High Social Support Group Research Articles

Understanding pathways from feeding difficulties of children to mental health risks of mothers at critical stages of childrearing: Does social support make a difference?

BackgroundIdentifying the factors influencing mental health of mothers at critical stages of childrearing is significant for the implementation of effective promotion policies and counselling activities. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationships between children's feeding difficulties, marital quality, parenting quality and maternal mental health risks amidst Chinese mothers with high and low social support using a multi-group structural equation modelling approach. ParticipantsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Wenzhou, China and a total of 772 mothers with children aged 0–3 were surveyed by using purposive sampling. FindingsResults showed that of the 772 participants, 23.6 % reported anxiety, 50.1 % reported depression, 91.2 % reported insomnia, and 24 % reported feeding difficulties. The joint occurrence of multiple forms of mental problems is the most commonly reported features of mental health risks among mothers. The positive association between feeding difficulties of children and mental health risks of mothers was mediated by marital quality and parenting quality. In addition, feeding difficulties were not related to mental health risks in high social support group but all the relationships were significant in low social support group. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of the specific interventions to enhance social support, marital quality and parenting quality for improving mental health of mothers of children with feeding difficulties.

The association between symptomatic remission and social support in community-dwelling schizophrenia patients during COVID-19.

Schizophrenia is a severe and enduring psychiatric disorder, characterized by substantial challenges in achieving symptomatic remission. Up to now, there have been limited studies examining the association between remission status and social support in patients with schizophrenia during COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the remission status of community-dwelling schizophrenia patients during the pandemic and explore whether symptomatic remission is significantly associated with social support in a cross-sectional study. 727 schizophrenia patients were recruited using a cluster random sampling method in the local community. Face-to-face interviews were used to gather data on participants' clinical characteristics, sociodemographic, social support, and symptomatic remission criteria. Logistic regression models were deployed to identify potential relationships between symptomatic remission and social support. Among the 727 patients in our study, a substantial proportion of 522 (71.80%) achieved symptomatic remission, while 205 (28.2%) did not. Remarkably, those who achieved symptomatic remission exhibited a higher level of social support (28.32 ± 6.82) compared to those who did not. The proportion of patients achieving symptomatic remission in the low (19.4%), medium (46.2%), and high (34.3%) social support groups was 56.7%, 66.1%, and 88.0%, respectively. Moreover, the crude odds ratio for the association between social support and symptomatic remission was 3.20 (95% CI: 2.45-4.18). After controlling for all confounding factors, the adjusted odds ratio remained significant at 3.02 (95% CI: 2.30-3.97). This consistent association underscores the critical role of social support in influencing symptomatic remission among community-dwelling schizophrenia patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reinforcing the utilization of social support for fostering symptomatic remission among individuals with schizophrenia who reside in the community during such crises is recommended.

Social support during re-entry period and long-term quality of life in breast cancer survivors: a 10-year longitudinal cohort study.

This study evaluated the association between social support during the re-entry period and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer survivors using a longitudinal cohort study. This is a prospective cohort study with 275 breast cancer survivors who reported HRQoL at 5 and 10years after diagnosis. Social support for the re-entry period was measured 3years after diagnosis using the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). HRQoL was evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Breast Cancer-Specific Module (BR-23). Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate HRQoL at 5 and 10years after diagnosis by level of social support during the re-entry period. The mean (SD) of social support during re-entry period was 68.5. The low social support (LSS, score < 55) group during the re-entry period had a significantly lower HRQoL (mean difference = - 12.93) compared to moderate or high social support (MHSS, score ≥ 55) group. 5 and 10years after diagnosis, the LSS group continued to demonstrate lower HRQoL (5years: - 7.17; 10years: - 7.85) compared to the MHSS group. The LSS group were more likely to have lower role and social function scores, and higher fatigue, pain, and financial problems compared to the MHSS group at 10years after diagnosis. Breast cancer survivors who received lower social support during the re-entry period were more likely to experience poorer HRQoL in the long term than those who did not.

The Association between Social Support, Metabolic Syndrome, and Incidence of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in Older Adults: The ARIRANG Study.

We investigated the association between social support, metabolic syndrome, and incident cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) in rural Koreans aged ≥50 years. We conducted a prospective study using the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study on Atherosclerosis Risk of Rural Areas in the Korean General Population (KoGES-ARIRANG) dataset. From the baseline of 5169 adults, 1682 participants were finally included according to the exclusion criteria. For outcomes, myocardial infarction, angina, and stroke were included. For independent variables, the social support score and metabolic syndrome were used. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were performed to investigate the association among the variables. Paired t-test was conducted to analyze the longitudinal variation of social support scores. During the 6.37 years of median follow-up, 137 participants developed CCVD. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of metabolic syndrome with persistently high social support was 2.175 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.479-3.119]. The aOR of metabolic syndrome with persistently low social support was 2.494 (95% CI: 1.141-5.452). The longitudinal variation of the social support score of persistently high social support group was increased significantly by 4.26±26.32. The score of the persistently low social support group was decreased by 1.34±16.87 with no statistical significance. The presence of metabolic syndrome increases the likelihood of developing onset CCVD. Within the metabolic syndrome positive group, when social support was persistently low, the cohort developed more cardio-cerebrovascular disease compared to the persistently higher social support group. The social support score of the persistently low social support group could be improved through proper intervention. To prevent CCVD, metabolic syndrome components and low social support should be improved in the study participants.

Social support for postpartum women and associated factors including online support to reduce stress and depression amidst COVID-19: Results of an online survey in Thailand.

Social support for postpartum women helps mothers to recover from childbirth and fosters healthy infant development. However, the impacts of reduced interpersonal interactions inflicted by the COVID-19 outbreak on available social support for postpartum women have received little attention. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the levels of social support provided to postpartum women and associated factors in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2021 using an anonymous online questionnaire. The responses of 840 eligible women up to six months postpartum in Thailand were obtained. The maternity social support scale was used to measure social support. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with social support among postpartum women. About 57% of women reported to receive high support. Women in the high social support group were more likely to be married (aOR:2.70; 95% CI:1.57-4.66), have a university education or above (1.88; 1.35-2.64), have an intended pregnancy (2.06; 1.34-3.16), good health (2.01; 1.44-2.81), good sleep quality (1.62; 1.14-2.31), receive counsel from peers or family (1.56; 1.13-2.16), and use internet or social media to reduce stress and depression (1.51; 1.08-2.11). Meanwhile, women in the high social support group were significantly less likely to feed complementary foods to infants within 24 hours of completing the survey (0.28; 0.15-0.52). The results of this study indicated that more than half of the women reported high support and illustrated the important role played by family, peers, and professionals as well as online and remote channels in providing postpartum informational and emotional support during the pandemic. Online platforms and remote support may be considered to provide social support to postpartum women during a pandemic such as COVID-19.

Impact of Low Social Support Systems on Post-Operative Outcomes of Ankle, Hindfoot and Midfoot Surgery

Category: Other; Hindfoot; Midfoot/Forefoot; Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Degenerative conditions of the ankle, hindfoot and midfoot can markedly limit mobility, and functional disability due to bone and joint pathology has been demonstrated to predict mortality, and in some cases, decrease life expectancy by up to 10 years. Optimizing outcomes in surgical treatment of these conditions is therefore essential and requires analysis of both medical interventions and psychosocial factors. Physicians have only recently begun to identify social support to be a key factor in post-operative functional ability, though our understanding of their impact on surgical outcomes is limited. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the link between low social support and postoperative surgical foot and ankle outcomes. Methods: A single-center, prospective study was conducted on patients who underwent elective or non-elective ankle, hindfoot, or midfoot surgery between 2015 and 2019. Patients who were pre-operatively and post-operatively assessed at 6 month or 1 year follow up using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Life-Space Assessment survey (LSA), and/or visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were administered a social support survey scoring the individuals social support system. Patient reported outcomes were compared between low social support patients (score &lt;= 13) and high social support patients (score &gt; 13). Results: Preoperative baseline and 6 month LSA scores in the low social support group were significantly lower compared to the normal social support group (P = 0.044, P = 0.038), a trend not observed at the 1 year post-operative mark. Low social support pre-operative SF-36 MCS scores (P = 0.015) were significantly lower than the high social support group with no difference detected in pre-operative SF-36 PCS scoring. At 6-month follow-up, the low social support group had significantly lower SF-36 PCS scores (P = 0.031) and SF-36 MCS scores (P = 0.006) compared to the high social support group. At 1 year follow up, these differences in PCS (P = 0.04) and MCS (P= 0.007) persisted. No significant differences in VAS scores were observed. Conclusion: Among adults undergoing foot and ankle surgery, low perceived social support was associated with lower degrees of perceived mental well-being and physical wellbeing up to 1 year postoperatively.

Moderated Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Job Strain, Burnout, and Organizational Commitment among Operating Room Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Unique environment, coupled with overload, low job control, and high risk might put operating room (OR) nurses in a state of high job strain, which might have negative influences on burnout and organizational commitment. Based on the Job Demand-Control-Support model and previous studies, we hypothesized that the relationship between job strain (determined by job demand and control) and organizational commitment could be mediated by burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), the effect of job strain on burnout and organizational commitment could be moderated by social support. To verify the hypothesis, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, 509 OR nurses from 30 tertiary hospitals in Beijing were recruited. Multiple-group path analysis was used to test the moderated role of social support. Propensity score matching was applied to match job strain in different groups. Our research found that in the low social support group, job strain was not related to organizational commitment, while in the high social support group, depersonalization was not related to organizational commitment. Furthermore, nurses in the low social support group were more likely to have depersonalization under job strain compared to the high social support group. Social support should be provided to alleviate the negative impact of job strain.

Perceived social support as a moderator of depression and stress in college students

I explored the relationships between stress, social support, and depression among Chinese college students, focusing in particular on the moderating effect of social support in the link between stress and depression. Participants were 594 college students who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the SelfRating Depression Scale. Results indicate that stress and depression were significantly and positively correlated, social support and depression were significantly and negatively correlated, and social support significantly moderated the effect of stress on depression. In the high social support group, stress and depression were not significantly correlated, whereas in the low social support group, stress and depression were significantly correlated. In sum, both stress and social support were significantly correlated with depression, and social support moderated the effect of stress on depression among college students.

Social Support Effects on Neural Stress and Alcohol Reward Responses.

Social support (SS), or having people to depend on during times of stress, may offer an emotional and neurological buffer to problem drinking. Specifically, SS may modulate reward and stress-related brain responses to mitigate perceptions of alcohol reward and stress. There is limited evidence, however, on this topic and specifically on brain networks that may modulate SS effects on stress and alcohol reward. Here we present a review of the current literature on this topic as well as data from a large community sample of 115 social drinkers. Findings from a novel fMRI task viewing alcohol cue, stress, and neutral images, in separate blocks, while providing ratings on subjective feelings of alcohol craving, stress, and arousal are included. Lower SS significantly predicted greater alcohol craving during alcohol cue and stress conditions, higher baseline levels of stress, and greater arousal in the alcohol cue, relative to neutral condition. Remarkably, individuals with low SS showed greater reward activation (ventral medial prefrontal cortex (VmPFC) and ventral striatum) during alcohol cue exposure, while those with high SS showed no such activation (p<0.001, family wise error corrected at 0.05). Furthermore, individuals with lower SS showed greater stress circuit (VmPFC, dorsal striatum, and periaqueductal gray) activation not observed in the high SS groups. Both groups showed increased amygdala activation under stress condition. The findings support the notion that SS is a powerful modulator of stress response and reward motivation. High SS buffers neural and subjective stress responses, while low SS potentiates greater reward seeking with higher alcohol craving and greater brain activation during alcohol cue exposure. Previous research and current results suggest the need to further explore the role of SS in those at risk of developing alcohol use disorder and assess novel prevention strategies to boost SS in at-risk drinkers.

Deconversion Processes in Adolescence—The Role of Parental and Peer Factors

The phenomenon of abandonment of faith, which in psychology is referred to as deconversion, is observed today. Deconversion is particularly widespread in young people. In this paper we examine the parents’ religiosity, parents’ care, and social support as potential predictors of deconversion in adolescents. Specifically, we aimed to analyse whether or not parents’ religiousness, individual differences in childrens’ attachment to their parents, and received support from family, friends, and significant others differentiate adolescents in deconversion processes. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 232 adolescents in a cross-sectional study, which applied three scales. The Adolescent Deconversion Scale, Parental Bonding Instrument, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The results showed that adolescents having both caring and religious parents are less prone to abandon faith and to moral criticism than those having caring but not religious parents or those having religious but not caring parents. The low social support group was more likely to abandon faith and moral criticism than moderate or high social support groups. Regression analyses revealed that deconversion in adolescence is negatively predicted by the mother’s care and friends’ support.

Social Support and Adjustment During COVID-19 Epidemic: A Community-Based Study in Iran

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic is neither the first nor the last epidemic in human societies. Epidemic control requires cooperation and adherence to health and prevention protocols in the whole community. Social support and social adjustment may be effective in epidemic control. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the level of social support, social adjustment, and related factors during the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study, including 1,145 individuals, was conducted from April to May 2020 in Iran. Social adjustment and social support were measured using the Bell Adjustment Inventory and Philips Social Support questionnaires. Each province was assumed as a cluster, and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were used to determine the demographic variables that were related to social support and social adjustment during the COVID-19 outbreak. All analyses were conducted with SPSS26. Results: In this study, 58.9% of people were in the moderate and 39.9% in the high social support group. About 57.6% of people were in moderate and 30.8% in the high social adjustment group. People with a good (OR = 3.81, 95% CI: 2.29, 6.34) and moderate (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.92) financial situation had significantly higher social support scores. Master or doctorate graduates (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.15), and people with a good (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.79) and moderate (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.69) financial situation had significantly higher social adjustment scores. Conclusions: The participants of this study had mainly moderate to high levels of social support and adjustment; however, they may not represent the whole Iranian society. Social support and adjustment are low in people with a poor financial situation and low education. These groups need more attention in epidemics.

Social support and management strategies for chronic disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To investigate the social support level and its influencial factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to develop the management strategies for chronic disease. Methods: Patients with SLE were investigated by Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of fatigue. The demographic and clinical data of SLE patients were recorded. SLE disease activity and damage severity were assessed by SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and SLE Damage Index (SDI), respectively. Influencial factors for social support were analyzed. Results: A total of 246 patients were included. Social support scores for these patients were 40.76±7.93 and the scores showed no significant difference with the national norm (P>0.05). Patients who were younger than 18, single, unemployed or damaged by disease showed lower level of social support (P<0.05). Compared with the high social support group, patients in the low social support group experienced more severe depression or anxiety, and scored lower on mental component summary scale (vitality, social functioning, emotional role and mental health perception) and physical role of SF-36 (P<0.05). Conclusion: Social support levels for patients with SLE are closely related to the quality of life, and influenced by age, marital status, professional condition, and disease damage. Health education for patients and their families should be strengthened in chronic disease management to enhance social support and finally, improve their quality of life.

Social support moderates association between posttraumatic growth and trauma-related psychopathologies among victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster

Disasters have numerous harmful effects on the mental health status of trauma-exposed people. We investigated the differences in the association between trauma-related psychopathologies and posttraumatic growth according to the perceived social support level among victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, in South Korea. Data from 241 bereaved family members, survivors, and family members of survivors were used. The Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, PTSD Checklist-5, Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder Self-Rating Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 were used to evaluate perceived social support, posttraumatic growth, and trauma-related psychopathologies. We found that the severity of depression and anxiety showed inverse correlations with posttraumatic growth only in the low-social support group, while they did not demonstrate significant correlations in the high-social support group. The social support level had correlations with posttraumatic growth and the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic embitterment disorder only in female respondents. Furthermore, there was a mediation pathway from social support level to posttraumatic growth through depressive symptoms. This study explored the complex relationship between social support, posttraumatic growth, trauma-related psychopathologies, and gender among trauma-exposed individuals in the aftermath of the Sewol Ferry disaster.

Social Support and Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities: A Cluster Analysis

Background: Social support is linked to numerous biopsychosocial and vocational outcomes for persons with and without disabilities and is particularly salient to those living with psychiatric disabilities (PD). Studies show that persons with PD have smaller social networks, lack community participation, and experience loneliness and isolation. At present, the personal and environmental variables contributing to social support for persons with PD needs further investigation. Aims: a) To determine whether persons with PD can be clustered into social support groups based on three types of social support; b) to determine how the clusters differ on eight psychosocial variables; and c) to determine how the clusters differ on seven recovery and jive stigma coping variables. Method: The sample comprised of 101 adults with P D attending psychosocial rehabilitation programs in NYC and Boston area. Correlational, hierarchical cluster analysis and ANOVA were employed. Results: Two cluster groups were found: High- and Low- Social Support. The High-Social Support group was characterized by lower program attendance, living with family and friends, fewer jobs since age 18, more support providers, better quality of life and mental health recovery, and lower levels of loneliness and symptom distress. Discussion: Personal and environmental variables that contribute to high and low levels of social support are important areas to address in practice and research.

The association between food insecurity and depressive symptoms severity among pregnant women differs by social support category: a cross-sectional study.

Common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, affect approximately 16% of pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries. Food insecurity (FI) has been shown to be associated with depressive symptoms. It has also been suggested that the association between FI and depressive symptoms is moderated by social support (SS); however, there is limited evidence of these associations among pregnant women living in low-income and middle-income countries. We studied the association between FI and depressive symptoms severity and assessed whether such an association varied among Ugandan pregnant women with low vs. high SS. Cross-sectional data were collected among 403 pregnant women in northern Uganda. SS was assessed using an eight-item version of the Duke-UNC functional SS scale. FI and depressive symptoms were assessed by, respectively, the individually focused FI scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Women were categorized into two SS groups, based on scoring < or ≥ to the median SS value. Multivariate linear regression models indicated an independent association between FI and depressive symptoms severity. The association between FI and depressive symptoms severity was moderated by SS i.e. was stronger among women in the low SS category (adjusted beta (95%CI): 0.91 (0.55; 1.27)) than for women belonging to the high SS group (0.53 (0.28; 0.78)) (adjusted p value for interaction = 0.026). There is need for longitudinal or interventional studies among pregnant women living in northern Uganda or similar contexts to examine the temporal sequence of the associations among food insecurity, depressive symptoms severity and social support. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social Support, Sexual Violence, and Transactional Sex Among Female Transnational Migrants to South Africa.

To examine the relationship between sexual violence and transactional sex and assess the impact of social support on this relationship among female transnational migrants in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2012 we administered a behavioral risk factor survey using respondent-driven sampling to transnational migrant women aged between 16 and 39 years, born outside South Africa, living in Cape Town, and speaking English, Shona, Swahili, Lingala, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, French, or Somali. Controlling for study covariates, travel-phase sexual violence was positively associated with engagement in transactional sex (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.77), and social support was shown to be a protective factor (APR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.75, 0.95). The interaction of experienced sexual violence during migration and social support score was APR = 0.85 (95% CI = 0.66, 1.10). In the stratified analysis, we found an increased risk of transactional sex among the low social support group (APR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.00). This relationship was not statistically significant among the moderate or high social support group (APR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.58, 1.87). Programs designed to strengthen social support may reduce transactional sex among migrant women after they have settled in their receiving communities.

Progression of antepartum depression differs by level of perceived social support and food insecurity

BackgroundAntepartum depression (AD) is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and may be worsened by food insecurity (FI) and lack of social support (SS). We studied the progression of AD from mid gestation to term and examined whether such progression differed by measures of SS and longitudinal measures of FI.Methods403 women were recruited (mean (±SD) gestational age =19.4 (±−3.8) weeks) and followed to term or dropout. At baseline, SS was assessed using a modified Duke‐UNC functional scale. Women were binned into 2 SS groups, based on scoring &lt; or ≥ than the median SS value. FI (IFIAS) and AD (CES‐D≥17) were assessed at each visit using validated scales. Other variables were assessed at baseline using structured tools. Separately by SS category, we used mixed effects logistic regression models to examine the progression of AD; and, assessed whether such AD progression differed by longitudinal measures of FI.ResultsAt baseline, 55.8% of the pregnant women belonged to the higher SS group. At this time point, the prevalence of AD among women in the low SS group (80.9%) was 2 times higher than similar levels in the higher SS group (40.4%). AD in the low SS group tended to decline with increasing gestational age but was always more prevalent than AD in the high SS group. In both SS groups, the progression of AD was positively associated with longitudinal measures of FI; and, the effect of FI on the progression of AD attained statistical significance among women in the low SS group. In the adjusted analyses, the probability of AD was three times higher among food insecure women in the low SS group than it was among food secure women in the high SS category.ConclusionsWe observed high levels of antepartum depression among women in northern Uganda that differed by social support and food insecurity suggesting the need for integrating mental health services that include food security and social support components into antenatal programs in this or similar contexts.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded in part by Cornell University Weill Medical College Intercampus Seed Funds, K01 MH098902 from NIMH and USAID Cooperative Agreement AIDOAAL1000006

Social support moderates stress effects on depression.

This study examined the moderator effect of social support on the relationship between stress and depression of university students. A total of 632 undergraduate students completed the measures of perceived stress, perceived social support, and depression. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that social support moderated the association between stress and depression. Undergraduate students with high stress reported higher scores in depression than those with low stress with low social support level. However, the impact of stress on depression was much smaller in the high social support group compared with that in the low social support group.

Influence of the Relationship between Social Support and Independent- Construal of Self on Depression and Anxiety among Japanese Workers

Background:Independent-interdependent self-construal is one of the constructs related to self-definition. Independent self-construal is defined as having clear boundaries between self and others and giving greater weight to personal goals as opposed to group goals; interpersonal self-construal, on the other hand, refers to maintaining harmonious, cooperative relationships with others. Previous research has shown that self-construals are related to mental health issues. Methods: A set of questionnaires measuring self-construal, social support, depression, and anxiety was collected from 532 people working at two different workplaces to examine the relationship between self-construals and social support. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the relationship between the variables in high and low social support groups. Results and Conclusion: The result of the SEM suggests that independent self-construal mitigated depression and anxiety in the group with more social support. However, there was no reduction effect on depression and anxiety in the group with less social support. In addition, the older the worker, the less likely they were to have anxiety symptoms when in the group with more social support. Self-construal and social support have effects on psychological symptoms via interactions between the two and that the combination of high social support and independent self-construal is a contributing factor for mitigating depression and anxiety.

Social support in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to cope with the impact of coping style

Objective To investigate the impact on coping style of social support on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Methods There were 62 elderly COPD patients assessed by WOCS and the Word Health Organization Quality of life BREF (WHOQC_BREF) assessment. Results The total scores fo 62 patients of SSRS, subjective support, objective support and support using degree respectively were ( 38.46 ± 7.83 ), ( 18.22 ± 4.13), ( 10.91 ± 1.51, (9.32 ± 1.40) . There were 24 cases lower than 35 points (low score group), 16 cases higher than45 points (high score group) , and22 cases between 35 and45 points. WHOQCL-BREF evaluation of physiological, psychological, social relations and environmental field of the high social support group were significantly higher than those of the low social support group (P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01 ) . Conclusions The degree of social support has an important impact on COPD patients'coping style and life quality and good social support helps patients take an active approach to deal with and improve the quality of life. Key words: COPD; Social support; Coping style; Quality of life