Low Levels Of Family Support Research Articles

Perceived social support from friends and family and psychosocial functioning in bisexual young adult college students.

In this study, the authors investigated the degree to which perceived social support was associated with depression, life satisfaction, and internalized binegativity in a sample of 210 bisexual young adult college students. Two types of social support (general and sexuality specific) and 2 sources of social support (family and friends) were examined. Participants were recruited from the electronic mailing lists of organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students on 32 university campuses, and data were gathered via an Internet survey. Results indicated that general social support was most predictive of depression and life satisfaction, whereas sexuality-specific support was most predictive of internalized binegativity. Both family support and friend support contributed to the prediction of each of the outcome variables. Although it was expected that the link between friend support and positive adjustment would be strongest at low levels of family support, none of the interactions between friend and family support was statistically significant.

The Role of the Social Environment in Children and Adolescents with Asthma

Biopsychosocial models of asthma have been proposed in the literature, but few empirical tests of social factors at various levels of influence have been conducted. To test associations of neighborhood, peer, and family factors with asthma outcomes in youth, and to determine the pathways through which these social factors operate. Observational study of youths with asthma (n = 78). Youths completed questionnaires about neighborhood problems, peer support, and family support. Biological (IgE, eosinophil count, production of IL-4) and behavioral (youth smoking, exposure to smoke, adherence to medications) pathways were measured. Asthma symptoms and pulmonary function were assessed in the laboratory and at home for 2 weeks. Lower levels of family support were associated with greater symptoms (beta coefficients: -0.26 to -0.33, P < 0.05) and poorer pulmonary function (beta: 0.30, P < 0.05) via biological pathways (Z statistics from 1.19 to 1.51, P < 0.05). Higher levels of neighborhood problems were associated with greater symptoms (beta coefficients: 0.27-0.33, P < 0.05) via behavioral pathways related to smoking (Z statistics = 1.40, P < 0.05). Peer support was not associated with symptoms or pulmonary function. This study indicates that family factors may affect youths' asthma via physiologic changes, whereas community factors may help shape the health behaviors of youths with asthma.

Differences in psychological health and family dysfunction by sexual victimization type in a clinical sample of African American

We examined levels of sexual victimization among a sample of 249 14‐ to 19‐year‐old African American adolescent women. Victimization was common: 32.1% reported having been raped, 33.7% had experienced sexual coercion, and 10.8% reported an attempted rape. Only 23.4% had never been victimized. We investigated whether levels of psychological health and family dysfunction varied as a function of the type of sexual victimization. Girls who had been raped had lower levels of self‐esteem and mastery and higher levels of depression compared to girls who reported no sexual victimization. Significantly higher levels of family cohesion and significantly lower levels of family support were reported by girls who had been raped versus girls who reported no sexual victimization. These findings are a starting point for future studies by providing evidence that levels of mental health and family dysfunction vary by the type of sexual victimization experienced.

The Role of Witnessing Violence, Peer Provocation, Family Support, and Parenting Practices in the Aggressive Behavior of Rural Adolescents

This study examined the influence of witnessing violence, peer provocation, family support, and parenting practices (monitoring and discipline) on aggression. Participants were 1,196 ninth graders at nine schools in poor, predominantly agricultural, rural communities who completed measures of these variables. Witnessing violence, peer provocation, low levels of family support, and poor parenting practices were each related to higher frequencies of aggression. Witnessing violence and peer provocation partially mediated relations between parenting and aggression, such that students who reported high levels of appropriate parenting reported lower levels of witnessing violence and peer provocation. These were, in turn, related to lower levels of aggression. The relation between family support and aggression was also mediated by peer provocation, though the Degrees of mediation was not as strong as for parenting. Both parenting and family support moderated the relation between witnessing violence and aggression such that this relation was stronger among adolescents who reported low family support or high levels of poor parenting. Neither parenting nor family support moderated the relation between peer provocation and aggression. Overall, parenting practices had a stronger influence on aggression than did family support. Results were generally consistent across gender. These findings have important implications for intervention efforts.

Mothers supporting children with autistic spectrum disorders

Parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) are more likely to experience serious psychological distress than parents of children with other developmental disabilities. To examine the impact of a range of factors on psychological wellbeing, interviews were undertaken with 68 mothers of children with ASDs to explore aspects of social support, mental health status and satisfaction with services. Findings indicated that over half of mothers screened positive for significant psychological distress and that this was associated with low levels of family support and with bringing up a child with higher levels of challenging behaviour. Mothers were more likely to report lower levels of support if they were a lone parent, were living in poor housing, or were the mother of a boy with ASD. The study also investigated areas of useful support and areas of unmet need, the latter including care breaks and advice needs.

Harm by Her Own Hand

Recent research regarding violence among juveniles has left important questions unanswered. One question involves the effect of gender. This paper reports the results of a study examining gender differences in violent behavior. The records of 136 juveniles (m = 71; f = 65) were reviewed to test the hypothesis that sexual abuse, low levels of family support, and low levels of support from friends would predict self-directed violence more effectively among females than among males. Logistic regression models correctly classified 71% of the girls and 76.06% of the boys. The model for girls identified 79.49% (9.59% improvement) of the non-mutilators and 57.69% (16.62% improvement) of the mutilators. The model for boys predicted non-mutilation with 100% accuracy (25% improvement), but did not correctly classify any mutilators (23.61% decrease in predictive capacity). The study supported the hypothesis and has important implications for social work practice.

Friendship Patterns among African American, Asian American, and Latino Adolescents from Low-Income Families

Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the present study sought to explore: the patterns or types of closest, same-sex friendships among ethnic minority, low-income adolescents; the psychological and familial correlates of these patterns; and the adolescents' subjective experiences of each type of closest, same-sex friendships. Two hundred and thirteen African American, Latino, and Asian American high school students participated in the study. Results of cluster analyses suggested four types of closest, same-sex friendships: (i) `ideal'; (ii) `engaged'; (iii) `average'; and (iv) `disengaged.' Girls and Latinos were most likely to have `ideal' friendships, while boys and Asian Americans were most likely to have `disengaged' friendships. In addition, the `disengaged' adolescents reported significantly lower self-esteem, higher levels of depressive symptoms, and lower levels of family support than the adolescents in the other cluster groups. The qualitative data suggested across and within group variability in the subjective experiences of closest, same-sex friendships. Findings suggest new directions for friendship research as well as new ways of conceptualizing the integration of quantitative and qualitative data.

Adolescent temperament, perceived social support, and depressive tendencies as predictors of depressive tendencies in young adulthood

A 5 year longitudinal study investigated the interrelations of temperament dimensions (negative emotionality, activity, and sociability), perceived social support (friend, significant other, and family support), and depressive tendencies. Temperament (EASTS; Buss, 1991), perceived social support (PSS-R; Blumenthal, Burg, Barefoot, Williams, Haney and Zimet, 1987) and depressive tendencies (a modified version of the BDI) were measured by self-reports in a randomly selected, community-based sample of 302 adolescents at age 15, and depressive tendencies were measured again five years later at age 20. The authors hypothesized a model comprising direct as well as mediated effects between the adolescent predictor variables and depressive tendencies in young adulthood. The structural modelling analyses supported these hypotheses in part, and also indicated some qualitative sex differences. For both girls and boys, a significant direct as well as mediating role was indicated for the current level of depressive tendencies: depressive tendencies at age 15 predicted depressive tendencies at age 20, also mediating the effects of negative emotionality at age 15, and additionally mediating the effects of a low level of activity in girls and a low level of family support in boys. Furthermore, even when the prior level of depressive tendencies was controlled, direct effects were indicated in boys for a low level of sociability, and in girls for significant other support, which also mediated the effects of a low level of sociability. These results highlight the importance of the sex-differentiated interplay of both intrapersonal and psychosocial factors in relation to depressive tendencies both during adolescence and from adolescence to young adulthood. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Family and parental functioning in cystic fibrosis.

This article reviews 31 recent articles that describe the functioning of families and/or parents of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), compares them to families of healthy children, pinpoints factors that predict quality of adjustment, or evaluates interventions designed to improve functioning. Commonly cited concerns included the difficulty of the treatment regimen, the terminal nature of CF, and the disruption of intrafamilial relationships. Parents of children with CF experienced greater stress and burdens than parents of healthy children, yet parenting behavior and family functioning were quite similar in CF and healthy control groups. Higher levels of distress, an avoidant coping style, and low levels of family support were associated with poor psychological adjustment. Recommendations for future research include: using multiple informants; using detailed, illness-specific measures and conceptual frameworks; and conducting studies of individual variation and interventions. Practitioners might consider performing periodic updates of how the family is managing as a whole.

Psychological reactions and family adjustment in shock versus no shock groups after implantation of internal cardioverter defibrillator

The purpose of this study was to compare psychological reactions and family adjustment after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation in survivors who did and did not experience defibrillatory shocks the first year of recovery. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal prospective study that examined patient and family adjustment after SCA. SCA survivors and one family member per patient were interviewed and completed questionnaires three times within the first year (hospital discharge, 6 months, and 12 months) after SCA. Fifteen SCA survivors (13 men and 2 women) between the ages of 30 and 74 (mean 57 years) and one respective family member, usually the spouse, (mean age 53 years) participated. All SCA survivors had had primary ventricular fibrillation outside the hospital, had automatic defibrillators implanted while hospitalized, and were monitored for 1 year. Participants were divided into shock and no shock groups based on activation of their ICD the first year. The mean number of shocks received in the shock group survivors was 26, with a range of 3 to 100. Anxiety, depression, anger, and stress levels were higher for both survivors and their family members in the group that received defibrillator shocks. Denial was high throughout the entire year in all survivors. Dyadic adjustment and family coping were not found to be significantly different between the no shock and shock groups. A trend toward reduction in family social support and dyadic satisfaction was noted in both groups with time. Both SCA survivors and their family members experience more psychological distress in the first year after ICD implantation if the defibrillator fires. Families in both shock and no shock groups report lower levels of family support and marital satisfaction the first year after SCA and ICD implantation.

Attitudes, knowledge, and stages of change: A survey of exercise patterns in older Australian women.

This article describes a telephone survey of attitudes and behavior relevant to exercise adoption among 286 Australian women aged 50 to 64. Stages of change identified by the transtheoretical model of behavior change were related to attitudes, knowledge, and demographic variables. In comparison with exercisers, precontemplators were older, had lower exercise knowledge, perceived lower levels of family support for exercise, expected fewer psychological benefits from exercise, and rated exercise as less important than avoiding smoking. The main significant difference between contemplators and those in the action or maintenance stage involved the perception of practical barriers. Despite the limitations of this cross-sectional self-report study, it identifies attitudes and knowledge as potential targets for intervention with middle-aged women.

Attitudes, knowledge, and stages of change: a survey of exercise patterns in older Australian women.

This article describes a telephone survey of attitudes and behavior relevant to exercise adoption among 286 Australian women aged 50 to 64. Stages of change identified by the transtheoretical model of behavior change were related to attitudes, knowledge, and demographic variables. In comparison with exercisers, precontemplators were older, had lower exercise knowledge, perceived lower levels of family support for exercise, expected fewer psychological benefits from exercise, and rated exercise as less important than avoiding smoking. The main significant difference between contemplators and those in the action or maintenance stage involved the perception of practical barriers. Despite the limitations of this cross-sectional self-report study, it identifies attitudes and knowledge as potential targets for intervention with middle-aged women.

Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts in a Community Sample of Junior High and High School Students

We administered a questionnaire anonymously to 1,384 junior high and high school students. Results indicated that 36% of these adolescents had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year; 7% reported having made a suicide attempt. Nearly half (n = 48) of the students experiencing "extremely troubling" suicidal ideation reported having made an attempt. Females, ninth graders, and students of low socioeconomic status (SES) were most at risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts, whereas females and low-SES students were most at risk for suicide attempts. Suicidal ideation and attempts were associated with more negative life events, lower levels of family support, and lower levels of adjustment. Finally, analyses revealed that, whereas demographic variables were only weak predictors of suicidal ideation and attempts, subsets of other variables such as life events, social support, and adjustment strongly enhanced the ability to predict suicidal behavior.

Clients' reasons for dropping out of rehabilitation centers.

A high proportion of clients unilaterally drop out of rehabilitation and psychological treatment programs. The purpose of the present study, conducted at a comprehensive rehabilitation center, was (a) to devise an intake interview that would differentiate those clients who would drop out from those who would remain in the program and (b) to interview the dropouts after termination to understand their reasons for leaving their treatment program. Dropouts' responses on these interviews were compared to those of a control group of successful clients who had been matched on demographic variables. The results of the initial interview indicated four factors that successfully identified potential dropouts: (a) unrealistically high expectations, (b) low levels of family support for the client's going to work, (c) parents not working outside the home, and (d) a history of few work responsibilities at home. The final interview suggested four major ways a center should try to reduce the dropout rate; (a) prepare the client for the center by establishing realistic expectations, (b) develop a sense of personal efficacy, (c) obtain family support, and (d) improve social interactions among clients at the center.