to compare group cohesion and social support between the two groups. The level of commitment nurses have to their organizations has been shown to correlate with work group cohesion and social support. The participants were 1751 nurses who were working in Korean hospitals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and were analysed using SAS. The statistical methods included: descriptive statistics, t-test, anova and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Group cohesion of nurses on special wards was significantly higher than for nurses on general wards. No significant difference was found between types of units in terms of social support. The degree of group cohesion was significantly different in terms of the respondents' clinical experience, position, religion, job satisfaction, number of supportive superiors and number of supportive peers. A statistically significant correlation was found between group cohesion scores and degree of social support. Hospital management can accomplish their goals more effectively through knowledge of the level of group cohesion, superior support and peer support for nursing staff in accordance with unit specialty. © 2011 The Author. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Effects of Social Support and Self-Efficacy on Maternal Prenatal Cares Among the First-Time Pregnant Women, Iranshahr, Iran

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Hossien Izadirad

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: Social support and perceived self-efficacy affect health-related behaviors and play an important role on mothers' adaptability with pregnancy. This paper aims to study the impact of educational interventions based on social support and perceived self-efficacy on maternal prenatal care.Materials and methods: The present study is a before after experimental study in which 90 first-time pregnant women were randomly selected and divided into two 45- participants experimental and control groups. Data were collected from 21 January to 20 May 2016. Determining the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, we used the panel of experts and Cronbach's alpha. The data collected from the two groups were compared before and 3 months after intervention and were analyzed by SPSS 18.Results: Unlike the control subjects, there was a significant difference in maternal prenatal cares before and after an educational intervention between the scores of social support and perceived self-efficacy in the experimental group (p < 0.05. Before intervention, the average score of the experimental group was 12.62 ± 2.63 that rose to 17.71 ± 1.56, three months after the educational intervention, which is statistically significant (p < 0.05. There was a direct and positive relation between self-efficacy and maternal prenatal cares (p = 0.000, r = 0.538. Social support and self-efficacy predicted the variance of maternal cares by 69.2%.Conclusion: Developing an educational program based on social support and perceived self-efficacy on maternal prenatal cares is helpful and efficient. The health system, family and society are in charge of making facilities and opportunities to improve social support and perceived self-efficacy in pregnant women, resulting in improved maternal prenatal cares. 

Social support and social interaction ties on internet addiction: integrating online and offline contexts.

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Wang, Edward Shih-Tse; Wang, Michael Chih-Hung

2013-11-01

This study explores the relationship between social support and social interaction ties on Internet addiction by integrating both online and offline social encounters. A total of 1,642 members of online social communities participated in this research, for which structural equation modeling was used for analysis. The findings show that social support is positively associated with social interaction ties in both online and offline contexts. In addition, online social support and online social interaction ties are positively associated with Internet addiction, whereas offline social support and social interaction ties on Internet addiction are negatively associated. This finding has important implications not only for understanding the cause of Internet addiction but also for understanding the diminishing Internet addiction due to social support and social interaction ties.

Social dominance orientation and opinions about what is America's most serious social problem.

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Harrod, Wendy J

2005-08-01

This study tested whether a measure of Social Dominance Orientation was associated with opinions about America's most serious social problem. 150 undergraduates enrolled in social problems classes responded to the 14-item scale and to an open-ended question, "In your opinion, what is the most serious social problem in our country today?". Analysis shows that mean scale scores differed significantly across social problem responses. Correspondence analysis, plotting association between scale scores and social problem responses, was interpreted as support for social dominance theory. Higher scale scores were associated with problems of crime and negative values and lower scores with problems of education and racism.

The role of social support on emotion dysregulation and Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents: A structural equation model.

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Mo, Phoenix K H; Chan, Virginia W Y; Chan, Samuel W; Lau, Joseph T F

2018-07-01

Internet addiction is prevalent among adolescents and is associated with various negative outcomes. Relatively few studies examined the role of emotion dysregulation and social support on Internet addiction in this population. The present examined the association between emotion dysregulation, social support, and Internet addiction among junior secondary school students in Hong Kong. The mediating role of emotion dysregulation and Internet use on the relationship between social support and Internet addiction and the gender difference in such association were also tested. A total of 862 junior secondary school students (grade 7 to 8) from 4 schools completed a cross-sectional survey. 10.9% scored above the cut-off for Internet addiction based on the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that social support was negatively related to emotion dysregulation and Internet usage, which in turn, were positively related to Internet addiction. Results from multi-group analysis by gender showed that the relationship between social support and emotion dysregulation, Internet usage, and Internet addiction, and those between emotion dysregulation and Internet addiction and between Internet usage and Internet addiction were stronger among female participants. Emotion dysregulation is a potential risk factor while social support is a potential protective factor for Internet addiction. The role of social support on emotion dysregulation and Internet addiction were stronger among female students. Gender-sensitive interventions on Internet Addiction for adolescents are warranted, such interventions should increase social support and improve emotion regulation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Social relations: network, support and relational strain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due, P; Holstein, B; Lund, Rikke

1999-01-01

We introduce a conceptual framework with social relations as the main concept and the structure and the function of social relations as subconcepts. The structure of social relations covers aspects of formal relations and social network. The function of social relations covers social support......,011. The postal questionnaires were answered by a random sample in each of the age groups. The results show marked age and gender differences in both the structure and the function of social relations. The social network, measured as weekly contacts, weakens with age and so does instrumental support. Emotional...... support is unrelated to this decline in contact frequency and appears to be at the same level for younger and older individuals. Relational strain, measured as conflicts, declines with age for all kinds of social relations. The weakening of the social network with age does not seem to affect the level...

[Quality of life and related social support for men who have sex with men among university students in Chongqing, China].

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Chen, Jiang-peng; Wang, Hong; Liu, Liang

2013-09-01

To study the status of quality of life(QOL) on men who have sex with men (MSM) and it's relationship with social support among university students in Chongqing. Snowball sampling was applied to recruit the subjects on MSM for this study and multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to recruit ordinary male college students. WHOQOL-BREF and SSRS questionnaires were used to collect information from both MSM and ordinary male college students. Scores from the physiological, psychological, social relations and environmental domains for QOL and total QOL were 13.82 ± 2.25, 13.14 ± 2.51, 13.24 ± 2.96, 12.44 ± 2.49 and 13.12 ± 2.16, respectively. Scores for all domains of QOL on MSM were lower than figures from ordinary male college students (P social relations were the main factors that influencing the social support and quality of life in this population, respectively. The improvement of subjective feelings and proper use of social support and targeted interventions among this MSM population should accord to the different demographic characteristics, especially for those who did not have regular sexual partner or in gay circles, and for those who practice passive role during sexual act(as "0"), seemed to be helpful to improve their quality of life.

Harnessing Facebook for Smoking Reduction and Cessation Interventions: Facebook User Engagement and Social Support Predict Smoking Reduction

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Marsch, Lisa A; Brunette, Mary F; Dallery, Jesse

2017-01-01

Background Social media technologies offer a novel opportunity for scalable health interventions that can facilitate user engagement and social support, which in turn may reinforce positive processes for behavior change. Objective By using principles from health communication and social support literature, we implemented a Facebook group–based intervention that targeted smoking reduction and cessation. This study hypothesized that participants’ engagement with and perceived social support from our Facebook group intervention would predict smoking reduction. Methods We recruited 16 regular smokers who live in the United States and who were motivated in quitting smoking at screening. We promoted message exposure as well as engagement and social support systems throughout the intervention. For message exposure, we posted prevalidated, antismoking messages (such as national antismoking campaigns) on our smoking reduction and cessation Facebook group. For engagement and social support systems, we delivered a high degree of engagement and social support systems during the second and third week of the intervention and a low degree of engagement and social support systems during the first and fourth week. A total of six surveys were conducted via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) at baseline on a weekly basis and at a 2-week follow-up. Results Of the total 16 participants, most were female (n=13, 81%), white (n=15, 94%), and between 25 and 50 years of age (mean 34.75, SD 8.15). There was no study attrition throughout the 6-time-point baseline, weekly, and follow-up surveys. We generated Facebook engagement and social support composite scores (mean 19.19, SD 24.35) by combining the number of likes each participant received and the number of comments or wall posts each participant posted on our smoking reduction and cessation Facebook group during the intervention period. The primary outcome was smoking reduction in the past 7 days measured at baseline and at the two

Physical activity and social support in adolescents: analysis of different types and sources of social support.

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Mendonça, Gerfeson; Júnior, José Cazuza de Farias

2015-01-01

Little is known about the influence of different types and sources of social support on physical activity in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between physical activity and different types and sources of social support in adolescents. The sample consisted of 2,859 adolescents between 14-19 years of age in the city of João Pessoa, in Northeastern Brazil. Physical activity was measured with a questionnaire and social support from parents and friends using a 10-item scale five for each group (type of support: encouragement, joint participation, watching, inviting, positive comments and transportation). Multivariable analysis showed that the types of support provided by parents associated with physical activity in adolescents were encouragement for females (P genders (males: P = 0.009; females: P physical activity varies according to its source, as well as the gender and age of the adolescents.

Association between social support and health-related quality of life among Chinese seafarers: A cross-sectional study.

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Jing Xiao

Full Text Available Seafarers have reported impaired health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL. Social support might increase HRQOL, but little is known about this association among Chinese seafarers. The aim of this study was to describe social support and explore its association with HRQOL among Chinese seafarers.A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the ports of Nantong and Rugao, China, from April to December 2013. A total of 917 Chinese seafarers were interviewed on social support, mental distress, perceived occupational stress, and HRQOL using the following self-administered questionnaires: The Social Support Rating Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Occupational Stress Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used to analyze the association between seafarers' subjective level of social support and their HRQOL.Of the 917 male Chinese seafarers included in the study, 40.7% perceived high levels of social support, and 39.1% were highly satisfied with their overall quality of life (QOL. Hierarchical regression analysis showed significant associations between level of social support and all health dimensions in the WHOQOL-BREF, even after adjusting for depressive symptoms, occupational stress, occupational activities, sleep duration, and other relevant covariates. Compared with the medium or low level social support group, seafarers with a high level of social support had better QOL scores in the general facet health and QOL (β = 2.43, p<0.05, and the physical health (β = 3.23, p<0.001, psychological health (β = 5.56, p<0.001, social relation (β = 6.07, p<0.001, and environment domains (β = 4.27, p<0.001. In addition, depression, occupational stress, occupational activities, and sleep duration were found to be determinants of seafarers' HRQOL.Chinese seafarers have poorer HRQOL than the general population, but social support has a significant

Validation of Four Measures of Social Support with Latina/o and Non-Hispanic White Undergraduates

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Bordes, Veronica; Sand, Jennifer K.; Arredondo, Patricia; Robinson Kurpius, Sharon E.; Rayle, Andrea Dixon

2006-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Perceived Social Support-Family and Friends Scales, the Family Valuing of Education Scale, and the Mentoring Scale with Latina/o and non-Hispanic White college freshmen. When scores for 112 Latina/o and 597 non-Hispanic White freshmen were examined, strong reliability was found for the…

Quality of life and mental health among women with ovarian cancer: examining the role of emotional and instrumental social support seeking.

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Hill, Erin M

2016-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of emotional and instrumental social support seeking in the quality of life (QOL) and mental health of women with ovarian cancer. Participants were recruited through the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, and one hundred women took part in a mail questionnaire that collected information on their demographics, medical status, social support seeking, QOL and mental health including anxiety, depression and stress. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the influence of emotional and instrumental social support seeking on QOL and mental health. After controlling for remission status, greater emotional social support seeking was predictive of higher overall QOL, social/family QOL, functional QOL and lower depression scores. Instrumental social support seeking was not significant in the models. The results illustrate that social support seeking as a coping mechanism is an important consideration in the QOL and mental health of women with ovarian cancer. Future studies should examine the psychological and behavioral mediators of the relationship to further understand the QOL and mental health of women with ovarian cancer.

Does social support from family and friends work as a buffer against reactions to stressful life events such as terminal cancer?

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Ringdal, Gerd Inger; Ringdal, Kristen; Jordhøy, Marit S; Kaasa, Stein

2007-03-01

To examine the relationship between social support and emotional functioning and stress reactions. Our hypothesis is that patients who reported a high degree of social support will experience better emotional functioning and less serious stress reactions than patients with a low degree of social support. The sample was comprised of 434 patients at the Palliative Medicine Unit (PMU), University Hospital of Trondheim in Norway. The patients completed a questionnaire monthly including questions about social support from the MacAdam's Scale, subjective stress measured by the Impact of Event Scale (IES), and emotional functioning measured by the subscale in the EORTC QLQ-30. Although our hypothesis was not supported at the baseline assessment, it was supported at the second assessment, 2 months later. Patients with high social support reported better emotional functioning and less serious stress reactions, in terms of lower scores on the IES avoidance subscale, than patients with a low degree of social support. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULTS: The mixed findings may indicate that social support has only small effects on emotional functioning and stress reactions. Our results on the second assessment indicate, however, that social support might work as a buffer against reactions toward external stressful events such as terminal cancer.

Prenatal family support, postnatal family support and postpartum depression.

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Xie, Ri-Hua; Yang, Jianzhou; Liao, Shunping; Xie, Haiyan; Walker, Mark; Wen, Shi Wu

2010-08-01

Inadequate social support is an important determinant of postpartum depression (PPD). Social support for pregnant women consists of supports from various sources and can be measured at different gestation periods. Differentiating the effects of social support from different sources and measured at different gestation periods may have important implications in the prevention of PPD. In the family centred Chinese culture, family support is likely to be one of the most important components in social support. The aim of this study was to assess the association of prenatal family support and postnatal family support with PPD. A prospective cohort study was conducted between February and September 2007 in Hunan, China. Family support was measured with social support rating scale at 30-32 weeks of gestation (prenatal support) and again at 2 weeks of postpartum visit (postnatal support). PPD was defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score > or =13. A total of 534 pregnant women were included, and among them, 103 (19.3%) scored 13 or more on the EPDS. PPD was 19.4% in the lowest tertile versus 18.4% in the highest quartile (adjusted odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.60, 1.80) for prenatal support from all family members, and PPD was 39.8% in the lowest tertile versus 9.6% in the highest tertile (adjusted odds ratio: 4.4, 95% confidence interval 2.3, 8.4) for postnatal support from all family members. Among family members, support from husband had the largest impact on the risk of developing PPD. Lack of postnatal family support, especially the support from husband, is an important risk factor of PPD.

Course of social support and relationships between social support and patients' depressive symptoms in the first 3 years post-stroke

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruithof, Willeke J.; Post, Marcel W. M.; van Leeuwen, Christel M.; Schepers, Vera P. M.; van den Bos, Geertrudis A. M.; Visser-Meily, Johanna M. A.

2015-01-01

To describe the course of social support (everyday support, support in problem situations and esteem support) from initial inpatient rehabilitation until 3 years post-stroke and to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships of social support with depressive symptoms. Prospective

Course of social support and relationships between social support and patients’ depressive symptoms in the first 3 years post-stroke

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruithof, Willeke J.; Post, Marcel W. M.; van Leeuwen, Christel M.; Schepers, Vera P. M.; van den Bos, Geertrudis A. M.; Visser-Meily, Johanna M. A.

Objective: To describe the course of social support (everyday support, support in problem situations and esteem support) from initial inpatient rehabilitation until 3 years post-stroke and to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships of social support with depressive symptoms.

Social relationships and social support among post-war youth in Northern Uganda.

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De Nutte, Leen; Okello, James; Derluyn, Ilse

2017-08-01

Although social relationships and social support are salient factors for post-war adolescents' psychosocial coping and adjustment, there is only limited information regarding war-affected adolescents' views on social support and the relationships within which social support is provided. This study therefore explored both elements among a clinical sample of 20 adolescents living in post-war Northern Uganda. Following Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis, we found a prominent role of the biological mother and other primary biological family members in the upbringing of our participants. Spiritual and material support were perceived to be the most important type of support, respectively, while the adolescents were growing up and in their current lives. These findings provide support for the perception that caregiving systems are adaptable to particular sociocultural contexts. Further, the importance of particular functions of social support could signify a potentially selective buffering effect of these functions in adverse contexts. Because of the importance of the primary biological family and the salient role of parent-child relationships in the face of adversity, future research needs to focus on this particular kind of social relationship in contexts of prolonged collective violence. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Drug-using and nonusing women: potential for child abuse, child-rearing attitudes, social support, and affection for expected baby.

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Williams-Petersen, M G; Myers, B J; Degen, H M; Knisely, J S; Elswick, R K; Schnoll, S S

1994-10-01

Eighty pregnant women (25 substance using, 55 nonusing) from an American prenatal clinic serving lower-income to working-class women responded to questionnaire measures of child-rearing attitudes. The drug users' primary substance of misuse was cocaine (68%), alcohol (16%), amphetamines (12%), or sedatives (4%); polydrug use was documented for 80% of the women. The two (user and nonuser) groups were not different on demographic (age, race, marital status, education, SES, source of income) or obstetrical factors (number of pregnancies, number of children). Drug-using women scored significantly higher on a measure of child abuse potential; more than half scored in the range of clinical criterion for extreme risk. As their babies were not yet born, no actual physical abuse was documented, only a higher potential for abuse. The subgroup who were both drug users and had lower social support scored higher on child abuse potential than all other subgroups. The drug users also had lower self-esteem scores than the nonusers. The two groups did not differ on measures of overall social support, authoritarian/democratic child-rearing beliefs, or affection for the expected baby.

Feeling hopeful inspires support for social change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Greenaway, Katharine H.; Cichocka, Aleksandra; van Veelen, Ruth; Likki, Tiina; Branscombe, Nyla R.

2014-01-01

Hope is an emotion that has been implicated in social change efforts, yet little research has examined whether feeling hopeful actually motivates support for social change. Study 1 (N = 274) confirmed that hope is associated with greater support for social change in two countries with different

Utilized social support and self-esteem mediate the relationship between perceived social support and suicide ideation. A test of a multiple mediator model.

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Kleiman, Evan M; Riskind, John H

2013-01-01

While perceived social support has received considerable research as a protective factor for suicide ideation, little attention has been given to the mechanisms that mediate its effects. We integrated two theoretical models, Joiner's (2005) interpersonal theory of suicide and Leary's (Leary, Tambor, Terdal, & Downs, 1995) sociometer theory of self-esteem to investigate two hypothesized mechanisms, utilization of social support and self-esteem. Specifically, we hypothesized that individuals must utilize the social support they perceive that would result in increased self-esteem, which in turn buffers them from suicide ideation. Participants were 172 college students who completed measures of social support, self-esteem, and suicide ideation. Tests of simple mediation indicate that utilization of social support and self-esteem may each individually help to mediate the perceived social support/suicide ideation relationship. Additionally, a test of multiple mediators using bootstrapping supported the hypothesized multiple-mediator model. The use of a cross-sectional design limited our ability to find true cause-and-effect relationships. Results suggested that utilized social support and self-esteem both operate as individual moderators in the social support/self-esteem relationship. Results further suggested, in a comprehensive model, that perceived social support buffers suicide ideation through utilization of social support and increases in self-esteem.

Hispanic perspectives on sexual harassment and social support.

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Cortina, Lilia M

2004-05-01

Bridging the social support, sexual victimization, and cultural psychology literatures, this study examines social-support processes in the context of sexual harassment and Hispanic American culture. Surveys were administered to a community sample of Hispanic American working women, 249 of whom described some encounter with sexual harassment at work. Regression results provided mixed backing for hypotheses about support-seeking behavior, which appeared largely dependent on the social power of the harassment perpetrator. Additional findings upheld predictions about support-perception patterns; harassed women perceived more supportive social reactions when they turned to informal networks of friends and family, but responses were less positive when they turned to formal, organizational sources. Finally, as expected, perceived support and acculturation interacted to moderate relations between sexual harassment and job satisfaction. The article concludes with implications for research and interventions related to social support and sexual harassment.

Personality predicts perceived availability of social support and satisfaction with social support in women with early stage breast cancer.

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Den Oudsten, Brenda L; Van Heck, Guus L; Van der Steeg, Alida F W; Roukema, Jan A; De Vries, Jolanda

2010-04-01

This study examines the relationships between personality, on the one hand, and perceived availability of social support (PASS) and satisfaction with received social support (SRSS), on the other hand, in women with early stage breast cancer (BC). In addition, this study examined whether a stressful event (i.e., diagnosis) is associated with quality of life (QOL), when controlling for PASS and SRSS. Women were assessed on PASS and SRSS (World Health Organization QOL assessment instrument-100) before diagnosis (time 1) and 1 (time 2), 3 (time 3), 6 (time 4), 12 (time 5), and 24 months (time 6) after surgical treatment. Personality (neuroticism extraversion openness five-factor inventory and state trait anxiety inventory-trait scale) and fatigue (fatigue assessment scale) were assessed at time 1. Agreeableness and fatigue predicted PASS and SRSS at time 5 and time 6. Trait anxiety had a negative effect on SRSS (ss = -0.22, p personality factors substantially influence the way women with early stage BC perceive social support. Knowledge about these underlying mechanisms of social support is useful for the development of tailor-made interventions. Professionals should be aware of the importance of social support. They should check whether patients have sufficient significant others in their social environment and be sensitive to potential discrepancies patients might experience between availability and adequacy of social support.

Social Support and Emocional Stability in Adolescence

OpenAIRE

Zuzana Mičková

2014-01-01

The issue of anticipation social support is actual topic because of detection important factors for positive development of personality. Emotional bonds are getting stronger with perception of social support. Subjective feeling of positive emotions and relationships is manifest with higher range of social and mental functioning, emotional - willing stability of personality. Emotional basement of personality is emotional stability, which represent relationship with the anticipated social suppo...

Social cohesion, social support, and health among Latinos in the United States.

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Mulvaney-Day, Norah E; Alegría, Margarita; Sribney, William

2007-01-01

The role of individual versus community level social connections in promoting health is an important factor to consider when addressing Latino health. This analysis examines the relationships between social support, social cohesion, and health in a sample of Latinos in the United States. Using data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, the analysis uses ordered logistic regression to explore the relationships of family support, friend support, family cultural conflict, and neighborhood social cohesion with self-rated physical and mental health, taking into account language proficiency and use, nativity, and sociodemographic variables. Family support, friend support, and neighborhood social cohesion were positively related to self-rated physical and mental health, and family cultural conflict was negatively related when controlled only for sex and age. After controlling for education, income, and other demographic measures, only family support was found to have a weak association with self-rated physical health; however, the relationship seemed to be mediated by language. In contrast, family support and family cultural conflict were strongly associated with self-rated mental health, after controlling for language, education, income, and other demographic measures. The study did not find neighborhood social cohesion to be significantly related to either self-rated physical or mental health, after accounting for the effects of the other social connection variables. Language of interview did not explain the highly significant effects of language proficiency and use. Social connections are important for health and mental health, but language and other sociodemographic factors seem to be related to how Latinos establish these social linkages. Further investigation into the role of language in the development and maintenance of social connections may help unravel the mechanisms by which they promote or decrease health.

Cancer patients and the provision of informational social support.

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Robinson, James D; Tian, Yan

2009-07-01

Research into the impact of social support on health-care patients has focused on the benefits of receiving social support. Although recipients benefit from social support, there are also potential benefits to the providers of social support that have gone relatively unexplored. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between the reception and provision of informational social support by cancer patients. Based on the work of Gouldner (1960), this investigation attempts to examine the role reciprocity plays within the social support process. The norm of reciprocity is conceptualized as a generalized moral belief rather than as a simple pattern of exchange between caregivers and care receivers. Use of reciprocity as a generalized moral belief instead of a pattern of behavioral exchange between providers and recipients of social support allows a more thorough integration theoretically and more methodical examination of the role the relationship between providers and recipients plays in this process. Specifically, this investigation employs the notion of optimal matching as part of the mechanism underlying the satisfactions derived from informational social support. The results of the logistic regression analyses suggest that reciprocity is a viable explanation of the mechanism underlying the desire to provide social support to others among cancer patients and among adults who have never been diagnosed with cancer. This relationship between the reception and the provision of informational social support remains even after controlling for age, education, gender, race, social integration, and cancer diagnosis. Implications for the social support literature are discussed.

Reliability and validity of a physical activity social support assessment scale in adolescents - ASAFA Scale

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José Cazuza de Farias Júnior

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the reliability and validity of a scale used to measure social support for physical activity in adolescents - ASAFA Scale. Methods: This study included 2,755 adolescents (57.6% girls, 16.5 ± 1.2 years of age, from Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil. Initially, the scale was consisted of 12 items (6 for social support from parents and 6 from friends. The reliability of the scale was estimated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α, by the Composite Reliability (CR, and by the model with two factors and factorial invariance by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA adequacy. Results: The CFA results confirmed that the social support scale contained two factors (factor 1: social support from parents; factor 2: social support from friends with five items each (one item was excluded from each scale, all with high factor loadings (> 0.65 and acceptable adjustment indexes (RMR = 0.050; RMSEA = 0.063; 90%CI: 0.060 - 0.067; AGFI = 0.903; GFI = 0.940; CFI = 0.934, NNFI = 0.932. The internal consistency was satisfactory (parents: α ≥ 0.77 and CR ≥ 0.83; friends: α ≥ 0.87 and CR ≥ 0.91. The scale's factorial invariance was confirmed (p > 0.05; Δχ2 and ΔCFI ≤ 0.01 across all subgroups analyzed (gender, age, economic class. The construct validity was evidenced by the significant association (p < 0.05 between the adolescents physical activity level and the social support score of parents (rho = 0.29 and friends (rho = 0.39. Conclusions: The scale showed reliability, factorial invariance and satisfactory validity, so it can be used in studies with adolescents.

Resilience and burden in caregivers of older adults: moderating and mediating effects of perceived social support.

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Ong, Hui Lin; Vaingankar, Janhavi Ajit; Abdin, Edimansyah; Sambasivam, Rajeswari; Fauziana, Restria; Tan, Min-En; Chong, Siow Ann; Goveas, Richard Roshan; Chiam, Peak Chiang; Subramaniam, Mythily

2018-01-31

The burden of caring for an older adult can be a form of stress and influence caregivers' daily lives and health. Previous studies have reported that resilience and social support play an important role in reducing physical and psychological burden in caregivers. Thus, the present study aimed to examine whether perceived social support served as a possible protective factor of burden among caregivers of older adults in Singapore using moderation and mediation effects' models. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 285 caregivers providing care to older adults aged 60 years and above who were diagnosed with physical and/or mental illness in Singapore. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to measure resilience and burden was measured by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used to measure perceived social support. Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test moderation and mediation effects of perceived social support in the relationship between resilience and burden after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals (CI). The mean scores observed were CD-RISC: 70.8/100 (SD = 15.1), MSPSS: 62.2/84 (SD = 12.2), and ZBI: 23.2/88 (SD = 16.0) respectively. While perceived social support served as a full mediator between resilience and caregiver burden (β = - 0.14, 95% CI -0.224 to - 0.072, p social support mediates the association between resilience and caregiver burden among caregivers of older adults in Singapore. It is crucial for healthcare professionals, particularly those who interact and deliver services to assist caregivers, to promote and identify supportive family and friends' network that may help to address caregiver burden.

Harnessing Facebook for Smoking Reduction and Cessation Interventions: Facebook User Engagement and Social Support Predict Smoking Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sunny Jung; Marsch, Lisa A; Brunette, Mary F; Dallery, Jesse

2017-05-23

Social media technologies offer a novel opportunity for scalable health interventions that can facilitate user engagement and social support, which in turn may reinforce positive processes for behavior change. By using principles from health communication and social support literature, we implemented a Facebook group-based intervention that targeted smoking reduction and cessation. This study hypothesized that participants' engagement with and perceived social support from our Facebook group intervention would predict smoking reduction. We recruited 16 regular smokers who live in the United States and who were motivated in quitting smoking at screening. We promoted message exposure as well as engagement and social support systems throughout the intervention. For message exposure, we posted prevalidated, antismoking messages (such as national antismoking campaigns) on our smoking reduction and cessation Facebook group. For engagement and social support systems, we delivered a high degree of engagement and social support systems during the second and third week of the intervention and a low degree of engagement and social support systems during the first and fourth week. A total of six surveys were conducted via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) at baseline on a weekly basis and at a 2-week follow-up. Of the total 16 participants, most were female (n=13, 81%), white (n=15, 94%), and between 25 and 50 years of age (mean 34.75, SD 8.15). There was no study attrition throughout the 6-time-point baseline, weekly, and follow-up surveys. We generated Facebook engagement and social support composite scores (mean 19.19, SD 24.35) by combining the number of likes each participant received and the number of comments or wall posts each participant posted on our smoking reduction and cessation Facebook group during the intervention period. The primary outcome was smoking reduction in the past 7 days measured at baseline and at the two-week follow-up. Compared with the baseline

Perceived Stress in Online Prostate Cancer Community Participants: Examining Relationships with Stigmatization, Social Support Network Preference, and Social Support Seeking.

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Rising, Camella J; Bol, Nadine; Burke-Garcia, Amelia; Rains, Stephen; Wright, Kevin B

2017-06-01

Men with prostate cancer often need social support to help them cope with illness-related physiological and psychosocial challenges. Whether those needs are met depends on receiving support optimally matched to their needs. This study examined relationships between perceived stress, prostate cancer-related stigma, weak-tie support preference, and online community use for social support in a survey of online prostate cancer community participants (n = 149). Findings revealed a positive relationship between stigma and perceived stress. This relationship, however, was moderated by weak-tie support preference and online community use for social support. Specifically, stigma was positively related to perceived stress when weak-tie support was preferred. Analyses also showed a positive relationship between stigma and perceived stress in those who used their online community for advice or emotional support. Health communication scholars should work collaboratively with diagnosed men, clinicians, and online community administrators to develop online interventions that optimally match social support needs.

Canonical correlation analysis of professional stress,social support,and professional burnout among low-rank army officers

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Chuan-yun LI

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Objective The present study investigates the influence of professional stress and social support on professional burnout among low-rank army officers.Methods The professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales among low-rank army officers were used as test tools.Moreover,the officers of established units(battalion,company,and platoon were chosen as test subjects.Out of the 260 scales sent,226 effective scales were received.The descriptive statistic and canonical correlation analysis models were used to analyze the influence of each variable.Results The scores of low-rank army officers in the professional stress,social support,and professional burnout scales were more than average,except on two factors,namely,interpersonal support and de-individualization.The canonical analysis identified three groups of canonical correlation factors,of which two were up to a significant level(P < 0.001.After further eliminating the social support variable,the canonical correlation analysis of professional stress and burnout showed that the canonical correlation coefficients P corresponding to 1 and 2 were 0.62 and 0.36,respectively,and were up to a very significant level(P < 0.001.Conclusion The low-rank army officers experience higher professional stress and burnout levels,showing a lower sense of accomplishment,emotional exhaustion,and more serious depersonalization.However,social support can reduce the onset and seriousness of professional burnout among these officers by lessening pressure factors,such as career development,work features,salary conditions,and other personal factors.

Evaluation of Internet Social Networks using Net scoring Tool: A Case Study in Adverse Drug Reaction Mining.

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Katsahian, Sandrine; Simond Moreau, Erica; Leprovost, Damien; Lardon, Jeremy; Bousquet, Cedric; Kerdelhué, Gaétan; Abdellaoui, Redhouane; Texier, Nathalie; Burgun, Anita; Boussadi, Abdelali; Faviez, Carole

2015-01-01

Suspected adverse drug reactions (ADR) reported by patients through social media can be a complementary tool to already existing ADRs signal detection processes. However, several studies have shown that the quality of medical information published online varies drastically whatever the health topic addressed. The aim of this study is to use an existing rating tool on a set of social network web sites in order to assess the capabilities of these tools to guide experts for selecting the most adapted social network web site to mine ADRs. First, we reviewed and rated 132 Internet forums and social networks according to three major criteria: the number of visits, the notoriety of the forum and the number of messages posted in relation with health and drug therapy. Second, the pharmacist reviewed the topic-oriented message boards with a small number of drug names to ensure that they were not off topic. Six experts have been chosen to assess the selected internet forums using a French scoring tool: Net scoring. Three different scores and the agreement between experts according to each set of scores using weighted kappa pooled using mean have been computed. Three internet forums were chosen at the end of the selection step. Some criteria get high score (scores 3-4) no matter the website evaluated like accessibility (45-46) or design (34-36), at the opposite some criteria always have bad scores like quantitative (40-42) and ethical aspect (43-44), hyperlinks actualization (30-33). Kappa were positives but very small which corresponds to a weak agreement between experts. The personal opinion of the expert seems to have a major impact, undermining the relevance of the criterion. Our future work is to collect results given by this evaluation grid and proposes a new scoring tool for Internet social networks assessment.

Social Support in Children With ADHD: An Exploration of Resilience.

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Mastoras, Sarah M; Saklofske, Donald H; Schwean, Vicki L; Climie, Emma A

2018-06-01

This study investigated the role of perceived social support in promoting emotional well-being among children with ADHD. Specifically, it examined how children with ADHD perceive support from key individuals in their lives and the relationships between this support and aspects of emotional well-being. Main versus buffering models of social support in the context of social preference status were also explored. Participants were 55 school-age children with ADHD-combined or hyperactive/impulsive (ADHD-C/HI). Parent and child ratings evaluated source-specific social support, social status, and aspects of self-concept, anxiety, and depression. Children with ADHD reported lower social support than normative samples. Social support had moderate positive associations with self-concept, with source-specific differences, but was not associated with internalizing symptoms. Regression models with social preference status supported a main effect model of perceived social support. Social support may provide a target for resilience-based interventions among children with ADHD in promoting their self-concept and well-being.

Positive and Negative Experiences of Social Support and Risk of Dementia in Later Life: An Investigation Using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

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Khondoker, Mizanur; Rafnsson, Snorri Bjorn; Morris, Stephen; Orrell, Martin; Steptoe, Andrew

2017-01-01

Having a network of close relationships may reduce the risk of developing dementia. However, social exchange theory suggests that social interaction entails both rewards and costs. The effects of quality of close social relationships in later life on the risk of developing dementia are not well understood. To investigate the effects of positive and negative experiences of social support within key relationships (spouse or partner, children, other immediate family, and friends) on the risk of developing dementia in later life. We analyzed 10-year follow up data (2003/4 to 2012/13) in a cohort of 10,055 dementia free (at baseline) core participants aged 50 years and over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Incidence of dementia was identified from participant or informant reported physician diagnosed dementia or overall score of informant-completed IQCODE questionnaire. Effects of positive and negative experiences of social support measured at baseline on risk of developing dementia were investigated using proportional hazards regression accommodating interval censoring of time-to-dementia. There were 340 (3.4%) incident dementia cases during the follow-up. Positive social support from children significantly reduced the risk of dementia (hazard ratio, HR = 0.83, p = 0.042, 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.99). Negative support from other immediate family (HR = 1.26, p = 0.011, CI: 1.05 to 1.50); combined negative scores from spouse and children (HR = 1.23, p = 0.046, CI: 1.004 to 1.51); spouse, children, and other family (HR = 1.27, p = 0.021, CI = 1.04 to 1.56); other family & friends (HR = 1.25, p = 0.033, CI: 1.02 to 1.55); and the overall negative scores (HR = 1.31, p = 0.019, CI: 1.05 to 1.64) all were significantly associated with increased risk of dementia. Positive social support from children is associated with reduced risk of developing dementia whereas experiences of negative social support from

Perceived Discrimination and Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping Among Hispanics: The Influence of Social Support and Race.

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Rodriguez, Carlos Jose; Gwathmey, TanYa M; Jin, Zhezhen; Schwartz, Joseph; Beech, Bettina M; Sacco, Ralph L; Di Tullio, Marco R; Homma, Shunichi

2016-09-01

Little is known about the relationship of perceived racism to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in Hispanics. We explored possible associations between ABP nocturnal dipping and perceived racism in a Hispanic cohort. Participants included 180 community-dwelling Hispanics from the Northern Manhattan Study. Measures included perceived racism, socioeconomic status, social support, and ABP monitoring. Nocturnal ABP nondipping was defined as a less than 10% decline in the average asleep systolic blood pressure relative to the awake systolic blood pressure. Overall, 77.8% of participants reported some form of perceived racism (Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire scores >1.0). Greater social support was associated with less perceived discrimination (Spearman r = -0.54, p pressure levels during daytime exposures to discrimination.

Social support and child protection: Lessons learned and learning.

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Thompson, Ross A

2015-03-01

Social support has been a topic of research for nearly 50 years, and its applications to prevention and intervention have grown significantly, including programs advancing child protection. This article summarizes the central conclusions of the 1994 review of research on social support and the prevention of child maltreatment prepared for the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and surveys advances in the field since its publication. Among the lessons learned twenty years ago are (a) the diversity of the social support needs of at-risk families and their association with child endangerment, (b) the need to supplement the emotionally affirmative aspects of social support with efforts to socialize parenting practices and monitor child well-being, (c) the desirability of integrating formal and informal sources of social support for recipients, and (d) the importance of considering the complex recipient reactions to receiving support from others. The lessons we are now learning derive from research exploring the potential of online communication to enhance social support, the neurobiology of stress and its buffering through social support, and the lessons of evaluation research that are identifying the effective ingredients of social support interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship of social support and decisional conflict to advance directives attitude in Korean older adults: A community-based cross-sectional study.

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Lee, JuHee; Jung, Dukyoo; Choi, MoonKi

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between social support, decisional conflict, and attitude towards advance directives, and determine whether decisional conflict mediates the relation between social support and advance directives attitude among older adults in South Korea. In total, 209 community-based older adults (mean age, 74.82 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Demographic characteristics, self-perceived health status, social support, decisional conflict, and advance directives attitude were investigated via a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using Pearson's correlation and path analyses. The mean score of advance directives attitude was 48.01 (range, 35-61). Decisional conflict and social support were both significantly related to advance directives attitude (P conflict was a mediator between social support and advance directives attitudes. The results confirmed the importance of social support for reducing decisional conflict and encouraging positive attitudes toward advance directives. Future studies are needed to support the development of culturally sensitive educational approaches regarding advance directives for older adults in Korea. © 2015 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2015 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Social Support as a Key Protective Factor against Depression in HIV-Infected Patients: Report from large HIV clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam

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Matsumoto, Shoko; Yamaoka, Kazue; Takahashi, Kenzo; Tanuma, Junko; Mizushima, Daisuke; Do, Cuong Duy; Nguyen, Dung Thi; Nguyen, Hoai Dung Thi; Nguyen, Kinh Van; Oka, Shinichi

2017-01-01

Depression is the most common mental health issue among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study explored how different types and sources of social support are associated with depression among HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We carried out a cross-sectional survey on 1,503 HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at two HIV clinics in Hanoi in 2016. Depression was prevalent in 26.2% of participants. Higher score of social support, especially emotional/informational supp...

Social Skills Scores: The Impact of Primary School Population Characteristics and Parental Involvement

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Dekker, Karien; Kamerling, Margje

2017-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to examine to what extent and why parental involvement as well as characteristics of ethnic school population influence social skills scores (social position, behavioural skills) of students. Design/methodology/approach: The study used the COOL5-18 database (2010) that included 553 Dutch primary schools and nearly 38,000…

Positive Social Support, Negative Social Exchanges, and Suicidal Behavior in College Students

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Hirsch, Jameson K.; Barton, Alison L.

2011-01-01

Objective: Risk for suicide is often higher among college students, compared to same-age noncollegiate peers, and may be exacerbated by quality of social support and interactions. The authors examined the independent contributions of positive social support and negative social exchanges to suicide ideation and attempts in college students.…

Social support and performance anxiety of college music students.

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Schneider, Erin; Chesky, Kris

2011-09-01

This study characterized perceived social support and performance anxiety of college music students, compared characteristics to those of non-music majors, and explored the relationships between social support and performance anxiety. Subjects (n = 609) completed a questionnaire that included demographics, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and visual analog scale measures of performance anxiety. Results showed that music majors perceived significantly lower levels of social support from significant others when compared to non-music majors. Perceived social support was significantly correlated with measures of performance anxiety. Students with greater perceived social support reported less frequent anxiety and lower levels of impact of anxiety on ability to perform. These findings may have practical implications for schools of music and conservatories.

Predictors of Health Promotion Behavior of female Students of Azad Islamic University, Kazerun Branch: Role of Social Support and Health Literacy

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Soheyla Ziaee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Health promoting behaviors and life style at the young age is regarded as very important issues. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the relationship between social support and health literacy whit health promoting behaviors among female students in Islamic Azad University, in Kazerun, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 200 female Azad University students were selected as the sample using random cluster sampling. The required data were collected using the Sarason's Social Support Questionnaire, Health Literacy Questionnaire devised by Montazeri et al., and Walker's Promoting Behaviors Questionnaire.  The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22, Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis. Results: Health promoting behaviors and health literacy scores in students were 74.32 and 76.68, respectively. The average for individuals in the students’ social support network was 3.8 ± 1.9 and the mean score of their satisfaction from their own social network was 4.9 ± 1.5. The results obtained from regression analysis showed that health literacy comprised 22.2% of health promoting behaviors while social support demonstrated 17.8% of these behaviors. Conclusion: Though health literacy and health promoting behaviors have been in a desirable condition for students, it seems necessary to carry out health education programs on the basis of the areas of health promoting behaviors and health literacy components as well as assisting students to improve social networking and to moderate their expectations with respect to this network. Paper Type: Research Article.

The Relationship Between Use of Social Network Sites, Online Social Support, and Well-Being

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2017-01-01

Abstract. Existing work on the effects of social network sites (SNS) on well-being has often stressed that SNS can help people gain social support from their online networks, which positively affects their well-being. However, the majority of studies in this area have been cross-sectional in nature and/or relied on student samples. Using data from six waves of a longitudinal study with a representative sample of Dutch Internet users, we first examined whether users and nonusers of SNS differ in online social support and well-being (as indicated by life satisfaction and stress). In a second step, we investigated in more detail how SNS use – more specifically, asking for advice and the number of strong ties on these SNS – are related to online social support, stress, and satisfaction with life. Overall, our results provide no evidence for SNS use and online social support affecting either stress or life satisfaction. SNS users reported more online social support than nonusers did, but also higher levels of stress; the two groups did not differ in overall life satisfaction. With regard to the underlying processes, we found positive cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between asking for advice on SNS and online social support, indicating that SNS can be an effective tool for receiving social support. However, online social support was not related to higher life satisfaction or reduced stress 6 months later; instead, it seems that SNS users with lower life satisfaction and/or higher stress seek more social support online by asking for advice on SNS. PMID:29147141

Social support, social conflict, and immigrant women's mental health in a Canadian context: a scoping review.

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Guruge, S; Thomson, M S; George, U; Chaze, F

2015-11-01

Social support has positive and negative dimensions, each of which has been associated with mental health outcomes. Social networks can also serve as sources of distress and conflict. This paper reviews journal articles published during the last 24 years to provide a consolidated summary of the role of social support and social conflict on immigrant women's mental health. The review reveals that social support can help immigrant women adjust to the new country, prevent depression and psychological distress, and access care and services. When social support is lacking or social networks act as a source of conflict, it can have negative effects on immigrant women's mental health. It is crucial that interventions, programmes, and services incorporate strategies to both enhance social support as well as reduce social conflict, in order to improve mental health and well-being of immigrant women. Researchers have documented the protective role of social support and the harmful consequences of social conflict on physical and mental health. However, consolidated information about social support, social conflict, and mental health of immigrant women in Canada is not available. This scoping review examined literature from the last 24 years to understand how social support and social conflict affect the mental health of immigrant women in Canada. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Healthstar, and EMBASE for peer-reviewed publications focusing on mental health among immigrant women in Canada. Thirty-four articles that met our inclusion criteria were reviewed, and are summarized under the following four headings: settlement challenges and the need for social support; social support and mental health outcomes; social conflict and reciprocity; and social support, social conflict, and mental health service use. The results revealed that social support can have a positive effect on immigrant women's mental health and well-being, and facilitate social inclusion and the use of

The effect of a social support boosting intervention on stress, coping, and social support in caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS.

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Hansell, P S; Hughes, C B; Caliandro, G; Russo, P; Budin, W C; Hartman, B; Hernandez, O C

1998-01-01

Caring for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected child is challenging and affects the entire family system. Studies have shown that social support can mitigate caregiver stress and enhance coping; however, social support may not always result in a positive outcome for the recipient. To measure caregiver stress, coping, and social support, and to test the effect of a social support boosting intervention on levels of stress, coping, and social support among caregivers of children with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). An experimental design was used with monthly social support boosting interventions implemented. The stratified randomized sample included 70 primary caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS. The sample strata were seropositive caregivers (biological parents) and seronegative caregivers (foster parents and extended family members). Study measures included the Derogatis Stress Profile, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, and the Tilden Interpersonal Relationship Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measure MANOVA. Statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found on changes in the dependent variables over time when caregiver strata were included as a factor in the analysis; no statistically significant results were found when caregiver strata were combined. Univariate Ftests indicated that the level of social support for caregivers who were seronegative in the experimental group was significantly different from seronegative caregivers in the control group and seropositive caregivers in both groups. No significant treatment group differences were found for seropositive caregivers. Seronegative caregivers derived substantial benefit from the social support boosting intervention. Seronegative caregivers who acquire a child with HIV/AIDS are confronted with a complex stressful situation; the critical need to enhance their social support is

Low perceived social support and post-myocardial infarction prognosis in the enhancing recovery in coronary heart disease clinical trial: the effects of treatment.

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Burg, Matthew M; Barefoot, John; Berkman, Lisa; Catellier, Diane J; Czajkowski, Susan; Saab, Patrice; Huber, Marc; DeLillo, Vicki; Mitchell, Pamela; Skala, Judy; Taylor, C Barr

2005-01-01

In post hoc analyses, to examine in low perceived social support (LPSS) patients enrolled in the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) clinical trial (n = 1503), the pattern of social support following myocardial infarction (MI), the impact of psychosocial intervention on perceived support, the relationship of perceived support at the time of MI to subsequent death and recurrent MI, and the relationship of change in perceived support 6 months after MI to subsequent mortality. Partner status (partner, no partner) and score (12 = moderate support) on the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument (ESSI) were used post hoc to define four levels of risk. The resulting 4 LPSS risk groups were compared on baseline characteristics, changes in social support, and medical outcomes to a group of concurrently enrolled acute myocardial infarction patients without depression or LPSS (MI comparison group, n = 408). Effects of treatment assignment on LPSS and death/recurrent MI were also examined. All 4 LPSS risk groups demonstrated improvement in perceived support, regardless of treatment assignment, with a significant treatment effect only seen in the LPSS risk group with no partner and moderate support at baseline. During an average 29-month follow-up, the combined end point of death/nonfatal MI was 10% in the MI comparison group and 23% in the ENRICHD LPSS patients; LPSS conferred a greater risk in unadjusted and adjusted models (HR = 1.74-2.39). Change in ESSI score and/or improvement in perceived social support were not found to predict subsequent mortality. Baseline LPSS predicted death/recurrent MI in the ENRICHD cohort, independent of treatment assignment. Intervention effects indicated a partner surrogacy role for the interventionist and the need for a moderate level of support at baseline for the intervention to be effective.

The role of social support in the relationship between mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder amongst orthopaedic patients

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Vhuhwavho M. Maselesele

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Some life-event experiences such as injuries in car accidents, gun shots and the like, can be life changing and traumatic. Objectives: The article investigated the relationship between mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD symptoms after orthopaedic trauma, and attempted to understand whether social support moderates the relationship between mental health and PTSD. Method: A cross-sectional research model was used. Two hundred participants were selected using simple randomisation within a hospital complex in Gauteng, South Africa. The sample consisted of 110 men and 90 women (x̄ = 37.8 years, s.d. = 12.9 years. Data were collected using the Revised Civilian Mississippi Scale for PTSD, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS, and the General Health Questionnaire version 28. Results: The findings of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between mental health and PTSD after orthopaedic trauma, and a positive correlation between poor mental health and PTSD (r = 0.52, n = 200, p < 0.05. However, perceived social support did not moderate mental health or PTSD, indicating that perceived social support did not significantly influence mental health or PTSD, (MSPSS B = 0.07, p = 0.66. Those with high scores on social support had a lower regression coefficient (B = 0.19 for mental health and PTSD than those who reported low social support (B = 0.26.Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between mental health and PTSD of orthopaedic patients, and social support did not moderate the relationship between mental health and PTSD.

The role of social support in the relationship between mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder amongst orthopaedic patients

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Vhuhwavho M. Maselesele

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Some life-event experiences such as injuries in car accidents, gun shots and the like, can be life changing and traumatic. Objectives: The article investigated the relationship between mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD symptoms after orthopaedic trauma, and attempted to understand whether social support moderates the relationship between mental health and PTSD. Method: A cross-sectional research model was used. Two hundred participants were selected using simple randomisation within a hospital complex in Gauteng, South Africa. The sample consisted of 110 men and 90 women (x̄ = 37.8 years, s.d. = 12.9 years. Data were collected using the Revised Civilian Mississippi Scale for PTSD, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS, and the General Health Questionnaire version 28. Results: The findings of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between mental health and PTSD after orthopaedic trauma, and a positive correlation between poor mental health and PTSD (r = 0.52, n = 200, p < 0.05. However, perceived social support did not moderate mental health or PTSD, indicating that perceived social support did not significantly influence mental health or PTSD, (MSPSS B = 0.07, p = 0.66. Those with high scores on social support had a lower regression coefficient (B = 0.19 for mental health and PTSD than those who reported low social support (B = 0.26. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between mental health and PTSD of orthopaedic patients, and social support did not moderate the relationship between mental health and PTSD.

Assessing social support among South Asians: the multidimensional scale of perceived social support.

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Tonsing, Kareen; Zimet, Gregory D; Tse, Samson

2012-06-01

The psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) of the Urdu (MSPSS-U) and Nepali (MSPSS-N) versions were investigated among Pakistani (n=148) and Nepalese (n=153) respondents living in Hong Kong. The factor analysis of the MSPSS-N conducted in this study confirmed the three factors of the original MSPSS, namely, Family, Friend, and Significant Others, while only two factors were extracted from the MSPSS-U (i.e., the Family and Friends subscales). With regard to construct validity, both the MSPSS-U and MSPSS-N were inversely correlated with depression, anxiety and stress as assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The internal reliability and construct validity of the MSPSS-U and MSPSS-N were also established and provided support for the validity of both versions as tools for measuring perceived social support among South Asian migrants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social network, social support, and risk of incident stroke: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

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Nagayoshi, Mako; Everson-Rose, Susan A; Iso, Hiroyasu; Mosley, Thomas H; Rose, Kathryn M; Lutsey, Pamela L

2014-10-01

Having a small social network and lack of social support have been associated with incident coronary heart disease; however, epidemiological evidence for incident stroke is limited. We assessed the longitudinal association of a small social network and lack of social support with risk of incident stroke and evaluated whether the association was partly mediated by vital exhaustion and inflammation. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study measured social network and social support in 13 686 men and women (mean, 57 years; 56% women; 24% black; 76% white) without a history of stroke. Social network was assessed by the 10-item Lubben Social Network Scale and social support by a 16-item Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-Short Form. During a median follow-up of 18.6 years, 905 incident strokes occurred. Relative to participants with a large social network, those with a small social network had a higher risk of stroke (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.44 [1.02-2.04]) after adjustment for demographics, socioeconomic variables, marital status, behavioral risk factors, and major stroke risk factors. Vital exhaustion, but not inflammation, partly mediated the association between a small social network and incident stroke. Social support was unrelated to incident stroke. In this sample of US community-dwelling men and women, having a small social network was associated with excess risk of incident stroke. As with other cardiovascular conditions, having a small social network may be associated with a modestly increased risk of incident stroke. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Designing a diabetes mobile application with social network support.

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Chomutare, Taridzo; Tatara, Naoe; Årsand, Eirik; Hartvigsen, Gunnar

2013-01-01

Although mobile applications and social media have emerged as important facets of the Internet, their role in healthcare is still not well-understood. We present design artefacts, inspired by persuasive technology concepts, from a study of social media as part of a diabetes mHealth application. We used the design science approach for mobile application design, and real-life user testing and focus group meetings to test the application over a 12-week period with 7 participants. Based on the System Usability Score (SUS), the mobile application scored an average of 84.6 (SD=13.2), which represents a fairly high usability score compared to the literature. Regression analysis on the daily blood glucose levels showed significant decreases for some patients, and although the study is not powered, the HbA1c showed a promising trend, and self-efficacy marginally increased. Incorporating persuasive elements such as blood glucose tracking and visualisation, and social media access directly from the mobile application produced promising results that warrant a larger study of behaviour change for people with diabetes.

Social support network, mental health and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in primary care

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Flávia Batista Portugal

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to identify the association between emotional distress and social support networks with quality of life in primary care patients. This was a cross-sectional study involving 1,466 patients in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2009/2010. The General Health Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument were used. The Social Support Network Index classified patients with the highest and lowest index as socially integrated or isolated. A bivariate analysis and four multiple linear regressions were conducted for each quality of life outcome. The means scores for the physical, psychological, social relations, and environment domains were, respectively, 64.7; 64.2; 68.5 and 49.1. In the multivariate analysis, the psychological domain was negatively associated with isolation, whereas the social relations and environment domains were positively associated with integration. Integration and isolation proved to be important factors for those in emotional distress as they minimize or maximize negative effects on quality of life.

Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal social support: cancer and older adults.

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Robinson, James D; Turner, Jeanine

2003-01-01

Although cancer occurs throughout the life span, many of the most frequently occurring types of cancer increase as we grow older. In fact, only cardiovascular disease accounts for more deaths in adults 65 years of age and older. One of the ways that cancer patients cope or adapt to their illness is through socially supportive communicative interactions and relationships. Cutrona and Russell (1990) argued that social support is multidimensional and suggested that social support is most effective when the support needs of the individual are consistent with the type of social support being offered by the support provider. From the communicative perspective, the notion of optimal matching between the types of social support desired and the type of social support offered is extended to include the type of relationship between the communicants. In addition, it is argued that computer-mediated social support can be superior to face-to-face social support. This article attempts to identify some of the conditions under which this is true.

High Agreement was Obtained Across Scores from Multiple Equated Scales for Social Anxiety Disorder using Item Response Theory.

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Sunderland, Matthew; Batterham, Philip; Calear, Alison; Carragher, Natacha; Baillie, Andrew; Slade, Tim

2018-04-10

There is no standardized approach to the measurement of social anxiety. Researchers and clinicians are faced with numerous self-report scales with varying strengths, weaknesses, and psychometric properties. The lack of standardization makes it difficult to compare scores across populations that utilise different scales. Item response theory offers one solution to this problem via equating different scales using an anchor scale to set a standardized metric. This study is the first to equate several scales for social anxiety disorder. Data from two samples (n=3,175 and n=1,052), recruited from the Australian community using online advertisements, were utilised to equate a network of 11 self-report social anxiety scales via a fixed parameter item calibration method. Comparisons between actual and equated scores for most of the scales indicted a high level of agreement with mean differences <0.10 (equivalent to a mean difference of less than one point on the standardized metric). This study demonstrates that scores from multiple scales that measure social anxiety can be converted to a common scale. Re-scoring observed scores to a common scale provides opportunities to combine research from multiple studies and ultimately better assess social anxiety in treatment and research settings. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Social support for schoolchildren at risk of social exclusion

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Ivanauskiene V.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Social exclusion is a wider concept than poverty and includes not only material conditions but also inability to participate in economic, social, political and cultural life. The essence of social exclusion is social relationships (more exactly breaking off relationships, which may mean not only pushing away some members of the society, but also breaking off relationships with the society from the side of a person himself/herself. The reasons of origin of social exclusion may be legal, political, economical, social and cultural. Nowadays social exclusion is predetermined by social-economic factors. According to Poviliūnas (2001, the problems of children’s social exclusion may be solved ensuring proper education, care of public health, safety and minimal life standard. Growing aggression and violence of schoolchildren and their social exclusion are nowadays an important issue of political debate and media reports. Often schoolchildren face the risk of social exclusion at school during the period of adolescence. The risk also depends on the social status of their family in the society and the relationship of the family members. The aim of the article is to identify characteristic features of schoolchildren at risk of social exclusion and analyze social support provided for them. A quantitative research was carried out to achieve the aim. The method of data collection is a questionnaire. 105 teachers working in 3 secondary schools in Lithuania participated in the research. The research results revealed that most often schoolchildren face the risk of social exclusion at school during adolescence period. They are characterized as incommunicative, unsociable, passive, and shy, do not trust others, are vulnerable, have learning problems and avoid collaborative activities. These schoolchildren usually come from families of social risk or single parent families. The support provided at school by teachers to schoolchildren at risk of social exclusion

Social psychological-pedagogical support of singleparent family

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Ruslana Kazhuk

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the definition of the concept of "incomplete family", describes the typology of single-parent families, the necessity of special social psychological and pedagogical support for children from such families and their parents has been proved. The analysis of various concepts of ―support‖has been made. The idea of psychological and pedagogical support of modern incomplete families has been determined. Key words: incomplete family, types of single-parent families, support, social support, psychological and pedagogical support of single-parent families.

Maternal depressive symptoms, employment, and social support.

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Gjerdingen, Dwenda; McGovern, Patricia; Attanasio, Laura; Johnson, Pamela Jo; Kozhimannil, Katy Backes

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and employment and whether it is mediated by social support. We used data from a nationally representative sample of 700 US women who gave birth in 2005 and completed 2 surveys in the Listening to Mothers series, the first in early 2006, an average of 7.3 months postpartum, and the second an average of 13.4 months postpartum. A dichotomous measure of depressive symptoms was calculated from the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and women reported their employment status and levels of social support from partners and others. We modeled the association between maternal employment and depressive symptoms using multivariate logistic regression, including social support and other control variables. Maternal employment and high support from a nonpartner source were both independently associated with significantly lower odds of depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.35 and P = .011, and AOR, 0.40, P = .011, respectively). These relationships remained significant after controlling for mothers' baseline mental and physical health, babies' health, and demographic characteristics (AOR, 0.326 and P = .015, and AOR, 0.267 and P = .025, respectively). Maternal employment and strong social support, particularly nonpartner support, were independently associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Clinicians should encourage mothers of young children who are at risk for depression to consider ways to optimize their employment circumstances and "other" social support.

The effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on depressive symptoms among police officers following Hurricane Katrina.

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McCanlies, Erin C; Gu, Ja Kook; Andrew, Michael E; Violanti, John M

2018-02-01

Police officers in the New Orleans geographic area faced a number of challenges following Hurricane Katrina. This cross-sectional study examined the effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on symptoms of depression. A total of 86 male and 30 female police officers from Louisiana participated in this study. Ordinary least-square (OLS) regression mediation analysis was used to estimate direct and indirect effects between social support, gratitude, resilience, satisfaction with life and symptoms of depression. All models were adjusted for age, alcohol intake, military experience and an increase in the number of sick days since Hurricane Katrina. Mean depressive symptom scores were 9.6 ± 9.1 for females and 10.9 ± 9.6 for males. Mediation analyses indicates that social support and gratitude are directly associated with fewer symptoms of depression. Social support also mediated the relationships between gratitude and depression, gratitude and satisfaction with life, and satisfaction with life and depression. Similarly, resilience mediated the relationship between social support and fewer symptoms of depression. Social support, gratitude and resilience are associated with higher satisfaction with life and fewer symptoms of depression. Targeting and building these factors may improve an officer's ability to address symptoms of depression.

Direct and Indirect Pathways From Social Support to Health?

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Kim, Seoyoun; Thomas, Patricia A

2017-07-04

We aimed to investigate potential direct and indirect pathways linking social support and health, while considering mental health and chronic inflammation as inter-related outcomes. The study also contributes to the literature through testing potential bidirectional relationships between social support, mental health, and chronic inflammation. This study uses Structural Equation Modeling and two waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), including 1,124 community-living older adults aged 57-85 years at Wave 1 (2005). Analyses show that social support influenced mental health indirectly through better self-esteem. Moreover, social support was associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation but chronic inflammation did not influence social support. The growing number of older adults with an aging population urgently calls for a greater understanding of factors influencing their physical and mental health. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of social support in older adults' health, while specifically focusing on understudied indirect pathways from social support to health. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of life-skills Training on Social Anxiety Symptoms and Stress Coping Methods in Teens in Families Support with Welfare Organization

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M. Hassanvand Amouzadeh

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of life-skills training on social anxiety symptoms and stress coping methods in teens with social anxiety that are supported by welfare department. The research method was semi-empirical with two group's pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study were socially anxious teens in families supported by welfare organization in Darreh shahr town. So, after first administration of Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN, 30 persons with highest scores were selected and randomly assigned in to an experimental group (15 persons and a control group (15 persons. The experimental group received “life-skills” training through thirteen two hour sessions twice a week. During this period no intervention was given to the control group. The instrument for this study, social phobia inventory Conver and etal (2000 (SPIN and parker & ender questionnaire of coping with stress (1991 were administered at the pretest and post-test stage to all participations. The result of multiple covariance analysis indicated that “life-skills” training significantly decreased the amount of social anxiety, emotion-based coping and evasion-based coping and so significant increase in the scores of problem-based coping in the experimental group as compared the control group (p=0.0001. The result of the study revealed that “life-skills” training could be used as a useful intervention for teens in families that are supported by welfare organization.

Support network and social support for children with special health care need

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaís Araújo Barbosa

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: to understand and identify the support network and social support from the perspective of families of children with chronic conditions. Methods: a qualitative study, with content analysis of 134 records, followed by ten semi-structured interviews. Results: the analysis has revealed that the primary caregiver, the mother, participates in a network of limited support, only with the help of her husband, children, grandparents and the child´s godparents. They also have a social network through a multidisciplinary team, which in some cases is not effective. Conclusion: families have a deficient and limited support network and the demand for care rely only on the support of the husband, grandparents, children, and godparents. Social networking refers to the philanthropic institutions, while the aid of public service, basic health unit is basic.

Domestic decision-making power, social support, and postpartum depression symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Li-Yin; Tai, Chen-Jei; Yeh, Mei-Chiang

2012-01-01

Domestic decision-making power is an integral part of women's empowerment. No study has linked domestic decision-making power and social support concurrently to postpartum depression and compared these between immigrant and native populations. The aim of this study was to examine domestic decision-making power and social support and their relationship to postpartum depressive symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan. This cross-sectional survey included 190 immigrant and 190 native women who had delivered healthy babies during the past year in Taipei City. Depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, with a cutoff score of 10. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with postpartum depression symptoms. Immigrant mothers had significantly higher prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms (41.1% vs. 8.4%) and had significantly lower levels of domestic decision-making power and social support than native mothers did. Logistic regression showed that insufficient family income was associated with an increased risk of postpartum depression symptoms, whereas social support and domestic decision-making power levels were associated negatively with postpartum depression symptoms. After accounting for these factors, immigrant women remained at higher risk of postpartum depression symptoms than native women did, odds ratio = 2.59, 95% CI [1.27, 5.28]. Domestic decision-making power and social support are independent protective factors for postpartum depression symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan. Social support and empowerment interventions should be tested to discover whether they are able to prevent or alleviate postpartum depression symptoms, with special emphasis on immigrant mothers.

Ethnicity, Social Support, and Depression Among Elderly Chilean People.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallardo-Peralta, Lorena P; Sánchez-Moreno, Esteban; López De Roda, Ana Barrón; Arias Astray, Andrés

2015-01-01

Recent evidence regarding the relationship between social support and depression in elderly people shows the important role of ethnicity. This research describes the characteristics of social support in a sample of elderly people aged 60 and above living in northern Chile (n = 493), and analyzes the differences in the relationship between social support and depression between an indigenous group (Aymara population, n = 147) and a nonindigenous group (white, Caucasian, mestizo, n = 346). Various dimensions of social support were considered: structural elements, functional social support according to source, and community participation. The results show the existence of significant differences in the characteristics and dimensions of social support depending on sex, ethnicity, and marital status. Further, the central role of the family group is observed for both Aymara and nonindigenous elderly people. The hierarchical regression models obtained result in notable differences in the role of the structural, functional, and community elements of support in explaining depression for the ethnic groups considered.

Examining the use of evidence-based and social media supported tools in freely accessible physical activity intervention websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandelanotte, Corneel; Kirwan, Morwenna; Rebar, Amanda; Alley, Stephanie; Short, Camille; Fallon, Luke; Buzza, Gavin; Schoeppe, Stephanie; Maher, Carol; Duncan, Mitch J

2014-08-17

It has been shown that physical activity is more likely to increase if web-based interventions apply evidence-based components (e.g. self-monitoring) and incorporate interactive social media applications (e.g. social networking), but it is unclear to what extent these are being utilized in the publicly available web-based physical activity interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether freely accessible websites delivering physical activity interventions use evidence-based behavior change techniques and provide social media applications. In 2013, a systematic search strategy examined 750 websites. Data was extracted on a wide range of variables (e.g. self-monitoring, goal setting, and social media applications). To evaluate website quality a new tool, comprising three sub-scores (Behavioral Components, Interactivity and User Generated Content), was developed to assess implementation of behavior change techniques and social media applications. An overall website quality scored was obtained by summing the three sub-scores. Forty-six publicly available websites were included in the study. The use of self-monitoring (54.3%), goal setting (41.3%) and provision of feedback (46%) was relatively low given the amount of evidence supporting these features. Whereas the presence of features allowing users to generate content (73.9%), and social media components (Facebook (65.2%), Twitter (47.8%), YouTube (48.7%), smartphone applications (34.8%)) was relatively high considering their innovative and untested nature. Nearly all websites applied some behavioral and social media applications. The average Behavioral Components score was 3.45 (±2.53) out of 10. The average Interactivity score was 3.57 (±2.16) out of 10. The average User Generated Content Score was 4.02 (±2.77) out of 10. The average overall website quality score was 11.04 (±6.92) out of 30. Four websites (8.7%) were classified as high quality, 12 websites (26.1%) were classified as moderate

The Relationship between Social-Emotional Learning Ability and Perceived Social Support in Gifted Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ogurlu, Üzeyir; Sevgi-Yalin, Hatun; Yavuz-Birben, Fazilet

2018-01-01

This study aimed to examine the relationship between social-emotional learning skills and perceived social support of gifted students. Based on this relationship, the authors also examined to what extent social and emotional learning skills were predictive of social support. In addition, gender variables were compared in social and emotional…

Social networks and social support for healthy eating among Latina breast cancer survivors: implications for social and behavioral interventions.

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Crookes, Danielle M; Shelton, Rachel C; Tehranifar, Parisa; Aycinena, Corina; Gaffney, Ann Ogden; Koch, Pam; Contento, Isobel R; Greenlee, Heather

2016-04-01

Little is known about Latina breast cancer survivors' social networks or their perceived social support to achieve and maintain a healthy diet. This paper describes the social networks and perceived support for healthy eating in a sample of breast cancer survivors of predominantly Dominican descent living in New York City. Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a culturally tailored dietary intervention. Social networks were assessed using Cohen's Social Network Index and a modified General Social Survey Social Networks Module that included assessments of shared health promoting behaviors. Perceived social support from family and friends for healthy, food-related behaviors was assessed. Participants' networks consisted predominantly of family and friends. Family members were more likely than other individuals to be identified as close network members. Participants were more likely to share food-related activities than exercise activities with close network members. Perceived social support for healthy eating was high, although perceived support from spouses and children was higher than support from friends. Despite high levels of perceived support, family was also identified as a barrier to eating healthy foods by nearly half of women. Although friends are part of Latina breast cancer survivors' social networks, spouses and children may provide greater support for healthy eating than friends. Involving family members in dietary interventions for Latina breast cancer survivors may tap into positive sources of support for women, which could facilitate uptake and maintenance of healthy eating behaviors.

Family Violence Exposure and Health Outcomes Among Older African American Women: Do Spirituality and Social Support Play Protective Roles?

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Kaslow, Nadine

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Family violence (FV), spirituality, and social support are salient psychosocial determinants of health. FV is associated with poor health among older African American women. The effect of spirituality and social support levels on the health of older African American women is unknown. Methods To assess the role of spirituality and social support as culturally relevant determinants of health status for older African American women independent of FV levels, we used a cross-sectional observational study. Two hundred twelve African American women, aged ≥50, were interviewed in two urban primary care practices. The measures used were (1) Family Violence Against Older Women (FVOW) scale, (2) Physical and Mental Composite Scores of the Short-Form 8® scale, (3) Medical Outcomes of Social Support survey (MOSS), and (4) Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). Spearman correlation coefficients estimated to test associations among lifetime FV exposure, spirituality, social support, and health status outcomes and multivariate regression models were used to examine the independent effect of spirituality and social support on physical and mental health status, controlling for FV and significant demographic variables. Results Mean participant age was 63.9 years. Higher spirituality levels were significantly associated with better physical health status after adjusting for FV levels and demographic factors (F = 6.17, p = 0.0001). Similarly, higher levels of spirituality and social support both significantly correlated with better mental health status in the multivariate model (F = 13.45, p < 0.0001) that controlled for lifetime FV levels and demographic factors. Conclusions Spirituality and social support are two potentially modifiable determinants of health for older African American women. Culturally appropriate mechanisms to enhance social support and spirituality levels need to be explored as potential inteventions to improve the health of those

Groningen orthopaedic social support scale: Validity and reliability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Akker-Scheek, I.; Stevens, M.; Spriensma, A.; van Horn, J.R.

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: Social support is an important factor in the rehabilitation process, as it has a positive influence on patients' health, functioning and recovery. In particular, perceived social support and instrumental support are important after total hip or knee arthroplasty. However, nursing staff

A meta-analysis of work-family conflict and social support.

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French, Kimberly A; Dumani, Soner; Allen, Tammy D; Shockley, Kristen M

2018-03-01

The relationship between social support and work-family conflict is well-established, but the notion that different forms, sources, and types of social support as well as contextual factors can alter this relationship has been relatively neglected. To address this limitation, the current study provides the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of the relationship between social support and work-family conflict to date. We conduct a meta-analysis based on 1021 effect sizes and 46 countries to dissect the social support and work-family conflict relationship. Using social support theory as a theoretical framework, we challenge the assumption that social support measures are interchangeable by comparing work/family support relationships with work-family conflict across different support forms (behavior, perceptions), sources (e.g., supervisor, coworker, spouse), types (instrumental, emotional), and national contexts (cultural values, economic factors). National context hypotheses use a strong inferences paradigm in which utility and value congruence theoretical perspectives are pitted against one another. Significant results concerning support source are in line with social support theory, indicating that broad sources of support are more strongly related to work-family conflict than are specific sources of support. In line with utility perspective from social support theory, culture and economic national context significantly moderate some of the relationships between work/family support and work interference with family, indicating that social support is most beneficial in contexts in which it is needed or perceived as useful. The results suggest that organizational support may be the most important source of support overall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality predicts perceived availability of social support and satisfaction with social support in women with early stage breast cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Oudsten, Brenda L.; van Heck, Guus L.; van der Steeg, Alida F. W.; Roukema, Jan A.; de Vries, Jolanda

2010-01-01

This study examines the relationships between personality, on the one hand, and perceived availability of social support (PASS) and satisfaction with received social support (SRSS), on the other hand, in women with early stage breast cancer (BC). In addition, this study examined whether a stressful

Five-year trajectories of social networks and social support in older adults with major depression.

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Voils, Corrine I; Allaire, Jason C; Olsen, Maren K; Steffens, David C; Hoyle, Rick H; Bosworth, Hayden B

2007-12-01

Research with nondepressed adults suggests that social networks and social support are stable over the life course until very late age. This may not hold true for older adults with depression. We examined baseline status and trajectories of social networks and social support at the group and individual levels over five years. The sample consisted of 339 initially depressed adults aged 59 or older (M = 69 years) enrolled in a naturalistic study of depression. Measures of social ties, including social network size, frequency of interaction, instrumental support, and subjective support, were administered at baseline and yearly for five years. Latent growth curve models were estimated for each aspect of social ties. On average, social network size and frequency of interaction were low at baseline and remained stable over time, whereas subjective and instrumental support were high at baseline yet increased over time. There was significant variation in the direction and rate of change over time, which was not predicted by demographic or clinical factors. Because increasing social networks may be ineffective and may not be possible for a portion of people who already receive maximal support, interventions to increase social support may only work for a portion of older depressed adults.

Negative Life Events, Social Support, and Self-Efficacy in Anxious Adolescents.

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Raknes, Solfrid; Pallesen, Ståle; Bjaastad, Jon Fauskanger; Wergeland, Gro Janne; Hoffart, Asle; Dyregrov, Kari; Håland, Åshild Tellefsen; Haugland, Bente Storm Mowatt

2017-01-01

Purpose To examine the prevalence and correlates of anxiety in a community sample of adolescents. Knowing the prevalence and characteristics of anxious adolescents is valuable to improve anxiety prevention strategies and interventions. Design Cross-sectional data about anxiety were collected via a school survey from a community sample of Norwegian adolescents aged 12-17 ( N = 1719). Methods Based on scores from the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, the adolescents were categorized as not anxious or anxious. Logistic regression analysis was performed to access the impact of each factor on the likelihood that participants would report an elevated level of anxiety. Results A total of 22% of the adolescents were categorized as anxious. Female gender, experienced negative life events, low social support, and low self-efficacy were associated with elevated level of anxiety. Conclusions The high prevalence of anxiety in adolescents demonstrates the importance of improved prevention interventions targeting anxious adolescents. We argue that addressing is the responsibility of not only the individual adolescents and their families but also schools, school health services, and policy makers. School-based interventions that increase social support and self-efficacy would probably be particularly beneficial for anxious adolescents.

Psychosocial factors of antenatal anxiety and depression in Pakistan: is social support a mediator?

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Ahmed Waqas

Full Text Available Pregnancy is generally viewed as a time of fulfillment and joy; however, for many women it can be a stressful event. In South Asia it is associated with cultural stigmas revolving around gender discrimination, abnormal births and genetic abnormalities.This cross-sectional study was done at four teaching hospitals in Lahore from February, 2014 to June, 2014. A total of 500 pregnant women seen at hospital obstetrics and gynecology departments were interviewed with a questionnaire consisting of three sections: demographics, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS and the Social Provisions Scale (SPS. Pearson's chi-squared test, bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression were used to analyze associations between the independent variables and scores on the HADS and SPS.Mean age among the 500 respondents was 27.41 years (5.65. Anxiety levels in participants were categorized as normal (145 women, 29%, borderline (110, 22% or anxious (245, 49%. Depression levels were categorized as normal (218 women, 43.6%, borderline (123, 24.6% or depressed (159, 31.8%. Inferential analysis revealed that higher HADS scores were significantly associated with lower scores on the SPS, rural background, history of harassment, abortion, cesarean delivery and unplanned pregnancies (P < .05. Social support (SPS score mediated the relationship between the total number of children, gender of previous children and HADS score. Women with more daughters were significantly more likely to score higher on the HADS and lower on the SPS, whereas higher numbers of sons were associated with the opposite trends in the scores (P < .05.Because of the predominantly patriarchal sociocultural context in Pakistan, the predictors of antenatal anxiety and depression may differ from those in developed countries. We therefore suggest that interventions designed and implemented to reduce antenatal anxiety and depression should take into account these unique factors.

Social Support May Buffer the Effect of Intrafamilial Stressors on Preschool Children's Television Viewing Time in Low-Income Families

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Jurkowski, Janine M.; Davison, Kirsten K.

2013-01-01

Abstract Background: Excessive television (TV) viewing in preschool children has been linked to negative outcomes during childhood, including childhood obesity. In a sample of low-income families, this study examined associations between intrafamilial factors and preschool children's TV-viewing time and the moderating effect of social support from nonfamily members on this association. Methods: In 2010, 129 mothers/female guardians of 2- to 5-year-old children enrolled at five Head Start centers in Rensselaer County, New York, completed a self-report survey. The survey assessed child TV-viewing time (including TV, DVDs, and videos) and intrafamilial risk factors, including maternal perceived stress, depressive symptoms, TV viewing, leisure-time physical activity (inactivity), and family functioning. Social support from nonfamily members (nonfamily social support) was also measured and examined as an effect modifier. Results: Children watched TV an average of 160 minutes per day. Moderate depressive symptoms (Personal Health Questionnaire depression scale scores ≥10), higher perceived stress, poorer family functioning, and higher maternal TV-viewing were significantly and independently associated with greater minutes of child TV viewing, controlling for covariates. In all instances, nonfamily social support moderated these associations, such that negative experiences within the family environment were linked with higher child TV-viewing time under conditions of low nonfamily social support, but not high nonfamily support. Conclusions: Social support from nonfamily members may buffer potentially negative effects of intrafamilial factors on preschool children's TV-viewing time. PMID:24168754

Social support may buffer the effect of intrafamilial stressors on preschool children's television viewing time in low-income families.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kaigang; Jurkowski, Janine M; Davison, Kirsten K

2013-12-01

Excessive television (TV) viewing in preschool children has been linked to negative outcomes during childhood, including childhood obesity. In a sample of low-income families, this study examined associations between intrafamilial factors and preschool children's TV-viewing time and the moderating effect of social support from nonfamily members on this association. In 2010, 129 mothers/female guardians of 2- to 5-year-old children enrolled at five Head Start centers in Rensselaer County, New York, completed a self-report survey. The survey assessed child TV-viewing time (including TV, DVDs, and videos) and intrafamilial risk factors, including maternal perceived stress, depressive symptoms, TV viewing, leisure-time physical activity (inactivity), and family functioning. Social support from nonfamily members (nonfamily social support) was also measured and examined as an effect modifier. Children watched TV an average of 160 minutes per day. Moderate depressive symptoms (Personal Health Questionnaire depression scale scores ≥10), higher perceived stress, poorer family functioning, and higher maternal TV-viewing were significantly and independently associated with greater minutes of child TV viewing, controlling for covariates. In all instances, nonfamily social support moderated these associations, such that negative experiences within the family environment were linked with higher child TV-viewing time under conditions of low nonfamily social support, but not high nonfamily support. Social support from nonfamily members may buffer potentially negative effects of intrafamilial factors on preschool children's TV-viewing time.

(PLWHA): influence of social support, self-esteem, health locus

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Coping among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): influence of social support, self-esteem, health locus of control and gender. ... approach, social support should be in the front burner, society should be sensitized to the importance of social support that is culturally appropriate and behaviour modification focused.

Coworking Spaces: A Source of Social Support for Independent Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerdenitsch, Cornelia; Scheel, Tabea E; Andorfer, Julia; Korunka, Christian

2016-01-01

Coworking spaces are shared office environments for independent professionals. Such spaces have been increasing rapidly throughout the world, and provide, in addition to basic business infrastructure, the opportunity for social interaction. This article explores social interaction in coworking spaces and reports the results of two studies. Study 1 (N = 69 coworkers) finds that social interaction in coworking spaces can take the form of social support. Study 2 further investigates social support among coworkers (N = 154 coworkers) and contrasts these results with those of social support among colleagues in traditional work organizations (N = 609). A moderated mediation model using time pressure and self-efficacy, based on the conservation of resources theory, is tested. Social support from both sources was positively related to performance satisfaction. Self-efficacy mediated this relationship in the employee sample, while in the coworking sample, self-efficacy only mediated the relationship between social support and performance satisfaction if time pressure was high. Thus, a mobilization of social support seems necessary in coworking spaces. We conclude that coworking spaces, as modern social work environments, should align flexible work infrastructure with well-constructed opportunities for social support.

Coworking Spaces: A Source of Social Support for Independent Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornelia eGerdenitsch

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Coworking spaces are shared office environments for independent professionals. Such spaces have been increasing rapidly throughout the world, and provide, in addition to basic business infrastructure, the opportunity for social interaction. This article explores social interaction in coworking spaces and reports the results of two studies. Study 1 (N = 69 coworkers finds that social interaction in coworking spaces can take the form of social support. Study 2 further investigates social support among coworkers (N = 154 coworkers and contrasts these results with those of social support among colleagues in traditional work organizations (N = 609. A moderated mediation model using time pressure and self-efficacy, based on the conservation of resources theory, is tested. Social support from both sources was positively related to performance satisfaction. Self-efficacy mediated this relationship in the employee sample, while in the coworking sample, self-efficacy only mediated the relationship between social support and performance satisfaction if time pressure was high. Thus, a mobilization of social support seems necessary in coworking spaces. We conclude that coworking spaces, as modern social work environments, should align flexible work infrastructure with well-constructed opportunities for social support.

Immediate psycho-social support for disaster survivors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berliner, Peter; Navarro Gongóra, José; Espaillat, Vanessa

2011-01-01

. The support was centered on (1) providing information; (2) facilitating social regulation of emotions; (3) supporting a social support network for the patient; (4) focusing coping efforts; and (5) normalization of reactions. Finally it is described how the crisis made values of caring, compassion......The article describes how psychosocial support in the immediate and mid-term disaster response for Haitian earthquake survivors in hospitals in the Dominican Republic could ameliorate some of the suffering and prevent the crisis from becoming crystallized into symptoms and complex grief...

Are Facebook "Friends" Helpful? Development of a Facebook-Based Measure of Social Support and Examination of Relationships Among Depression, Quality of Life, and Social Support.

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McCloskey, Wilfred; Iwanicki, Sierra; Lauterbach, Dean; Giammittorio, David M; Maxwell, Kendal

2015-09-01

Greater social support is predictive of lower depression and higher quality of life (QOL). However, the way in which social support is provided has changed greatly with the expanding role of social networking sites (e.g., Facebook). While there are numerous anecdotal accounts of the benefits of Facebook-based social support, little empirical evidence exists to support these assertions, and there are no empirically validated measures designed to assess social support provided via this unique social networking medium. This study sought to develop an empirically sound measure of Facebook-based social support (Facebook Measure of Social Support [FMSS]) and to assess how this new measure relates to previously established measures of support and two outcome variables: depression and QOL. Following exploratory factor analysis, the FMSS was determined to assess four factors of social support on Facebook (Perceived, Emotional, Negative, Received/Instrumental). The Negative Support factor on the FMSS was most strongly related to both depression and QOL with magnitudes (and direction of relationships) comparable to a traditional measure of perceived social support. However, two FMSS factors (Received/Instrumental and Perceived) were unrelated to both mental health outcomes. Contrary to expectations, elevations in one FMSS factor (Emotional) was associated with worse symptoms of depression and poorer psychological QOL. When taken together, only the absence of negative social support on Facebook is significantly predictive of mental health functioning. Consequently, those hoping to use Facebook as a medium for reducing depression or improving QOL are unlikely to realize significant therapeutic benefits.

Social inequalities in adolescent depression: the role of parental social support and optimism.

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Piko, Bettina F; Luszczynska, Aleksandra; Fitzpatrick, Kevin M

2013-08-01

Interpersonal theory suggests relationships between socio-economic status (SES) and adolescent psychopathology mediated by negative parenting. This study examines the role of perceived parental social support and optimism in understanding adolescents' depression and self-rated health among a sample of Hungarian youth. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data (N = 881) were collected from high-school students (14-20 years old) in Szeged, Hungary (a regional centre in the southeastern region, near to the Serbian border, with a population of 170,000 inhabitants). To analyse the overall structure of the relationship between objective/subjective SES, parental support, optimism and health outcomes (depression, self-perceived health), structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed. Findings suggest the following: (1) SES variables generate social inequalities in adolescent depression through parental social support, particularly maternal support; and (2) parents provide youths with different levels of social support that in turn may strengthen or weaken optimism during the socialization process. In addressing depression prevention and treatment, we may want to take into account socio-economic differences in social networks and levels of optimism, which may influence youths' psychosocial adjustment and development of psychopathology.

Compare Self-Esteem and Social Support among Ageing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anahita Khodaabakhshi-Koolaee

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to compare the self-esteem and social support of the elderly residing in boarding centers and living in their homes. Materials and Methods: In this causal-comparative study, 120 elderly individuals residing in boarding facilities and living he their homes in the city of Shiraz were selected through available sampling and responded to demographic, social support, and self-esteem questionnaires.Results: The findings show that there was a significant difference between self-esteem and social support in both groups of the elderly residing in their homes and those living in boarding centers.Conclusion: The elderly living at home have greater self-esteem and social support than the elderly residing in boarding facilities.

Social relationships and health: the relative roles of family functioning and social support.

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, P; Campbell, T L; Shields, C G

1992-04-01

The associations between social relationships and health have been examined using two major research traditions. Using a social epidemiological approach, much research has shown the beneficial effect of social supports on health and health behaviors. Family interaction research, which has grown out of a more clinical tradition, has shown the complex effects of family functioning on health, particularly mental health. No studies have examined the relative power of these two approaches in explicating the connections between social relationships and health. We hypothesized that social relationships (social support and family functioning) would exert direct and indirect (through depressive symptoms) effects on health behaviors. We also hypothesized that the effects of social relationships on health would be more powerfully explicated by family functioning than by social support. We mailed a pilot survey to a random sample of patients attending a family practice center, including questions on depressive symptoms, cardiovascular health behaviors, demographics, social support using the ISEL scale, and family functioning using the FEICS scale. FEICS is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess family emotional involvement and criticism, the media elements of family expressed emotion. Eighty-three useable responses were obtained. Regression analyses and structural modelling showed both direct and indirect statistically significant paths from social relationships to health behaviors. Family criticism was directly associated (standardized coefficient = 0.29) with depressive symptoms, and family emotional involvement was directly associated with both depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.35) and healthy cardiovascular behaviors (coefficient = 0.32). The results support the primacy of family functioning factors in understanding the associations among social relationships, mental health, and health behaviors. The contrasting relationships between emotional involvement and

Social Support Networks Among Diverse Sexual Minority Populations

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Frost, David M.; Meyer, Ilan H.; Schwartz, Sharon

2016-01-01

This paper reports a study of the function and composition of social support networks among diverse lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) men and women (n = 396) in comparison to their heterosexual peers (n = 128). Data were collected using a structured social support network matrix in a community sample recruited in New York City. Our findings show that gay and bisexual men may rely on “chosen families” within LGBT communities more so than lesbian and bisexual women. Both heterosexuals and LGBs relied less on family and more on other people (e.g., friends, co-workers) for everyday social support (e.g., recreational and social activities, talking about problems). Providers of everyday social support were most often of the same sexual orientation and race/ethnicity as participants. In seeking major support (e.g., borrowing large sums of money), heterosexual men and women along with lesbian and bisexual women relied primarily on their families, but gay and bisexual men relied primarily on other LGB individuals. Racial/ethnic minority LGBs relied on LGB similar others at the same rate at White LGBs but, notably, racial/ethnic minority LGBs reported receiving fewer dimensions of support. PMID:26752447

Understanding the role of social media in online health: A global perspective on online social support

OpenAIRE

Lee, Roderick Lamar; Kvasny, Lynette M.

2013-01-01

Around the globe, people are increasingly using social media for the provision of online social support. Online social support may be especially relevant for parents who have children that are afflicted with rare chronic diseases such as MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. Despite increasing evidence that online social support enhances a person’s psychological well-being, there is little research that seeks to understand how and why various forms of social media facilitate social support. This study ...

Stress Management: Social Support

Science.gov (United States)

Healthy Lifestyle Stress management Having close friends and family has far-reaching benefits for your health. Here's how to build and maintain these ... article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/social-support/art-20044445 . Mayo Clinic ...

The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events.

Science.gov (United States)

Maulik, P K; Eaton, W W; Bradshaw, C P

2010-08-01

This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993-1996, of whom 1071 were re-interviewed in 2004-2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress-buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low.

Economic Stress, Social Support, and Maternal Depression: Is Social Support Deterioration Occurring

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Gjesfjeld, Christopher D.; Greeno, Catherine G.; Kim, Kevin H.; Anderson, Carol M.

2010-01-01

Maternal depression in low-income women is a significant problem because of its negative consequences for both mothers and their children. Economic stress increases risk for depression; however, mechanisms linking economic stress and depression are not well understood. The social support deterioration model suggests that chronic stressors can…

Evaluating Restorative Justice Circles of Support and Accountability: Can Social Support Overcome Structural Barriers?

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Bohmert, Miriam Northcutt; Duwe, Grant; Hipple, Natalie Kroovand

2018-02-01

In a climate in which stigmatic shaming is increasing for sex offenders as they leave prison, restorative justice practices have emerged as a promising approach to sex offender reentry success and have been shown to reduce recidivism. Criminologists and restorative justice advocates believe that providing ex-offenders with social support that they may not otherwise have is crucial to reducing recidivism. This case study describes the expressive and instrumental social support required and received, and its relationship to key outcomes, by sex offenders who participated in Circles of Support and Accountability (COSAs), a restorative justice, reentry program in Minnesota. In-depth interviews with re-entering sex offenders and program volunteers revealed that 75% of offenders reported weak to moderate levels of social support leaving prison, 70% reported receiving instrumental support in COSAs, and 100% reported receiving expressive support. Findings inform work on social support, structural barriers, and restorative justice programming during sex offender reentry.

A Multilevel Framework for Increasing Social Support in Schools

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Grapin, Sally L.; Sulkowski, Michael L.; Lazarus, Philip J.

2016-01-01

In school contexts, social support refers to the overall perception one has of feeling included and cared for in a community of peers, teachers, caregivers, and others. Social support is critical for promoting positive academic and psychosocial outcomes for students. Conversely, a lack of perceived social support may be associated with increased…

Telecommuting: stress and social support.

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Trent, J T; Smith, A L; Wood, D L

1994-06-01

Occupational stress and social support were measured in adults, 15 working as telecommuters, 9 working at home, and 14 working in a company office. Analysis showed telecommuters and office workers perceived more support than those working at home. Telecommuters also reported less stress and a stronger preference for this new work option.

Social networks, support and early psychosis: a systematic review.

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Gayer-Anderson, C; Morgan, C

2013-06-01

Background. There is strong evidence that those with a long-standing psychotic disorder have fewer social contacts and less social support than comparison groups. There is less research on the extent of social contacts and support prior to or at the onset of psychosis. In the light of recent evidence implicating a range of social experiences and contexts at the onset of psychosis, it is relevant to establish whether social networks and support diminished before or at the time of onset and whether the absence of such supports might contribute to risk, either directly or indirectly. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review of this literature to establish what is currently known about the relationship between social networks, support and early psychosis. Methods. We identified all studies investigating social networks and support in first episode psychosis samples and in general population samples with measures of psychotic experiences or schizotype by conducting systematic searches of electronic databases using pre-defined search terms and criteria. Findings were synthesized using non-quantitative approaches. Results. Thirty-eight papers were identified that met inclusion criteria. There was marked methodological heterogeneity, which limits the capacity to draw direct comparisons. Nonetheless, the existing literature suggests social networks (particularly close friends) and support diminished both among first episode samples and among non-clinical samples reporting psychotic experiences or with schizotype traits, compared with varying comparison groups. These differences may be more marked for men and for those from minority ethnic populations. Conclusions. Tentatively, reduced social networks and support appear to pre-date onset of psychotic disorder. However, the substantial methodological heterogeneity among the existing studies makes comparisons difficult and suggests a need for more robust and comparable studies on networks, support and early psychosis.

Pedagogical Support Components of Students' Social Adaptation

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Vlasova, Vera K.; Simonova, Galina I.; Soleymani, Nassim

2016-01-01

The urgency of the problem stated in the article is caused by the need of pedagogical support of students' social adaptation on the basis of systematicity, which is achieved if we correctly define the components of the process. The aim of the article is to determine the pedagogical support components of students' social adaptation. The leading…

Hypermasculinity, intimate partner violence, sexual aggression, social support, and child maltreatment risk in urban, heterosexual fathers taking parenting classes.

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Vasquez Guerrero, Desi Alonzo

2009-01-01

This study examines the relationships between hypermasculinity, sexual aggression, intimate partner violence, social support, and child maltreatment risk among heterosexual fathers completing parenting classes. Hypermasculinity scores were found to be significant predictors of study participants' reported verbal, physical, and sexual aggression toward their intimate partners. Only lack of social support, operationalized as the reported frequency of participants' conversations with friends, relatives, or neighbors about their problems, was found to be a significant predictor of child maltreatment risk. Alcohol frequency, education, and monthly income were not found to be unique, significant predictors of any dependent variables. Implications for clinical practice and research as well as limitations to the current study are discussed.

Effects of social support, hope and resilience on quality of life among Chinese bladder cancer patients: a cross-sectional study.

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Li, Meng-Yao; Yang, Yi-Long; Liu, Li; Wang, Lie

2016-05-06

Improvement of quality of life has been one of goals in health care for people living with bladder cancer. Meanwhile, positive psycho-social variables in oncology field have increasingly received attention. However, the assessment of quality of life of bladder cancer patients and the integrative effects of positive psycho-social variables has limited reporting. The aim of this study was to assess quality of life as well as the integrative effects of social support, hope and resilience on quality of life among Chinese bladder cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the First Hospital of China Medical University in Liaoning Province, China. A total of 365 bladder cancer patients eligible for this study completed questionnaires on demographic variables, FACT-BL, Perceived Social Support Scale, Adult Hope Scale, and Resilience Scale-14 during July 2013 to July 2014. The average score of FACT-BL was 87.60 ± 16.27 (Mean ± SD). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social support, hope and resilience as a whole accounted for 30.3 % variance of quality of life. Under standardized estimate (β) sequence, social support, hope and resilience significantly and positively associated with quality of life, respectively. Quality of life for bladder cancer patients was at a low level in China, which should receive more attention in Chinese medical institutions. More importantly, efforts to increase social support, hope and resilience might be useful to support the quality of life among Chinese bladder cancer patients.

The relationship between type D personality and perceived social support in myocardial infarction patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Bagherian Sararoudi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Type D personality is based on two global and stable personality traits, including negative affectivity (NA and social inhibition (SI. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between type D personality and perceived social support in post myocardial infarction (MI patients. Methods: One hundred seventy six consecutive patients following MI admitted to the cardiac care unit (CCU of nine hospitals in Isfahan, Iran from April to September 2006 were selected based on the inclusive and exclusive criteria. The patients completed the Persian version of type D personality scale and the Persian version of multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS. Also, demographic and medical questionnaire was completed for each patient. Chi-squared test, t-test and MANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings indicated that 35.8% patients (35.8 % were classified as type D. The results of MANOVA showed that type D patients were significantly different from non-type D patients (F = 8.72, p = 0.0001 on MSPSS scores and on all dimensions including family subscale (F = 11.52, p = 0.001, friends subscale (F= 16.16, p = 0.0001 and significant others subscale (F = 5.04, p = 0.026. Conclusions: Type D personality substantially affects the way MI patients perceive availability of social support from different sources including family, friends, and significant others. One implication of this finding may be to develop tailor-made interventions for MI patients with type D.

Social Network Characteristics, Social Support, and Cigarette Smoking among Asian/Pacific Islander Young Adults.

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Pokhrel, Pallav; Fagan, Pebbles; Cassel, Kevin; Trinidad, Dennis R; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe'aimoku; Herzog, Thaddeus A

2016-06-01

Cigarette smoking may be one of the factors contributing to the high levels of cancer-related mortality experienced by certain Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) subgroups (e.g., Native Hawaiian). Given the collectivist cultural orientation attributed to A/PI groups, social strategies are recommended for substance abuse or smoking cessation treatment among A/PI. However, research examining how social network characteristics and social support relate to smoking across A/PI subgroups has been lacking. This study investigated the associations between social network characteristics (e.g., size, composition), perceived social support, and recent cigarette use across Native Hawaiian, Filipino, and East Asian (e.g., Japanese, Chinese) young adults (18-35 year old). Cross-sectional, self-report data were collected from N = 435 participants (M age = 25.6, SD = 8.3; 61% women). Ethnic differences were found in a number of pathways linking social network characteristics, perceived social support, and cigarette smoking. Larger network size was strongly associated with higher perceived social support and lower recent cigarette smoking among Native Hawaiians but not Filipinos or East Asians. Higher perceived social support was associated with lower recent smoking among East Asians and Filipinos but not Native Hawaiians. Implications are discussed with regard to smoking prevention and cessation among A/PI. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Perceived social support and life satisfaction in persons with somatization disorder

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Arif Ali

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Life satisfaction and perceived social support been shown to improve the well-being of a person and also affect the outcome of treatment in somatization disorder. The phenomenon of somatization was explored in relation to the perceived social support and life satisfaction. Aim: This study aimed at investigating perceived social support and life satisfaction in people with somatization disorder. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on persons having somatization disorder attending the outpatient unit of LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam. Satisfaction with life scale and multidimensional scale of perceived social support were used to assess life satisfaction and perceived social support respectively. Results: Women reported more somatic symptoms than men. Family perceived social support was high in the patient in comparison to significant others′ perceived social support and friends′ perceived social support. Perceived social support showed that a significant positive correlation was found with life satisfaction. Conclusion: Poor social support and low life satisfaction might be a stress response with regard to increased distress severity and psychosocial stressors rather than a cultural response to express psychological problems in somatic terms.

"Transformation Tuesday": Temporal context and post valence influence the provision of social support on social media.

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Vogel, Erin A; Rose, Jason P; Crane, Chantal

2018-01-01

Social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook have become integral in the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. Users of SNSs seek social support and validation, often using posts that illustrate how they have changed over time. The purpose of the present research is to examine how the valence and temporal context of an SNS post affect the likelihood of other users providing social support. Participants viewed hypothetical SNS posts and reported their intentions to provide social support to the users. Results revealed that participants were more likely to provide social support for posts that were positive and included temporal context (i.e., depicted improvement over time; Study 1). Furthermore, this research suggests that visual representations of change over time are needed to elicit social support (Study 2). Results are discussed in terms of their practical implications for SNS users and theoretical implications for the literature on social support and social media.

Workplace Social Support and Behavioral Health Prior to Long-Duration Spaceflight.

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Deming, Charlene A; Vasterling, Jennifer J

2017-06-01

Preparation and training for long-duration spaceflight bring with them psychosocial stressors potentially affecting the well-being and performance of astronauts, before and during spaceflight. Social support from within the workplace may mitigate behavioral health concerns arising during the preflight period and enhance resiliency before and during extended missions. The purpose of this review was to evaluate evidence addressing the viability of workplace social support as a pre-mission countermeasure, specifically addressing: 1) the observed relationships between workplace social support and behavioral health; 2) perceived need, acceptability, and format preference for workplace social support among high-achievers; 3) potential barriers to delivery/receipt of workplace social support; 4) workplace social support interventions; and 5) delivery timeframe and anticipated duration of workplace social support countermeasure benefits. We conducted an evidence review examining workplace social support in professional contexts sharing one or more characteristics with astronauts and spaceflight. Terms included populations of interest, social support constructs, and behavioral health outcomes. Abstracts of matches were subsequently reviewed for relevance and quality. Research findings demonstrate clear associations between workplace social support and behavioral health, especially following exposure to stress. Further, studies indicate strong need for support and acceptability of support countermeasures, despite barriers. Our review revealed two general formats for providing support (i.e., direct provision of support and training to optimize skills in provision and receipt of support) with potential differentiation of expected duration of benefits, according to format. Workplace social support countermeasures hold promise for effective application during pre-mission phases of long-duration spaceflight. Specific recommendations are provided.Deming CA, Vasterling JJ

The impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on social support and social conflict during hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

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Gerhart, James I; Asvat, Yasmin; Lillis, Teresa A; Fung, Henry; Grosse, Johanna; Hobfoll, Stevan E

2018-01-01

Social support and its relationship to psychological distress are of interest in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) as patients are dependent on caregivers pre-, during, and posttransplant.  Although social support is critical for managing stress and trauma, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) may erode social support and evoke conflict and abandonment within the support system. This study aimed to evaluate whether PTSS were associated with lower support and social conflict in a sample of patients undergoing HSCT. Prospective relationships between PTSS, perceived social support, and social conflict were assessed in 88 participants across the first three months of HSCT (T0 Baseline; T1 +30; T2 +60; T3 +90). When individuals experienced increase above their own average levels of PTSS, they reported concurrent increase in social conflict (p social support in the following month (p = .026). Results suggest PTSS during stem cell transplantation may evoke social conflict, but over time, the support system may recalibrate to be more supportive. Patients undergoing HSCT may benefit from family and social-level interventions that specifically target the incidence of interpersonal conflict as it unfolds during the initial stages of HSCT.

Social support in later life: family, friends and community

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Claudia Josefina Arias

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to carry out an analysis of the importance of social support and participation in old age. Contributions are presented first that various international agencies concerned with old age and aging have been made to strengthen this support and increased participation of older people. Different sources of social support are described: formal and informal interventions that can be made with varied promotion and preventive-wellness-care objectives and action at various levels-individual, group, family, organizational and community-and is made an analysis of the impact on the well-being have the resources of social support available to older people. Finally we reflect on Certain negative assumptions about the availability of support and social participation of older people in relation to recent research findings on the subject. Problematize the importance of these negative stereotypes about aging in general and on the participation and the availability of social support in particular in order to achieve more supportive environments that promote the development of the potential of older persons is concluded.

Social support and support groups among people with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

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Abrefa-Gyan, Tina; Wu, Liyun; Lewis, Marilyn W

2016-01-01

HIV/AIDS, a chronic burden in Ghana, poses social and health outcome concerns to those infected. Examining the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) instrument among 300 Ghanaians from a cross-sectional design, Principal Component Analysis yielded four factors (positive interaction, trust building, information giving, and essential support), which accounted for 85.73% of the total variance in the MOS-SSS. A logistic regression analysis showed that essential support was the strongest predictor of the length of time an individual stayed in the support group, whereas positive interaction indicated negative association. The study's implications for policy, research, and practice were discussed.

The Structure and Validity of the Multidimensional Social Support Questionnaire

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Hardesty, Patrick H.; Richardson, George B.

2012-01-01

The factor structure and concurrent validity of the Multidimensional Social Support Questionnaire, a brief measure of perceived social support for use with adolescents, was examined. Findings suggest that four dimensions of perceived social support may yield more information than assessments of the unitary construct of support. (Contains 8 tables…

Boundary Spanners as supports of social capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vincenti, Gordon

2016-01-01

Boundary Spanners are important agenets of supporting the capacity building of local neighbourhoods and of sustainable social captial the article focuses on the skills and competnces adn role of Boundary Spanners.......Boundary Spanners are important agenets of supporting the capacity building of local neighbourhoods and of sustainable social captial the article focuses on the skills and competnces adn role of Boundary Spanners....

A cross-cultural comparison of climacteric symptoms, self-esteem, and perceived social support between Mosuo women and Han Chinese women.

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Zhang, Ying; Zhao, Xudong; Leonhart, Rainer; Nadig, Maya; Hasenburg, Annette; Wirsching, Michael; Fritzsche, Kurt

2016-07-01

This cross-cultural study aimed to compare climacteric symptoms, self-esteem, and perceived social support between Mosuo and Han Chinese women, and to explore the interaction between culture and climacteric symptoms. Mosuo is a Chinese minority group with a matriarchal structure, and Han Chinese is the majority ethnic group in China with a patriarchal structure. Through convenience sampling, 54 Mosuo women and 52 Han Chinese women between 40 and 60 years of age completed the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Compared with Han Chinese women, Mosuo women scored lower on the psychological (P psychological symptoms severity. Referring to the severity of all symptoms, predictive variables were: perceived support from family (β = -0.210, P = 0.017); self-esteem (β = 0.320, P Cultural variables such as familial structure, women's self-esteem, and perceived social support were correlated with symptomatology.

The role of autonomy and social support in the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress in health care workers.

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Havermans, Bo M; Boot, Cécile R L; Houtman, Irene L D; Brouwers, Evelien P M; Anema, Johannes R; van der Beek, Allard J

2017-06-08

Health care workers are exposed to psychosocial work factors. Autonomy and social support are psychosocial work factors that are related to stress, and are argued to largely result from the psychosocial safety climate within organisations. This study aimed to assess to what extent the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress in health care workers can be explained by autonomy and social support. In a cross-sectional study, psychosocial safety climate, stress, autonomy, co-worker support, and supervisor support were assessed using questionnaires, in a sample of health care workers (N = 277). Linear mixed models analyses were performed to assess to what extent social support and autonomy explained the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress. A lower psychosocial safety climate score was associated with significantly higher stress (B = -0.21, 95% CI = -0.27 - -0.14). Neither co-worker support, supervisor support, nor autonomy explained the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress. Taken together, autonomy and both social support measures diminished the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress by 12% (full model: B = -0.18, 95% CI = -0.25 - -0.11). Autonomy and social support together seemed to bring about a small decrease in the relation between psychosocial safety climate and stress in health care workers. Future research should discern whether other psychosocial work factors explain a larger portion of this relation. This study was registered in the Netherlands National Trial Register, trial code: NTR5527 .

Social support in development