The Role of Social Support and Self-Stigma as Predictors towards Social Recovery

From Stabilization to Stimulus and Beyond: A Roadmap to Social and Economic Recovery

BackgroundSocial support has been identified as a significant factor in facilitating better health outcomes following injury. However, research has primarily focused on the role of social support from the perspective of the person experiencing an injury. Limited research has examined the experiences of the family members and friends of a person with injury. This study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of social support and recovery following a transport-related musculoskeletal injury (MSI) in a population of injured persons and their family members and friends.MethodsThis study was conducted using a phenomenological qualitative research design. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten persons with MSI, recruited via the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Victoria, Australia. Seven family members and friends were also interviewed. The data was analysed using constant comparative method and thematic analysis.ResultsSeveral themes were identified including: (1) key sources and types of support received, (2) relationship development and (3) challenges of providing and receiving support. Participants with MSI reported stories about how the social network provided emotional and tangible support. Family members and friends confirmed the supportive acts provided to the participants with MSI. Positive iterative changes in relationships were reported by the participants with MSI. Participants with MSI, their family members and friends described several difficulties including loss of independence, feeling like a burden, and the impact of caring on health and well-being.ConclusionsThe role of social support is complex given the multitude of people involved in the recovery process. The findings of this study suggest that persons with MSI may benefit from support groups and maintenance of existing support networks. Furthermore, family members and friends engaged in the recovery process may benefit from support in this role.

BackgroundSocial support has been identified as a key factor in facilitating better health outcomes following injury. However, research has primarily focused on the role of social support from the perspective...

Objectives Severe weather events have mental health consequences for survivors that may change over time. We assessed post-flood mental health longitudinally in three groups of mostly middle-aged and older adults who varied in current and prior severe weather experiences. Method Predictors of central interest were age, perceived social support, state hope (including agency and pathways), recovery stressors, and prior lifetime trauma. Criterion variables included symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and worry. Results Analyses of variance yielded significant Disaster Exposure Group x Wave interactions for depression and PTSD symptoms. Those with flooded homes and properties had elevated symptoms at Wave 1 which were reduced at Wave 2. Older age was associated with fewer symptoms of depression, PTSD, and worry. Recovery stressors and lifetime trauma predicted more PTSD symptoms. Greater agency predicted less PTSD and depression symptoms, whereas pathways predicted less worry. Conclusion These data show that mental health symptoms may decrease over time for those directly impacted by severe flooding. State hope appears to contribute to better mental health after exposure to a devastating flood. Implications for understanding the dynamic relationships among risk variables and positive factors that promote post-disaster mental health in the years after a flood are considered.

Perceived social support serves as a protective factor in the course of chronic pain and substance use disorders in civilian populations, but the role of support from civilians versus other military personnel for combat veterans experiencing chronic pain has not yet been explored. The current study examined differences in the protective properties of perceived social support from (1) military personnel and (2) civilians, regarding substance use and perceived substance abuse for combat veterans experiencing chronic pain. We hypothesized that higher endorsement of both types of perceived social support would be associated with lower odds of self-reported, perceived substance abuse, and support from military personnel would be associated with lower odds of perceived substance abuse after controlling for the role of non-military social support. The current study evaluated military personnel who were deployed to a combat zone for more than 1 month. Participants completed an online, anonymous survey including questions regarding experiences with chronic pain, cannabis, and illegal substance use, their beliefs regarding alcohol or prescription pill abuse, and their perceived military and non-military social support. We conducted a series of binary logistic regressions to evaluate whether perceived military and non-military social support predicted the odds of endorsing substance use, with several sociodemographic variables and chronic pain entered as covariates for each model. The Auburn University Institutional Review Board approved all study procedures. Contrary to our hypotheses, participants reporting higher levels of non-military social support were more likely to endorse using cannabis or other illegal substances and report perceived alcohol or prescription medication abuse, even when controlling for sociodemographic and chronic pain covariates. Our hypothesis that greater support from military personnel would predict lower odds of perceived substance abuse after controlling for the role of non-military social support was not supported. Our results add to the mixed literature regarding the association between substance use with increased social support among combat veterans, while providing more detail on the role of specific social support sources in relation to drug use as well as alcohol use. Our findings may be because of combat veterans engaging in social drinking with members of their support system or utilizing substances for pain management purposes, but more research is needed on this topic. Results suggest researchers and clinicians should be mindful to inquire of one's social support sources, the quality of these relationships, and what adaptive or maladaptive behaviors may occur within the individual's social support network.

The purposes of this research were to assess relationships between social support and objective and subjective recovery in a sample of adults with serious mental illness and to examine self-efficacy as a potential mediator of these relationships. In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 250 individuals completed measures tapping social support network size, satisfaction with social support, perceived support from the mental health system, self-efficacy, objective recovery (i.e., psychiatric symptoms, social functioning), and subjective recovery. Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple linear regression analyses examined relationships among social support, self-efficacy, and recovery. A bootstrapping procedure was used to estimate the magnitude and significance of indirect effects in mediation analyses. All social support domains (i.e., social support network size, satisfaction with support, perceived support from the mental health system) were significantly related to at least 1 objective recovery outcome and to subjective recovery. Self-efficacy was a mediator of all relationships between social support and objective and subjective recovery. The present study aids in better understanding the relationship between social support and recovery in individuals with serious mental illness and paves the way for future research. Particularly relevant to mental health service providers, it highlights the importance of establishing and maintaining an effective therapeutic relationship as well as assisting consumers with developing supportive relationships with others. (PsycINFO Database Record

The experience of personal recovery from mental health has been theorized to occur through several pathways. CHIME is a seminal theoretical framework of personal recovery that is widely endorsed by the existing literature. Few studies have examined the utility of the CHIME framework with those experiencing acute challenges in their engagement in the recovery process. The purpose of the present study was to examine part of the CHIME framework for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses in the period immediately following hospitalization. Specifically, the impact of social support and community integration on personal recovery was examined. The present study involved a secondary analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial. Assessment measures were administered to participants 1-month (n = 82) and 6-months (n = 72) postdischarge from a psychiatric hospital. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between social support, community integration, and 1-month and 6-month personal recovery. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that community integration and social support significantly predicted personal recovery. Mediation analyses indicated social support partially accounts for the relationship between community integration and personal recovery at 1- and 6-months postdischarge, providing evidence for social support as a mechanism of personal recovery during this time. This quantitative investigation of CHIME highlights the mechanism of social support for individuals who are experiencing acute challenges in their recovery. These findings point to the need for interventions that enhance community integration and social support postdischarge. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE: A significant number of people with mental illness do not use mental health services to receive treatment for their symptoms. This study examined the hypothesis that social network and social support affect mental health service use. METHODS: Data were from the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, a prospective cohort study that gathered data over four time points. This study examined data gathered in 1993–1996 (N=1,920) and 2004–2005 (N=1,071). The study examined indicators of social network and social support in relation to four types of service use (general medical, mental health within general medical, specialty psychiatric, and other human services) with multivariate logistic regression. Examples of other human services include a self-help group or crisis center for help with any psychological problem. Weighted generalized estimating equations were used for the analyses. RESULTS: Among persons with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or alcohol use disorder in the past year or psychological distress in the past few weeks, general medical service use was reduced when the frequency of contact with relatives or friends occurred less than daily, but it was increased by about 40% when there was a higher than median level of spousal support. In contrast, receiving general medical services for mental health problems was reduced by about 50% when there was a higher than median level of social support from relatives. Specialty psychiatric service use was reduced when there was regular contact with six or more relatives and there was a higher than median level of social support from friends and relatives. None of the social network or social support measures were significantly (p≤.01) associated with use of other human services. CONCLUSIONS: Increased contact with the social network and higher levels of social support were associated with greater use of general medical services. However, more social support was associated with use of fewer services within the specialty psychiatric sector.

Research suggests that social support can be an important coping resource for athletes recovering from sport injury. Few studies have investigated this claim, however: To address this gap in the literature, 10 elite downhill skiers who had recovered from serious sport injuries were interviewed about the sources of stress associated with injury and the role of social support in recovery from sport injury. This paper presents the social support findings that emerged from this research1. Content analyses of the social support data revealed that the skiers needed various types of emotional, informational, and tangible support from the occurance of injury through the return to full activity. Members of the treatment team, the ski team, and the skiers' home support networks provided social support throughout these phases. In general, the skiers were satisfied with the support received, indicating that it reduced distress and kept them motivated throughout recovery. The findings from this research have implications for the design of sport injury interventions.

This scoping review aims to comprehensively evaluate psychological intervention strategies for patients undergoing surgical treatment for oral and maxillofacial tumors. By assessing the effectiveness of existing strategies and the theoretical models or behavior change techniques employed, the study seeks to provide evidence-based recommendations for designing targeted psychological intervention programs. The review adheres to the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley and incorporates guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for scoping reviews. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed databases for studies published up to November 1, 2024. Two reviewers independently conducted literature screening and data extraction. Findings were integrated through descriptive analysis and social network analysis. A total of 88 studies published between 2004 and 2024 were included, covering 65 distinct intervention strategies and 37 outcome indicators. The interventions were founded on establishing trust between healthcare providers and patients, with health education as a cornerstone, Key strategies focused on individual psychological adjustment and behavioral change. Commonly reported outcomes included anxiety, depression, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. Social network analysis identified several behavior change strategies with high centrality, such as health education, psychological consolation, encouragement of self-expression and communication, relaxation training, mobilization of family and social support, cognitive-behavioral interventions, peer support, positive incentives, functional rehabilitation training, and meditation. These strategies demonstrated efficacy in alleviating psychological distress, facilitating cognitive restructuring, and improving quality of life and social functioning. Patients undergoing surgery for oral and maxillofacial tumors face significant psychological and social challenges. The findings underscore the necessity of developing diverse, targeted, evidence-based psychological interventions tailored to the unique needs of this population, leveraging established behavior change techniques to improve postoperative psychological well-being and social recovery.

Research on the role of social support in recovery from severe mental illness is limited and even more limited is research on the potential effects of participating in various activities. This study explores these relationships by analyzing baseline data from a 153-participant subsample in the Study of Transitions and Recovery Strategies. Higher scores on the recovery assessment scale were related to both social support/network size and engagement in more activities. The particular nature of the activities (more/less social, more/less physically active, inside/outside the home) was not important, rather, activities of any type were related to recovery. Furthermore, engagement in activities was more important as levels of social support declined. The results suggest that both social support and activities may promote recovery, and that for persons with poor social support, engagement in a variety of individualized activities may be particularly beneficial.

This study aims to explore the factors that influence hope in schizophrenia survivors at the Bumi Kaheman Rehabilitation Center. The method used is a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional study. The results of the study show that the factors that influence hope in schizophrenia survivors at the Bumi Kaheman Rehabilitation Center are social support, anxiety, recovery, and quality of life. This is shown by the p value of the relationship between hope and social support, anxiety, recovery, and quality of life which is less than 0.05. Hope is important in improving the care process carried out by schizophrenia survivors. Efforts to increase hope can be done by providing interventions that focus on the factors that affect hope. In conclusion, the factors that affect hope in schizophrenic patients consist of social support, anxiety, recovery, and quality of life.
 
 Keywords: Factors, Hope, Schizophrenia

More than 80% of individuals with schizophrenia (IWS) experience a persistent decline in social functioning, creating lifelong burdens for families and society. Despite this, recovery efforts remain suboptimal. This study explored the facilitators and barriers influencing the social function recovery of post-hospitalisation IWS who have reintegrated into society. Conducted at community health centres (CHCs) in the city of Semarang, Indonesia, the research used a qualitative research design involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 64 participants, including 16 IWS, 16 family caregivers, 12 health cadres, 12 cultural figures, and eight healthcare professionals. The research process adhered to established ethical principles and incorporated measures to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings. The main facilitators of social function recovery identified include: 1) National Health Insurance (NHI); 2) family support; 3) support from cultural figures; and 4) Javanese ancestral values. Barriers include: 1) misconceptions about schizophrenia and its causes; 2) traditional care practices that are contrary to health; 3) three types of stigma: social stigma, IWS stigma, and family stigma; 4) suboptimal management of caregiving burdens within families; 5) lack of social support from neighbours; and 6) disorganised management of rehabilitative services for IWS at CHCs. The findings highlight an urgent need for an integrated system to support social function recovery, involving IWS, their families, nurses, health cadres, and cultural figures. Such a system should adopt a sociocultural, community-based approach combining public education for the wider community, psychoeducation for IWS and their families, and vocational and social skills training for IWS to promote sustainable recovery and social reintegration.

Recovery from substance abuse and mental health disorders (dual-diagnosis) requires time, hard work and a broad array of coping skills. Empirical evidence has demonstrated the buffering role of social support in stressful situations. This paper investigates the associations among social support (including dual-recovery mutual aid), recovery status and personal well-being in dually-diagnosed individuals (N = 310) using cross-sectional self-report data. Persons with higher levels of support and greater participation in dual-recovery mutual aid reported less substance use and mental health distress and higher levels of well-being. Participation in mutual aid was indirectly associated with recovery through perceived levels of support. The association between mutual aid and recovery held for dual-recovery groups but not for traditional, single-focus self-help groups. The important role of specialized mutual aid groups in the dual recovery process is discussed.

Background Schizophrenia patients often have significant social thinking disorders, manifested as significantly limited ability to understand the intentions, emotions, and social rules of others, which seriously affects the patient’s social function recovery. Sociology of family education has gradually been introduced into the field of mental illness intervention, emphasizing the improvement of patients’ social thinking and behavioral abilities through family interaction and educational models. Methods The study aims to explore the application effect of sociological methods of family education in the assessment of social thinking disorders in patients with schizophrenia, in order to provide innovative tools for clinical evaluation and guide the optimization of intervention measures. The study recruited 80 patients and their primary family caregivers who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia. They were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 40 patients and caregivers in each group. On the basis of receiving routine psychiatric treatment, the experimental group participated in a 3-month family education intervention course, which included optimizing family interaction patterns, training social thinking, and simulating social situations; The control group only received routine psychiatric treatment. Before and after intervention, the Social Cognition Assessment Scale (SCAS) was used to assess patients’ social thinking abilities, including three dimensions: emotion recognition, social reasoning, and intention understanding. At the same time, the Family Education Quality Questionnaire (FEQQ) was used to evaluate the implementation effect of family education interventions. Statistical analysis uses paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test. Results The total score of the SCAS for the experimental group patients significantly increased from 45.3±5.6 to 60.8±6.2 after intervention (P<0.01), while the control group only slightly increased from 44.8±5.4 to 46.2±5.8, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). In the core dimensions, the emotional recognition score of the experimental group patients increased from 14.2±2.1 to 19.1±2.4 (P<0.01), social reasoning increased from 16.3±3.2 to 22.5±3.5 (P<0.01), and intention understanding increased from 14.8±2.3 to 19.2±2.7 (P<0.01). The improvement of the control group in these dimensions was relatively small and not statistically significant (P>0.05). The results of the FEQQ showed that the experimental group had a pre-intervention score of 32.4±4.5, which significantly increased to 46.7±5.3 after intervention (P<0.01), while the control group only slightly increased from 33.0±4.2 to 33.8±4.6 (P>0.05). The experimental results showed that sociological intervention in family education significantly improved patients’ social thinking ability and the quality of family education, providing effective support for the social function recovery of schizophrenia patients. Discussion The research results indicate that methods based on family education sociology have significant effects in improving social thinking disorders in patients with schizophrenia, especially in key abilities such as emotion recognition and social reasoning. In addition, the improvement of the quality of family education significantly enhances the supportive role of caregivers in the rehabilitation of patients, providing important references for the comprehensive assessment and intervention of social thinking disorders. In future clinical work, personalized family education programs can be combined to further optimize the social function recovery path of patients with schizophrenia. Funding No. 22JDSZ3017; No. 23ZYJ0206.