Availability Of Emotional Support Research Articles

Risk and protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Black female and male youth with depression symptoms — United States, 2004–2019

BackgroundFrom 2004 to 2019, suicide rates among Black youth increased by 122 % for females and 65 % for males. Guided by the interpersonal theory of suicide, this study explored how perceptions of social support and parental involvement may contribute to suicidal behavior among Black youth aged 12–17 years. MethodsData are from the 2004–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Multivariable logistic regression with backwards elimination was conducted to determine if characteristics associated with outcomes of interest (i.e., suicidal ideation, made a suicide plan, and made a suicide attempt) differed by sex. The characteristics examined included: age, poverty level, health insurance coverage, currently receiving mental health treatment, grades for last completed semester, parental involvement, frequency of arguments or fights with parents, frequency of fights at school or work, parental attitudes, and availability of emotional support. ResultsOver 400,000 Black youth with depression symptoms reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors (80 % female). Females had increased odds of suicidal ideation and making a plan if they had no one to talk to about serious problems. Males had increased odds of attempting suicide if they reported academic struggles.Limitations.This is a cross-sectional study and potential biases may affect generalizability of results. ConclusionsRisk and protective factors identified in this study aligned with the interpersonal theory of suicide. Evidence-based interventions that focus on increasing connectedness and self-esteem may be effective for Black youth struggling with suicidal ideation. Preventing suicide requires a comprehensive approach including prevention strategies for individuals, families, and communities.

Schwartz Rounds: Supporting the emotional wellbeing of our future healthcare workforce

There is a pressing need to increase the availability of emotional support to healthcare professionals in training and those in early career, in particular junior doctors. Schwartz Rounds provide a space for staff and students to reflect on the emotional impact of their work. The Rounds are a multidisciplinary forum for all staff and students working in healthcare settings. The key premise is that supporting healthcare staff and students’ wellbeing, providing a way for them to gain insight into their feelings and those that they work with, helps them to work compassionately with patients. This article describes the current NHS context concerns for healthcare staff and students and provides information about Schwartz Rounds and how their counter-cultural nature can help to address current workforce challenges, especially in relation to medical students and junior doctors. Implications for research are discussed.

Türk Kadınlarında Meme Kanseri ile Başa Çıkma, Pozitif Büyüme ve Sosyal Desteğin İncelenmesi

The study aimed to explore the role of social support, coping strategies in fostering positive growth among Turkish women with breast cancer, utilizing a cross-sectional design. Involving 188 women from three hospital centers in Türkiye the research employed standardized measures such as The Ways of Coping Inventory and the Stress Related Growth Scale, alongside collecting socio-demographic and medical information. The results revealed significant positive correlations between social support, problem-solving, religious coping, and seeking social support coping strategies with positive growth (ps < 0.05). Conversely, helplessness coping strategies were inversely correlated with positive growth (ps < 0.05). Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that 61.2% of the positive growth score could be attributed to variables such as the stage of cancer, marital status, social support, problem-solving coping, and religious coping. The perceived availability of emotional support, particularly in the context of benefit finding, plays a crucial role in the patients' emotional adjustment. Conclusively, the findings suggest that enhancing social support, problem-solving, and religious coping could significantly improve the outcomes for Turkish women dealing with breast cancer. This research underscores the need for improvements in healthcare policies, support systems, and educational programs, proposing that such interventions should be integrated into healthcare services to effectively contribute to the positive growth of breast cancer patients.

SUPPORT NEEDS AND RESOURCES OF OLDER WOMAN LIVING WITH HIV

Abstract People living with HIV are at increased risk for social isolation and sparse support networks, making it difficult to navigate complex caregiving needs as they age. This study aimed to identify the support needs and resources of older women living with HIV, an understudied population in this field, and their association with well-being. Participants included 217 heterosexual women aged 50 to 77 (Mage=59) from the ROAH 2.0 Study. Almost half of the sample (47.7%) had never required assistance because of HIV or other illness or disability, whereas the remainder required current or past assistance. Preliminary findings controlling for sociodemographics indicated that availability of emotional support, but not practical support (i.e., having someone to count on for activities of daily living), was associated with lower depressive symptomology. Identifying sources and types of support will help older women leverage existing social ties or form new ones to promote successful aging with HIV.

Older Veterans’ Treatment Preferences: Psychotherapy and Self-Management Treatment Modalities

ABSTRACT Objectives Self-management may help older Veterans with mental health challenges and can overcome barriers to traditional psychotherapy. However, the reasons underlying older Veterans’ treatment preferences remain unknown. The current study investigated older Veterans’ perspectives on psychotherapy and self-management. Methods Seventy-four Veterans ≥ 60 years old were included in this mixed methods study. Participants provided rationale(s) after ranking their preferences for psychotherapy and four self-management modalities. Logistic regressions examined whether depressive and anxiety symptom severity contributes to preferences. Qualitative analyses were conducted to investigate reasoning for preferences. Results Most participants preferred psychotherapy (64.9%) over self-management (35.1%). Logistic regressions showed that depressive and anxiety symptom severity was not significantly associated with preferences. Qualitative analyses revealed that past experience and access-related barriers were underlying the preferences. Themes unique to psychotherapy included the availability of emotional support and the process of information sharing. In contrast, ease of access was associated with self-management. Conclusions Older Veterans preferred psychotherapy to receive support and to develop trust in meeting their goals. Clinical Implications Older Veterans’ needs point to the importance of providers’ consideration of a person-centered approach and treatment collaboration. Notably, Veterans’ preference for psychotherapy highlights the importance and need for human support in addition to self-management tools.

Social support and its associations with Depression and Anxiety: an in-depth Analysis using Structural Equation Modeling

Although social support has been shown to have numerous positive effects on mental health, some studies found negative associations with certain internalizing symptoms. Because the origins of these associations are uncertain, the objective of the present study included the in-depth analysis of five dimensions of social support (i.e., social support seeking as a coping strategy, availability of emotional support, emotional support received, perceived comprehension, and need for support) and their associations with depressive and anxious symptoms. The sample (n = 822) was collected through Internet and a Full Latent Variables Model was developed in which the two symptoms were used as dependent variables. Subsequently, regression analyses were conducted to evaluate how the social support dimensions are influenced by depression and anxiety. The results evidenced that availability of emotional support, perceived comprehension, and need for support had direct effects on symptoms, and emotional support received and social support seeking indirect effects. Need for support was found to be the only dimension of social support that increased symptoms, and perceived comprehension was the only dimension of social support that reduced the need for support. Anxiety and depression exhibited different effects on social support: while depression reduced social support, anxiety increased it. It was concluded that anxiety can operate, under certain circumstances, as a protective mechanism against the negative effects of depression.

Positive social support improves self-esteem among married women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Recent literature has highlighted the role of social support in improving self-esteem. This study aimed to measure self-esteem and its association with social support among married women aged 30–75 years, in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2015–2016, on 1883 married Saudi women visiting the primary health care centers. Female data collectors conducted questionnaire-based interview and took anthropometric measurements. Self-esteem and social support were measured by utilizing the Rosenberg self-esteem scale and social support survey scale, respectively. The majority of women reported moderate to high levels of self-esteem. Multivariate linear regression analysis found that one unit increase in availability of emotional support, education, and physical activity were significantly associated with 0.18 (0.22, 0.39, p < .001), 0.17 (0.26, 0.48, p < .001) and 0.09 (0.39, 1.13) increase in self-esteem scores, respectively. Similarly, a unit increase in tangible support, education and physical activity were significantly associated with 0.20 (0.27, 0.44, p < .001), 0.17 (0.26, 0.47, p < .001), and 0.07 (0.17, 0.89) unit increase in self-esteem scores, respectively. The results highlight the importance of emotional and tangible support associated with high self-esteem. We recommend that social support groups should be created for providing counseling and support to the socially isolated women with low self-esteem.

Unmet Emotional Support Needs Among Diverse Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Social support, which is partly emotional support, is associated with adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, quality of life, and survival. We hypothesized that the needs, sources, and availability of emotional support would vary by race and income among CRC patients and sought to quantify the emotional support and the perceived adequacy of support reported by patients. We surveyed CRC patients from Detroit and Georgia Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries about the quantity and quality of emotional support received from different sources. We tested differences using the chi-square test, t-tests, and logistic regression. There were 1909 patients who met inclusion criteria and 1301 (68%) completed surveys. Among respondents, 68% were white, 25% black, and 7% other. Black patients were more likely to be female and younger and reported lower annual income and education. Patients reported high support from several sources. Among those with a spouse/partner (58%), 95% reported high levels of support; however, older, black, female, or lower income patients were less likely to have spouses/partners (P < .001). Patients also endorsed high support from family (88.6%), important others (82.9%), and clinicians (71.3%). Black patients were less likely than white patients to report support that was "just right" (P < .001). Most patients reported high emotional support from at least 1 source. Black patients were most at risk for low support or unmet support needs. Spouse/partner support was important but only available to 58% of respondents. Patients at risk for unmet emotional support needs may benefit from additional support resources.

Social support, adherence to Mediterranean diet and physical activity in adults: results from a community-based cross-sectional study.

There is a growing recognition that social support can potentially exert consistent or opposing effects in influencing health behaviours. The present paper presents a cross-sectional study, including 2,064 adults from Italy, Spain and Greece, who were participants in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (C4H study), aiming to examine whether social support is correlated with adherence to a healthy Mediterranean diet and physical activity. Social support data were available for 1,572 participants. The majority of the sample reported emotional support availability (84·5 %), financial support availability (72·6 %) and having one or more close friends (78·2 %). Mediterranean diet adherence was significantly associated with emotional support (P = 0·009) and social network support (P = 0·021). No statistically significant associations were found between participant physical activity and the social support aspects studied. In conclusion, emotional and social network support may be associated with increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet. However, further research is needed to evaluate the role of social support in adherence to healthy Mediterranean diet.

Perceived and Received Dimensional Support: Main and Stress-Buffering Effects on Dimensions of Burnout.

Social support is an adaptive resource associated with lower levels of burnout in sport. The effects of social support on burnout have typically been demonstrated through (1) a main effects model (direct negative associations between social support and burnout) and (2) a stress-buffering model (social support buffering the negative effects of stress on burnout). While both models provide insights into functional adaptations to burnout and stress in sport, evidence for significant main and stress-buffering effects are inconsistent. Reasons for this is include: (1) testing of a singular perspective of support in empirical research, and (2) a lack of specificity when analyzing social support and burnout (e.g., adoption of global-level analyses). To address this, the purpose of the study was to test differing perspectives of social support (perceived availability of support and received support) in regards to the main and stress-buffering effects of dimensions of social support (emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible) on dimensions of burnout (reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation, emotional and physical exhaustion). Cross-sectional data were collected from 222 athletes. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed that: (1) higher levels of stress were associated with higher levels of burnout (all dimensions); (2) higher levels of perceived availability of support were associated with lower levels of reduced sense of accomplishment and devaluation (with the exception of perceived availability of emotional support upon devaluation), and (3) perceived availability of emotional support buffered the negative effects of high stress upon devaluation. There were no significant main or interactive effects for any dimensions of received support. The significant interaction suggests that higher levels of perceived availability of emotional support may result in a functional adaptation to higher stress such that individuals may be protected from higher levels of devaluation of sport.

Educational inequalities in self-rated health and social relationships - analyses based on the European Social Survey 2002-2016.

While there is evidence for educational health inequalities in Europe, studies on time trends and on the explanatory contribution of social relations are less consistent. It has been shown that the use of welfare state typologies can be helpful to examine health inequalities in a comparative perspective. Against this background, analyses are focused on three research questions: (1) How did educational inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) develop between 2002 and 2016 in different European countries? (2) In how far can structural and functional aspects of social relations help to explain these inequalities? (3) Do these explanatory contributions vary between different types of welfare states? Data stem from the European Social Survey. Data from 20 countries across 8 waves (2002-2016) was included in the sample (allocated to 5 types of welfare states). Structural aspects of social relations were measured by living with a partner, frequency of social contacts and social participation. Availability of emotional support was used as functional dimension. Educational level was assessed based on the International Standard Classification of Education. SRH was measured in all waves on a five-point scale by one question: "How is your health in general? Would you say it is very good, good, fair, bad or very bad?" Across all countries, educational inequalities were increasing between 2002 and 2016. Explanatory contribution of emotional support, living with a partner, and social contacts was small (5% or less across the eight waves). Social participation explained 11% of the educational inequalities in SRH in the European countries. There were small variations in the explanatory contribution of social participation between welfare states. Promoting social participation, especially of people with low education is a possible intervention to reduce inequalities in SRH in Europe.

The Dark Side of Addiction Support Forums: Impacts of Poor Quality and Insufficient Emotional Support on Perceived Support Availability and Health Efficacy

Research has identified many benefits of participating in online social support forums; however, the potential negative impacts of these communities have rarely been examined. This study explored the negative impacts of low quality (i.e., low person-centered) and insufficient (i.e., under-benefitted) emotional support on online support seekers. Health stigma and perceived support availability were also examined as mediating and moderating variables, respectively, in the model. An online survey of addiction support forum users (N = 321) was conducted. Results showed that for participants with low health stigma, low person-centered support decreased health self-efficacy through reducing perceived online emotional support availability, but under-benefitted support did not impact them. For those with high health stigma, low person-centered emotional support had positive effects on health self-efficacy through increasing perceived support availability, whereas under-benefitted support reduced health self-efficacy through decreasing perceived support availability. Importantly, a considerable proportion of participants (44.86%) reported under-benefitted emotional support. These findings suggest support forum participation can have negative impacts, but not all participants are adversely impacted equally. Instead, moderating variables, such as health stigma, can play an important role. Implications for future research and health care practitioners are discussed.

Quality of Life Outcomes following Treatment of Hypopharyngeal Cancer.

Quality of life (QoL) is an important consideration in the management of individuals with head and neck cancer. The poor prognosis and significant impact of treatment modalities on function of the salivary glands, larynx and pharynx combine to make hypopharyngeal carcinoma a particularly challenging condition to treat. The impact of diagnosis and treatment on health related QoL is substantial. There is increased understanding that organ preservation does not necessarily correlate with function preservation as was previously expected. The impact on QoL, of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or surgery, must be taken into account when managing individuals and deciding on treatment. Several QoL tools have been developed to understand the subjective consequences of functional impairment. The number and quality of studies specifically for hypopharyngeal carcinoma are low. The effects on QoL differ for surgery and CRT, as one would expect, but there are no demonstrable significant differences in most domains. Those treated with CRT show higher levels of dry mouth and sticky saliva, while those patients who have undergone surgery report greater levels of sensory disturbance. Significant differences were not noted in speech outcomes or global (general) health scores. The psychological morbidity and lack of good coping strategies are thought to play an important role in the high suicide rates of these patients (12-fold higher than the average population in the USA). Large, long-term, longitudinal studies of patients surviving treatment, answering both general and disease-specific questionnaires are required to direct clinicians towards the least morbid treatment strategies. The ability to cope and the availability of emotional support probably have a greater impact on subjective QoL than the functional outcomes of treatment.

Gender disparities in depression severity and coping among people living with HIV/AIDS in Kolkata, India.

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLH) experience high rates of depression and related psychosocial risk factors that vary by gender. This study examines gender differences in depression severity among antiretroviral therapy (ART) patients (n = 362) from a large government ART clinic in Kolkata, India. Hypotheses for multiple linear regression models were guided by an integrated gendered stress process model focusing on variables reflecting social status (age, partner status), stressors (stigma), and resources (income, social support). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); 22% of the sample reached the cutoff for severe depression, 56% moderate, and 13% mild depression. Compared to men, women reported lower income, education (50% no formal education vs. 20% men), availability of emotional and instrumental support, and were less likely to be married or cohabiting (53% women vs. 72% of men). However, more women had partners who were HIV-positive (78% women vs. 46% men). Overall, depression severity was negatively associated with availability of emotional support and self-distraction coping, and positively associated with internalized HIV/AIDS stigma, availability of instrumental support, and behavioral disengagement coping. Interactions for instrumental support by income and partner status by age varied significantly by gender. Analyses stratified by gender indicated that: 1) Frequently seeking instrumental support from others was protective for men at all income levels, but only for high-income women; and 2) having a partner was protective for men as they aged, but not for women. These results suggest that gender disparities in depression severity are created and maintained by women’s lower social status and limited access to resources. The effect of stigma on depression severity did not vary by gender. These findings may inform the tailoring of future interventions to address mental health needs of PLH in India, particularly gender disparities in access to material and social resources for coping with HIV.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration #NCT02118454, registered April 2014.

Subjective Memory Problems and Availability of Emotional Support.

This study examines (1) whether subjective memory problems (SMP) influence perceived emotional support from and frequency of contact with family and friends; and, (2) the extent to which this relationship is moderated by gender, education, and functional limitations. We use the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel survey of adults aged 51 and over in the United States. While SMP does not affect perceived emotional support for younger group (YG; aged 51-64), in older group (OG; aged 65+), SMP is associated with reduced perceived support from friends. Also, SMP is predictive of fewer writing-based contact with children and friends among OG but not among YG. Lastly, we find that the effect of SMP on support from children is contingent upon activity of daily living (YG) and gender (OG), while the effect of SMP on writing-based contact with both children and friends is contingent upon education (YG only).

How do Housing Subsidies Improve Quality of Life Among Homeless Adults? A Mediation Analysis.

Supported housing, combining rent subsidies with intensive case management, is associated with improvements in quality of life of homeless adults, but factors mediating their impact on quality of life have not been studied. Twelve-month outcome data from a randomized trial of the Housing and Urban Development- Veterans Affairs Supported Housing program (HUD-VASH) showed that access to a housing rent subsidy plus intensive case management (ICM) was associated with greater improvement in subjective quality of life than ICM alone. Multiple mediation analyses were applied to identify variables that significantly mediated the relationship between receipt of housing voucher and improvements in quality of life. Significant mediating covariates were those whose 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals, when added to the model predicting improvement in quality of life, did not overlap zero. Increases in the number of days housed, size of social network, and availability of emotional support appear to mediate improvement in quality of life and account for 71% of the benefit attributable to having a rent subsidy. Improvement in subjective quality of life though housing subsidies is mediated by gains in both material and psychosocial factors. Mediating factors deserve special attention in supported housing services.

Who Can I Turn To? Emotional Support Availability in African American Social Networks

African Americans disproportionately experience psychological distress, such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness and are disproportionately exposed to risk factors associated with mental illness, such as racial discrimination, violence and poverty. To effectively address African Americans’ mental health needs, it is imperative to identify who African Americans turn to when they experience stressors. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which emotional support is provided within African Americans’ social networks and determine the characteristics of social network members who African Americans rely upon for emotional support. Results indicate that African Americans rely on social network members for spiritual and physical health support more so than emotional support. Among both male and female participants, social network members were significantly more likely to be relied upon for emotional support if they were a non-familial network contact, had a close relationship to the participant, and if they also were someone the participant spoke to about his or her physical health. Findings have implications for the development of culturally-sensitive strategies for increasing emotional support provision within African Americans’ social networks.

Availability of Emotional Support and Mental Health Care for Pediatric Residents

ObjectiveResident mental health (MH) problems can be associated with reduced empathy and increased medical errors. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandates resident MH support services, but it is unknown if these services are accessible and meet resident needs. We sought to describe the prevalence of anxiety and depression in current pediatric residents in New York State (NYS), and their self-reported use of and barriers to support services. MethodsWe developed an online survey and distributed it to all categorical pediatric residents in 9 NYS programs. Items addressing self-concern for clinical anxiety and depression and use of MH services were pilot tested for content and construct validity. The validated Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) measured depressive symptoms. Analyses used descriptive and chi-square tests. ResultsRespondents included 227 residents (54% response rate) distributed across training levels and programs. Many reported “often” or “almost always” feeling stress (52%), physical exhaustion (41%), and mental exhaustion (35%); 11% had PHQ-2-defined depressive symptoms. Some thought that their stress levels raised concern for clinical depression (25%) or anxiety (28%); among these, only 44% and 39%, respectively, had sought care. More women reported physical exhaustion (P < .05). Only 45% of residents reported educational offerings on resident MH; 66% wanted to know more about available resources. Barriers to receipt of services included inflexible schedules (82%), guilt about burdening colleagues (65%), fear of confidentiality breach (46%), and difficulty identifying services (44%). ConclusionsPediatric residents frequently experience MH symptoms, but many do not know about or use support services. Programs should enhance MH support by overcoming barriers and increasing resident awareness of services.

Social support plays a role in the attitude that people have towards taking an active role in medical decision-making.

BackgroundThere is a growing emphasis towards including patients in medical decision-making. However, not all patients are actively involved in such decisions. Research has so far focused mainly on the influence of patient characteristics on preferences for active involvement. However, it can be argued that a patient’s social context has to be taken into account as well, because social norms and resources affect behaviour. This study aims to examine the role of social resources, in the form of the availability of informational and emotional support, on the attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to members of the Dutch Health Care Consumer Panel (response 70 %; n = 1300) in June 2013. A regression model was then used to estimate the relation between medical and lay informational support and emotional support and the attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making.ResultsAvailability of emotional support is positively related to the attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making only in people with a low level of education, not in persons with a middle and high level of education. The latter have a more positive attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making, irrespective of the level of emotional support available. People with better access to medical informational support have a more positive attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making; but no significant association was found for lay informational support.ConclusionsThis study shows that social resources are associated with the attitude towards taking an active role in medical decision-making. Strategies aimed at increasing patient involvement have to address this.

Does it take a village to raise a child?

Strong relationships with relatives may alleviate consequences of stressful experiences, but the evidence documenting such ‘buffering effect’ during parenthood is scarce. This paper investigated the buffering effect of relationships with relatives during parenthood in Switzerland. We tested if relationships with relatives (network size, frequency of contact, and availability of practical and emotional support) became stronger in response to parenthood, and if people who had stronger relationships with their relatives experienced more positive trajectories of life satisfaction during parenthood. We used Swiss Household Panel data for years 2000-2011 and fixed effects regression models. Our results showed that the birth of the first child increased the frequency of mothers’ contact with non-resident relatives, which is in line with buffering effect. However, contrary to our hypotheses, fathers of three children experienced erosion of relatives’ network and decreased availability of emotional support. We found mixed evidence that strong relationships with relatives improve parental life satisfaction. Parents with at least two children who had stronger relationships with relatives experienced more increase (and less decline) in life satisfaction during parenthood than those who had weaker relationships with relatives. However, results concerning the first child is against our buffering effect hypothesis, with parents, especially mothers, experiencing higher level of satisfaction when the relatives network size, contact or support are low. Our additional analysis on this respect shows that this group is positively selected as to the pre-birth level of happiness. Our study suggests that support from relatives is a resource for parents having two or more children and that it improves the experience of parenthood even in relatively wealthy societies.