Interview Schedule For Social Interaction Research Articles

Psychological Distress Associated With Home Parenteral Nutrition in Swedish Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents: Preliminary Results

ABSTRACTObjectivesHome parenteral nutrition (HPN) is life saving in some patients with intestinal failure. Clinical experience suggests that there may be psychologic problems in HPN children, including food refusal on reintroduction of food, parent–child conflict, sibling rivalry, and disruption of family routine. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychologic distress in children with HPN and the social integration of their parents.MethodsThe parents were asked to fill in three questionnaires anonymously– one regarding the HPN procedures; the Child Behavior Checklist, which provides a standardized description of children's behavioral problems, as reported by their mothers; and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), which in its short form comprises 30 questions about social network and social support.ResultsThe Child Behavior Checklist questionnaires were returned from 20 families (80% response), and the ISSI questionnaires were returned from 21 families (84% response). Children and adolescents with HPN are quite distressed psychologically. The subscale within ISSI that measures social integration was significantly higher in the HPN group, whereas the subscale that measures adequacy of social integration did not differ between the groups. Both subscales measuring attachment were significantly lower in the HPN group.ConclusionsThis study shows that children and adolescents with HPN are quite distressed psychologically, even though the exact reason for this may be somewhat unclear. The social integration of the parents is high, whereas attachment, which deals with deeper, emotional relations, is negatively affected.

Social relations in women with coronary heart disease: the effects of work and marital stress.

Studies have previously shown that psychosocial stress, related to both work and family, is associated with the increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine how social relations are affected by marital stress and work stress in a population-based sample of Swedish women with CHD. Data was obtained from the Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study, comprising 292 women aged 65 years or younger, with a mean age of 56 (SD=7) years admitted for an acute event of CHD and examined 3-6 months after hospitalization. Marital and work stress was assessed using the Stockholm Marital Stress Scale and the Swedish version of the Karasek demand-control questionnaire, respectively. Condensed versions of the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) and of Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) were used to assess social relations and social support. Marital stress was associated with less social integration (P<0.001), less appraisal support (P<0.001), a lower sense of belonging (P<0.01) and less tangible support (P<0.01) even after controlling for work stress. Adjustment for age, socioeconomic status (education and occupational status) did not alter these results significantly. Work stress did not show statistically significant effects on any of the measured social relations. The present study showed that marital stress influenced women's social relations. These results suggest that marital stress needs to be further investigated not only as an independent but also as an interactive risk factor for women with CHD.

Social support in bipolar disorder: its relevance to remission and relapse.

While an association between low-level social support and depression has been found in many studies, its relevance in bipolar illness has been rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of social support in the remission and relapse of bipolar disorder. We obtained ratings from 94 stabilized bipolar patients using two different questionnaires that measure perceived social support: the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. Significantly lower social support was found in patients in partial recovery compared with those in full recovery (p = 0.003). Patients who relapsed during a 1-year prospective follow-up period perceived a significantly lower level of social support than patients with no relapse (p = 0.012). Bipolar patients with full interepisode remission perceive more social support than those who do not achieve full remission. Poor social support may increase the risk of relapse in bipolar disorder.

Social Networks of Women with Undefined Musculoskeletal Disorder

This study was conducted to investigate social integration among, and the availability of social support for, female patients with undefined musculoskeletal disorder compared to women with coronary heart disease. The aim was to elucidate the importance of a clear diagnosis for the social network relationships of these female patients. For the measurement of social support two instruments were used: an abbreviated version of the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction and a condensed version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. After adjustment for age, marital and employment status, significant differences can be recognized between the two groups of patients: MSD-patients interact with fewer people and receive less emotional support. Implications for social work practice and issues for future research are presented.

The influence of personality traits on neuropsychological test performance and self-reported health and social context in women

The relationship between on the one hand personality traits and, on the other hand, neuropsychological test performance, self-rated distress symptoms, psychosocial work exposure, and social interaction patterns, was studied in a group of healthy women ( N=101). All subjects completed the Karolinska Scales of Personality inventory (KSP) and the majority of the subjects ( n=88) completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Scale (STAI-T). Few relationships between personality traits and neuropsychological test results were observed. According to expectations age and education influenced neuropsychological test performance. As for the rating inventories, the high-anxiety half of the subjects typically reported more symptoms and lower social interaction scores than the low-anxiety half. The results suggest that reporting in Euro-Quest (EQ), General Health Questionnaire-30 (GHQ-30), Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90), Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) and the Job Content Questionnaire are sensitive to differences in trait anxiety levels as defined by STAI-T or the psychic anxiety scale in the KSP inventory. The broad impact of trait anxiety on symptom reporting indicates the importance of checking for and possibly controlling for this dimension. Furthermore, the ISSI and JCQ inventories should not be thought of as assessing social circumstances independently from personality traits such as social desirability.

Coping style and social support in men and women suffering from cluster headache or migraine.

To investigate similarities and differences between patients with cluster headache and patients with migraine. Patients with migraine and patients with cluster headache are considered, by many clinical neurologists, to be different psychologically and socially. Twenty-five age-matched pairs of men and 24 age-matched pairs of women with either migraine or episodic cluster headache (men aged 31 to 62 years; mean, 47 years; women aged 23 to 72 years; mean, 44 years) were compared with regard to coping profiles as reflected in two "coping wheels," one for the present situation and one for the future. In addition, availability of attachment and social interaction was assessed by means of the ISSI (Interview Schedule for Social Interaction). Women with cluster headache anticipated fewer activities for themselves than women with migraine, and findings were similar in the male pairs. The men with cluster headache also anticipated significantly fewer activities for themselves in the present and with others in the present and in the future than the men with migraine. There was no significant difference as to emotional loading between the two groups. A tendency to more optimistic anticipation was found in the women with cluster headache. There were highly significant differences between the two groups in the "future" wheel. The group with migraine expected more concrete activities and more activities with their families in the future, and they also described their present situation to involve more activities with others. Results from the present study differ from those from studies utilizing more conventional questionnaires. In particular, we found that patients with cluster headache have fewer close social contacts than patients with migraine.

High incidence of mental disorders, reduced mental well-being and cognitive function in hypopituitary women with GH deficiency treated for pituitary disease.

Previous studies have shown possible neuroendocrine effects of GH. In the present study we investigated the incidence of mental disorders and the prevalence of mental distress and cognitive dysfunction in hypopituitary women with untreated GH deficiency compared to population-based controls. Thirty-three hypopituitary women with a median age of 64 years (range 39--77 years) were investigated cross-sectionally, without any change in hormone substitutions. Twenty-nine of the patients had been operated for a pituitary tumour, 25 had received radiotherapy and 15 had visual dysfunction. The patients were with a very high probability GH deficient, as 29 had subnormal IGF-I levels and the other four were GH deficient as assessed by an insulin tolerance test. The patients were compared with 33 controls matched for sex, age, smoking habits, educational level and residence. The incidence of mental disorders was calculated from the date of diagnosed hypopituitarism to the time of the present investigation. Mental well-being was assessed by three self-rating questionnaires: the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) and the social network concept. The subjects were examined with neuropsychological tests of vocabulary (SRB:1 vocabulary test), perceptual speed (WAIS-R Digit Symbol), spatial ability (WAIS-R Block Design), verbal memory (Cronholm--Molander verbal memory test), spatial learning (Austin Maze Test) and reaction time (APT Two-way Reaction Time and APT Inhibition). The hypopituitary women had a higher incidence of mental disorders than the controls; Incidence Rate Ratio 4.5 (95% CI 1.0--21). The Global Severity Index, i.e. the average score of all 90 questions of the SCL-90, was higher in patients (P = 0.001), and the patients had significantly more symptoms of somatization, anxiety, depression, obsession--compulsion, hostility--irritability, phobic and psychotic symptoms (all P less-than-or-equal 0.04). Moreover, 14 patients compared to four controls were classified as possible cases of mental distress according to the SCL-90 (P = 0.006). The patients experienced lower availability of both social attachment (P = 0.02) and integration (P = 0.001), but there were no group differences in the adequacy of these dimensions or in emotional support. The patients had lower scores in four of seven neuropsychological tests (all P less-than-or-equal 0.04). The hypopituitary women had a higher incidence of mental disorders, more symptoms of mental distress and increased prevalence of cognitive dysfunction. The impaired results in the patients could possibly be explained by several factors, such as transfrontal surgery, radiotherapy, visual dysfunction and unphysiological hormone substitution. Moreover, it is probable that GH deficiency contributed, but placebo-controlled double-blind studies are warranted to investigate whether the psychological dysfunction is reversible on GH substitution.

The social networks of persons with severe mental illness in in-patient settings and supported community settings

The social networks of individuals with severe mental illness admitted to long-term in-patient settings and living in two types of supported housing, small congregate community residences and independent living with support, were compared. The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI) was used. The results showed no substantial differences in social networks between the two types of supported community residences. These were pooled for further analyses and comparisons between in-patient settings and supported community settings. No differences were found between the two settings either for the four subscales of ISSI or for the overall ISSI score. Stepwise regression analysis revealed a positive association between perceived quality of life and social network and an inverse relation between negative symptoms and social network. Other factors possibly influencing social networks across housing settings are discussed. More qualitative data is called for in the study of social networks of persons with severe mental illness.

Self-esteem in persons with schizophrenia. A Nordic multicentre study

Background: Deinstitutionalisation has led to many people with serious mental illness spending most of their time outside psychiatric institutions. Not much is known about their subjective life. The paper presents the results of analysis of self-esteem in a group of non-institutionalised people with schizophrenia. Methods: Interviews were conducted with random samples of people with schizophrenia receiving out-patient services in ten psychiatric centres in the five Nordic countries. The following instruments were used: The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), Camberwell Assessment of Needs, Lancashire Quality of Life Profile and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, GAF and BPRS. The Rosenberg scale provided the main data for this paper and three different measures of self-esteem were used (positive self-esteem, negative self-esteem and overall self-esteem). Results: A total of 418 people took part in the study. Total participation rate was 55%. Multiple regression analysis showed the three self-esteem measurements to be mainly related to mental health and other subjective variables, and to lesser extent to social network. Demography played a negligible role, only (female) sex being associated with positive and gross self-esteem. Anxiety/depression and affect balance were the strongest predictors of positive, negative and gross self-esteem, and having at least one close friend was associated with positive and gross self-esteem. Conclusion: variations in self-esteem were mainly explained by differences in anxiety/depression and affect balance, and to extent also with satisfaction with the relations to one's family. Having at least one friend was the strongest social network predictor and sex the only significant demographic variable.

Predictors of social relations in persons with schizophrenia living in the community: a Nordic multicentre study.

Deinstitutionalisation has led to persons with serious mental illness spending most of their time outside psychiatric institutions. Not much is known about their social life. The paper presents the results of structured interviews with non-institutionalised persons with schizophrenia about treatment, care and social network. The network data are analysed from three perspectives: finding predictors of the number and of the quality of social contacts, and establishing the respective variables that characterise persons with high, and those with low, scores on both the quantity and quality dimensions of social integration. Random samples of persons with schizophrenia receiving outpatient services in ten psychiatric centres in the four Nordic countries were interviewed. The following instruments were used: Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), Camberwell Assessment of Needs, Lancashire Quality of Life Profile, General Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), in addition to a checklist covering the utilisation of different services. The ISSI provided the main data for this paper. A restricted number of possible predictors were used in General Linear Model (GLM) factorial analysis and discriminant analysis. A total of 418 persons took part in the study. The overall participation rate was 55%. Social integration in terms of number of contacts was related to a high GAF score, few BPRS negative and hostility symptoms, having contact with user organisations and living in urban (in contrast to rural) areas. Availability of emotional relations was predicted by female sex, low scores on the BPRS hostility dimension, high GAF score, having contact with one's family more than once a month, and living in urban areas. Work, adequate leisure activities and GAF score discriminated between the best and worst integrated groups. Living in urban areas, being female, having a high GAF score and low scores on hostility predicted better integration in terms of number of contacts and emotional relations.

Lesbians in New Zealand: their mental health and satisfaction with mental health services.

To describe the mental health of lesbians in New Zealand, and to document their accounts of their experience of mental health services. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. A postal questionnaire, the Lesbian Mental Health Survey, was distributed via lesbian newsletters to 1222 women throughout New Zealand. Mental health measures included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), and respondents' histories of sexual abuse and psychiatric histories. Experiences of mental health services were sought. The estimated response rate was 50.8%. The respondent group were predominantly New Zealand European, highly educated, urban women between 25 and 50 years of age. Three-quarters had identified as lesbian for more than 5 years. Recent self-identification as lesbian was associated with higher GHQ score, as was being younger than 35, having a history of sexual abuse, and not living with a partner. Eighty percent of respondents had used mental health services sometime in their lives and nearly 30 percent of users had received 'lesbian-unfriendly' treatment at some point. One-sixth of respondents had experienced discrimination from service providers in the previous 5 years. While the mental health of lesbians is influenced by factors similar to those influencing women's mental health in general, because of social factors, such as stigma and isolation, lesbians may be more vulnerable to common mental illnesses. Health professionals, mental health professionals in particular, need to raise their awareness of the issues lesbians face in dealing with their sexuality, therapeutic relationships and mental health services. Increased training about sexuality for health professionals, as well as further research into areas such as stress and stigma, sexual abuse and attempted suicide among lesbian women, is recommended.

Precedents of perceived social support: Personality and early life experiences

In order to examine the effects of personality and early life experiences on perceived social support, a total of 97 young Japanese women were investigated. Current interpersonal relationships were measured by an interview modified from Henderson et al.'s Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI). Personality was measured by Cloninger et al.'s Temperament and Character Inventory. Early life experiences at home and outside of home were also identified in the interview. The number of sources of perceived support was correlated with self-directness, while satisfaction with perceived support was correlated with novelty seeking and with low harm avoidance. No early life experiences--early loss of a parent, perceived parenting, childhood abuse experiences, experiences of being bullied and/or other life events--showed significant correlations with the number or satisfaction of supportive people. The quantity and quality of perception of social support differ in their link to personality, and perceived social support may, to some extent, be explainable in terms of personality.

Assessment of a short scale to measure social support among older people

BackgroundSocial support strongly influences health, but research has been limited by the paucity of brief, inexpensive, psychometrically sound scales suitable for use with older people. MethodThe validity and reliability of the 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) were tested among a random sample of 565 community dwelling people aged 70 years and over. ResultsA response rate of 76% was obtained. Participants had a mean age of 76 years. Internal consistency using Cronbachs alpha for the overall index was 0.77. Test-retest reliability (n=117) scores ranged from 0.70 to 0.81. Concurrent validity is supported by the DSSI's moderate to strong correlations with the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. Construct validity of the DSSI was supported by moderate correlations with health, quality of life and loneliness. To further test construct validity a multiple regression model was used and 25.6% of the variance in social support was explained using three expected variables; self rated health, quality of life, and living arrangements. ConclusionStrong evidence for reliability and validity of the 11 -item Duke Social Support Index support its use in aged care research and health promotion strategies. ImplicationsThe DSSI provides researchers with the opportunity to use a brief measure of social support which has been assessed specifically with older Australians instead of single-item measures or scales which have limited psychometric evidence.

Social interaction and support related to mood and locus of control in cervical and endometrial cancer patients and their spouses.

The purpose of the study was to investigate possible relationships between quantitative and qualitative social support measures and mood in cervical (n = 30) and endometrial (n = 30) cancer patients and their spouses before and after treatment. Furthermore, the experience of locus of control was studied in light of mood and social support in women after treatment. The first interview with the patients was conducted on the day before the women started treatment, a second interview, 6 months later and a third one, 12-15 months after the initiation of treatment. The interviews with the spouses were conducted on the telephone before the initiation of their partners' treatment and 12-15 months later. Social support was assessed by the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to measure the level of depressive symptomatology, and the locus of control orientation was assessed by the Locus of Control (LOC) scale. Women with cervical cancer reported BDI values that were significantly higher than in the endometrial group both before and after treatment. Women with cervical cancer also showed a significantly higher level on the BDI score on both occasions than did the corresponding group of spouses. The scores for ISSI were within normal limits in both groups of women. Furthermore, LOC was significantly correlated with adequacy of social interaction in women when controlled for social desirability, whereas LOC was unrelated to BDI. No significant correlations were found among the spouses concerning social network variables and dysphoric mood. The necessity of developing models for the psychological and behavioural risk assessment and for the elaboration of adequate treatment strategies is emphasized.

The rate of co-dependence in spouses and relatives of alcoholics on the basis of the Cermak co-dependence scale

To create a basis for empirical studies of co-dependence in substance use disorders, Cermak in 1986 suggested a model for diagnostic criteria similar to the DSM type of criteria. In the present study the Cermak criteria were applied to 41 relatives of alcoholics. To validate the co-dependence scale, the following instruments were used: Coping Behavior Scale, Hardship Scale, Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Trait Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), and The Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI). The optimal cut-off was 2 of 4 main criteria and 3 of 10 psychiatric symptoms. With this cut-off point, 44% of the relatives met the criteria of co-dependence: 17% males and 83% females. Co-dependence defined in this manner was related to coping style (fear withdrawal) and hardship of the relationship but not to the severity of psychopathology or personality. In conclusion, it was possible to measure the concept of co-dependence and validate it against coping style and hardship.

Social support and the course of bipolar disorder.

The current study prospectively examined the impact of social support on symptom severity and recovery from episodes in bipolar disorder, both as a direct influence and as a buffer of life events. Fifty-nine individuals with Bipolar I disorder were followed longitudinally with monthly symptom severity interviews. Social support was measured by the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction, and life events were assessed using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule. Individuals with low social support took longer to recover from episodes and were more symptomatic across a 6-month follow-up. Results suggest a polarity-specific effect, in that social support influences depression but not mania. Discussion focuses on theoretical implications of a series of polarity-specific findings within the field.

The mental health of children in homeless families and their contact with health, education and social services.

Previous research indicates that children in homeless families have a high risk of physical and mental illness. This study reports the initial stage of a longitudinal research programme to measure the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among parents and children in homeless families. A sample of parents in 113 homeless families were interviewed within 2 weeks of admission to seven homeless centres in the City of Birmingham, and compared with a sample of 29 low-income families who were not homeless. Both sets of interviews used the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Communication Domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), and height and weight percentiles. A sub-sample of children was also interviewed. The results indicate that 85% of families became homeless because of domestic or neighbourhood violence, that in 54% of families in homelessness coincided with the separation of the partners, and that 49% of mothers had current psychiatric morbidity. Children in homeless families had delayed communication and higher mean scores for mental health problems than the comparison sample. Homeless children were also more likely to have had histories of abuse, and less likely to have attended school or nursery school since becoming homeless. Homeless families had high rates of contact with primary healthcare and social services, but few had been in contact with specialist child and adolescent mental health services. These results indicate a need for a co-ordinated action by housing, social services, education, health services, and the police to prevent families from becoming homeless by protecting victims of domestic and neighbourhood violence from further violence and intimidation. Hence the need to rapidly re-house into permanent accommodation those who do become homeless, to maintain education for their children, and to ensure that such families have access to effective social support and healthcare.

The protective effects of social support against mood disorder after stroke

The aims of this study were: to measure levels of social support available to stroke survivors before and after stroke and to examine the relationship between social support and mood. A prospective study design was used. The sample studied comprised 30 hospitalized stroke survivors. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) and Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (Henderson et al., 1980) were used. Three interviews were conducted: (1) within one month of stroke; (2) one month post-hospital discharge; and (3) six months post-discharge. Anxiety scores fell over time (p < 0.03). Depression scores remained constant. Most survivors were ‘non-cases’. Availability of confiding relationships remained constant after stroke. Availability of loose, network relationships declined (p < 0.001). Pre-stroke support availability was correlated with contemporary and prospective measures of anxiety and depression. Mood was not correlated with ratings of satisfaction with support. In summary, stroke survivors become isolated from social networks, even in the presence of good confiding support. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that social support buffers against mood disorder after negative life events.

Mental Health and Desired Social Support: A Four-Wave Panel Study

The first aim of this study was to determine whether dissatisfaction with close (attachment) and less close (social integration) relationships was primarily reflected in desiring less or more social support. The second aim was to explore the temporal order of this association using latent variable LISREL analysis. Mental health was assessed by the-30-item General Health Questionnaire and desire for social support by the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. These variables were measured at four consecutive waves each 4 months apart in a representative sample of 225 adult residents in Canberra. Psychological distress was associated with desiring more rather than less support. The LISREL analyses suggested that while mental health and desired level of attachment were unrelated, poorer previous mental health appeared to subsequently increase desired level of social integration.

Psychosocial Functioning of Homeless Children

To investigate the psychosocial characteristics of homeless children and their parents. Homeless families were assessed within 2 weeks of admission to seven hostels and were compared with a group of housed families matched for socioeconomic status. Measures included a semistructured interview, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the interview Schedule for Social Interaction, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Communication domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and height and weight percentiles. The sample consisted of 113 homeless families (249 children aged 2 through 16 years) and 29 comparison families (83 children). Homeless families primarily consisted of single mothers and an average of two children, who had become homeless because of domestic violence (56%) or violence from neighbors (29%). Homeless mothers reported high rates of previous abuse (45%) and current psychiatric morbidity (49% caseness on the GHQ) and poor social support networks compared with housed controls. Homeless children were more likely to have histories of abuse, living in care, and being on the at-risk child protection register and less likely to have attended school or a preschool/day-care center since admission to the hostel. They also had delayed communication and higher CBCL scores. Maternal GHQ scores best predicted CBCL caseness. Homeless mothers and children have high rates of psychosocial morbidity, which are related to multiple risk factors and chronic adversities. Their complex needs should be best met by specialized and coordinated health, social, and educational services.