Main Source Of Social Support Research Articles

Emotions, social support and positive resources during Covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative-quantitative survey among italian adolescents

Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on adolescents. The present study illustrates an online survey administered to N = 861 Italian adolescents (mean age = 15.81 years; females 58%), asking them about: (i) the most frequent negative emotions during the pandemic; (ii) the main sources of social support; (iii) whether they had also experienced positive emotions; (iv) in which lifedomains they had experienced positive emotions. The results reveal that adolescents experienced boredom, sadness, fear, and agitation as negative emotions. The respondents reported family, friends and themselves as sources of social support. The main life-domains in which adolescents experienced positive emotions were: new discoveries in self-awareness, inner growth, relational skills. This study highlights that the pandemic has elicited positive resources (e.g., resilience, creativity and generativity) in adolescents, laying the foundations for interventions, in developmental and educational psychology, that are not top-down but bottom-up.

Exercise social support, barriers, and instructions in venous thromboembolism survivors: a descriptive study

BackgroundDiagnosis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be a significant life event that leads to changes in physical activity and exercise. Currently, little is known about the psychosocial experiences of survivors including perceived sources of social support, exercise barriers, and instructions for exercise from medical providers. ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore psychosocial characteristics associated with VTE survivors’ postdiagnosis exercise. Specifically, 1) what are the main sources of social support utilized by VTE survivors for exercise, 2) what are the most significant exercise barriers (eg, physical, social, and psychological) faced by VTE survivors, and 3) what specific information relative to exercise is provided by medical professionals following diagnosis? MethodsVTE survivors (n = 472) were recruited through social media groups to participate in open-ended questions about psychosocial characteristics pertaining to postdiagnosis exercise. ResultsVTE survivors reported multiple forms of exercise social support, although almost 1 in 4 participants reported having no support for exercise. Several postdiagnosis exercise barriers were noted, and the data indicated a wide variety of information from their medical providers regarding engaging in exercise following their diagnosis, suggesting that the unique benefits and drawbacks to these instructions should be examined in more detail. ConclusionAlthough VTE survivors identified numerous categories of social support, there also exist numerous barriers, including a lack of standardized instructions for exercise. Further exploration of these characteristics is needed to better serve this population to encourage postdiagnosis exercise.

Physician challenges and supports during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians encountered significant COVID-19-related negative experiences and psychological distress in both their personal and professional lives. To understand the factors that negatively impact physician well-being, a number of studies have pointed to multiple work system factors such as excessive workload and workflow interruptions. In addition, studies have shown that positive interpersonal relationships that provide social support may also serve as a buffering role against psychological distress. The aim of our study explores the challenges and sources of support for physicians relative to mental health symptoms. In this study, We used a cross-sectional study design with a convergent parallel mixed method approach combining both qualitative and quantitative data collected in parallel from a self-report questionnaire immediately following the first wave of COVID-19. The aim of our study explores the challenges and sources of support for physicians relative to mental health symptoms. Of the 457 physicians in the study, the most frequently potential negative occupational experiences were, "Being at risk of contracting COVID-19 from patients/co-workers" (90.5%) and "Contact with distressed family members who cannot be with a loved one" (69.5%). We identified five common themes for main sources of social support (e.g. emotional support from family/friends) and six themes for challenges (e.g., work-related demands exacerbated by the pandemic). Our study highlights COVID-19 and other pandemic-related challenges that negatively impacted the mental health of physicians. Interventions that provide targeted organizational supports (e.g. sufficient PPE and child support), as well as specific sources of support (e.g. family and emotional), can attenuate those challenges and stressors experienced during a pandemic.

Exploring the psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s perinatal experiences and wellbeing: A qualitative study

ObjectiveWhile many studies have investigated the clinical impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on pregnant women’s mental health, little attention has been paid to the exploration of women’s experiences during the perinatal period from a psychosocial perspective in the Italian context. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the psychosocial changes associated with the pandemic in the perinatal context. MethodsTwenty-one Italian women who gave birth between March and November 2020 took part in this research by participating in semi-structured interviews, exploring their childbirth experiences. Our data were analysed using a Grounded Theory approach. ResultsOur findings revealed the enhanced importance of social support as a protective factor against uncertainties, which strongly characterised all phases of the perinatal period during the pandemic. Such uncertainties were mainly linked to the discontinuity in intrapartum care, as well as to concerns of being infected with Covid-19 combined with other pregnancy-specific worries. The main sources of social support were represented by loved ones – most of all partners – along with health care staff and peer networks. ConclusionsOur results suggest the importance of implementing evidence-based policies and interventions to improve women’s wellbeing in the perinatal period during the pandemic, as well as of guaranteeing intrapartum care continuity and the presence of social support.

Peers and teachers as the best source of social support for school engagement for both advantaged and priority education area students.

Promoting student’s school engagement is a major goal in our society. The literature has shown that students’ proximal sources of social support can play a fundamental role in facilitating this engagement. The purpose of this study was (1) to compare perceived support from four sources (mother, father, teacher, and peers) as a function of two different middle-school student backgrounds, a priority education area and a privileged area; (2) and (3) to examine the contribution of these main sources of social support, either directly or indirectly (through sense of school belonging) to school engagement; and (4) to test whether perceived social support is more strongly related to school engagement, directly or indirectly, among students from priority education school compared to students from the advantaged area. In all, 623 middle-school students (aged 11–16) from either a privileged or priority education area participated in this study. The results showed that the mother was perceived as providing more support, followed by the father, the teachers, and the peers. Students from the priority education area perceived more support from their teachers than their counterparts from the more privileged area did. A path analysis showed that each source of social support, except for maternal support, contributed to school engagement. Peers and teachers emerged as the best source of support for school engagement, having significant direct effects among students from the priority education area and both direct and indirect (through the sense of school belonging) effects among students from the advantaged area. Peer support also appears to have a double-edged effect on school engagement among students in the priority education area. This study contributes to enlightening the phenomenon of school engagement in adolescence by clarifying the role of social support and the related mediating process. Being perceived as an important source of social support by students is not enough to contribute to their sense of school belonging and school engagement.

TECHNOLOGIES OF SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS IN US UNIVERSITIES

The article expands on the meaning of the concept of «social support» as a term that is often interpreted differently by social workers. The relevance of the study of social support of students arises due to the following factors: the diversification of problems typical for modern students; the increase in the number of students in need of social support; the presence of positive experience of social support for students in higher education institutions in the United States whose competent use in Ukrainian universities will contribute to the progress of the domestic education system. Scientific researches of social support as a direction of social work are analyzed. The problems of students include: the unavailability of higher education due to its high cost, which is also growing every year; socio-psychological adaptation of freshmen to new conditions of studying and living; the possibility of employment during training and after graduation; organization of leisure. The main sources of social support for students are identified: they are parents, teachers, classmates, friends and student social services. The student service of the institution can perform such types of work as recruitment of students or their transfer from other universities; assistance to students in creating thier individual study plan; consultancy; financial assistance to low-income students; provision of services to students with disabilities; assistance to students who have not yet decided on the choice of future profession or place of work; assistance to servicemen who are legally educated on preferential terms; assistance to those who are lagging behind in education; assistance to students who came to study in the United States from other countries; assistance to those who receive education mainly through the Internet; publication of diplomas and statements. Social support for students at US universities includes moral (emotional), financial (technical), academic (informational), service (professional), religious, and online support. The best option for a student is to form their own individual network of social support. In US universities, student social support is better developed as more support is provided and more specialized services and professionals are available. In addition, student services can use a wider range of resources, and therefore social support is longer in duration and better in quality.

Factors Related to Meaning in Life Among Residents of Long-Term Care Institutions.

Meaning in life plays an important role in, and is associated with all dimensions of, well-being. Finding meaning in life has been shown to increase life satisfaction in residents of long-term care (LTC) institutions, whereas social support has been found to relate positively with meaning of life. Interactions with LTC staff are the main source of social support for LTC residents. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors related to meaning in life in LTC residents, especially those associated with interactions between nursing assistants and residents. A cross-sectional study design was applied to interview participants from October 2015 through July 2016. One hundred fifty-four residents from six LTC institutions participated in this study. The Staff-Patient Interaction Scale and Meaning-in-Life Scale were used to collect data. The statistical methods of t test, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise regression of forward selection analysis were used to explore the factors related to meaning in life in the study population. The participants were found to perceive a moderate level of meaning in their lives, with a Meaning-in-Life Scale average total score of 42.75 (range: 17-63, SD = 10.19). Staff-patient interaction (β = .50), financial support from government subsidies and social assistance (β = -.41), and number of medical diagnoses (β = -.18) were the three most important factors related to meaning in life, explaining 44.2% of the variance. Improving the quality of interactions between nurse assistants and residents and health promotion may increase meaning in life in LTC residents.

The Meaning of Family Social Support For Covid-19 Survivor : A Phenomenological Study of Nomads who Affected by Covid-19

Family social support is a very valuable and significant social support in helping the process of recovering the health of a Covid-19 patient. This study aims to describe the perception of social support received by Covid-19 survivors who migrate. This study uses a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. Participants involved in this study consisted of three participants who live in Indonesia, survivors of Covid-19, living far from family, and a minimum education level of high school. Samples were taken purposively, and the study was conducted in March 2021. This study found that two out of three participants hid the fact that they were positive for Covid-19 from their families. Therefore, the main source of social support for survivors who migrated came from their friends around them. Survivors receive various forms of social support during treatment, including instrumental support, emotional support, reward support, and social network support. This study concludes that each participant has felt sufficient social support even though they are far from their families.

Are They Still Friends? Friendship Stability of Adolescents With Chronic Pain: 1-Year Follow-Up.

Most adolescents identify their best friend as their main source of social support. Adolescents with chronic pain (ACP) report the loss of friendships due to pain. Friendships protect against loneliness and depression, yet adolescents with pain experience increased levels of loneliness and depression compared to peers. This longitudinal study examines the friendship stability of dyads that included an adolescent with chronic pain compared to non-pain friendship dyads as well as the factors contributing to a friendship breakup. Eighty-three participants from 61 same-sex friendship dyads across 3 sites participated in a 1-year follow-up survey designed to capture friendship features, indices of social-emotional well-being, pain characteristics, and friendship stability. Chi-square, repeated measures ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Dyads that included an ACP experienced higher rates of friendship breakup. The shorter length of friendship and having chronic pain predicted a friendship breakup at time 2. ACP continues to experience worse scores on indices of social-emotional well-being that are not predicted with a friendship breakup. Understanding what contributes to positive long-term friendships for those with pain may inform strategies to maintain and improve friendships for those with pain and who experience social challenges.

Self-Efficacy, Internet Self-Efficacy, and Proxy Efficacy as Predictors of the Use of Digital Social and Health Care Services Among Mental Health Service Users in Finland: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of services, but at the same time, some user groups are excluded due to a lack of digital skills. One of the vulnerable groups is people with mental health problems. It has previously been found that self-efficacy beliefs explain the use of digital technology, but the role of social support is largely unexamined. Bandura’s concept of proxy agency provides a useful concept to investigate the role of social support in using digital services.ObjectiveThe study investigates sources of social support and the effect of proxy agency, Internet efficacy, and self-efficacy beliefs on the intention to use digital health and social care services.MethodsParticipants (N = 121) were users in community-based mental health services who were recruited through four organizations in southern Finland for a cross-sectional study. The scales for proxy agency and intention to use services were developed for purpose of the study. The questionnaire also comprised self-efficacy and Internet efficacy scales. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis.ResultsBoth Internet self-efficacy and proxy efficacy (p < 0.001) predicted the intention to use digital health and social care services. Self-efficacy had an indirect positive effect on intention through Internet self-efficacy. Family members and friends were the main source of social support in using digital services.ConclusionInternet self-efficacy and proxy efficacy are important contributors to the intention to use digital health and social care services. Proxy agents may serve as facilitators to reduce the digital divide and promote the use of digital services by complementing individuals’ self-efficacy and Internet self-efficacy beliefs. It is important to develop different forms of social support, such as peer support, to enhance the quality of proxy agency. The limitations of proxy agency are discussed.

Social Support and Diabetes Management Among Older American Indians

We examined social support among older American Indians in relation to their diabetes management. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 participants aged ≥ 60 years who were members of a federally-recognized tribe. We examined professionally transcribed audio recordings with a systematic text analysis approach. Main sources of social support were family/friends, clinicians/formal services, community/culture, and spiritual/God. Most of the support was instrumental in nature, including food shopping, meal preparation, and medication management. Social support had both positive and negative influences diabetes management while there were some participants who lacked support. The four main social support types were present, including instrumental, emotional, informational, appraisal support. Value orientations among American Indian families command lateral-group relational behavior rather than autonomy and independence with extended social systems fostering interdependence. A deeper understanding is needed of how social relationships can be better leveraged to aid in the effective diabetes management among older American Indians.

Older people’s dialogue about loneliness and social support: a cross-cultural qualitative study conducted in Spain and South Africa (Diálogo entre las personas mayores sobre la soledad y el apoyo social: un estudio cualitativo transcultural en España y Sudáfrica)

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore and gain insight from the dialogue and subjective perception of older people about loneliness and social support using a cross-cultural approach. A total of six focus groups with 43 community-dwelling older adults were conducted in two different cultural contexts: the Spanish and the South African. Data were analysed around two key topics — loneliness and social support — using methods of thematic analysis. Findings around the topic of loneliness showed that participants from both countries agreed that loneliness was a subjective feeling and a negative experience. Besides, solitude emerged in the focus groups discussions as a pleasant and desired experience. As for social support, the lack of it was seen as the most frequent risk factor for loneliness. Differences among both countries were found on the key sources of social support. Spanish participants identified the family as the major source of social support, while among South African participants the community was presented as a main source of social support. We concluded that considering these cultural aspects and social support perceptions when developing programmes and strategies aimed at alleviating loneliness may lead to an increase in the effectiveness of these kinds of interventions, and thus to more positive outcomes.

Women’s perceived support of parents and parents-in-law in China: Socioeconomic resources, reciprocity, and family context

Filial support has been recognized as a main source of social support for China’s aging population. While traditional Chinese families generally adhere to patrilineal, patriarchal, and patrilocal principles, there have been signs of an emerging trend of a complex, bilateral family system that has influenced the ways in which married women support elderly family members, both natal kin and in-laws, in contemporary China. However, little research exists focusing on the perspectives of married women in China on intergenerational support. Drawing on nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey, this study investigates the patterns and determinants of women’s financial and instrumental support of their parents and parents-in-law in China. The main results show that, while education and income separately affect women’s support patterns, their husband’s income level is the crucial factor determining women’s financial support for parents and parents-in-law. In terms of instrumental support, norms of reciprocity are evident between women and parents/parents-in-law. Despite a positive association between financial support that women give to parents-in-law and that which they receive from parents-in-law, women’s financial support tends to be less frequent when their own parents have financially supported them. The implications of these findings for our understanding of intergenerational support mechanisms and for future research are discussed.

It\u2019s a woman\u2019s thing: gender roles sustaining the practice of female genital mutilation among the Kassena-Nankana of northern Ghana

IntroductionThe practice of female genital mutilation (FGM/C) in traditional African societies is grounded in traditions of patriarchy that subjugate women. It is widely assumed that approaches to eradicating the practice must therefore focus on women’s empowerment and changing gender roles.MethodsThis paper presents findings from a qualitative study of the FGM/C beliefs and opinions of men and women in Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana. Data are analyzed from 22 focus group panels of young women, young men, reproductive age women, and male social leaders.ResultsThe social systemic influences on FGM/C decision-making are complex. Men represent exogenous sources of social influence on FGM/C decisions through their gender roles in the patriarchal system. As such, their FGM/C decision influence is more prominent for uncircumcised brides at the time of marriage than for FGM/C decisions concerning unmarried adolescents. Women in extended family compounds are relatively prominent as immediate sources of influence on FGM/C decision-making for both brides and adolescents. Circumcised women are the main source of social support for the practice, which they exercise through peer pressure in concert with co-wives. Junior wives entering a polygynous marriage or a large extended family are particularly vulnerable to this pressure. Men are less influential and more open to suggestions of eliminating the practice of FGM/C than women.ConclusionFindings attest to the need for social research on ways to involve men in the promotion of FGM/C abandonment, building on their apparent openness to social change. Investigation is also needed on ways to marshal women’s social networks for offsetting their extended family familial roles in sustaining FGM/C practices.

A Study on Intercultural Contact Factors and Acculturation: a Survey of African Merchants in Guangzhou

This paper adopted a qualitative study of questionnaires to identity how selected intercultural contact factors are correlated with psychological and sociocultural adaptation.&#x0D; It is found that psychological and sociocultural adaptation situations of African merchants in Guangzhou are both moderately well;psychological adaptation of African merchants was proved to be correlated with 5 intercultural contact factors.; the sociocultural adaptation of African merchants was proved to be correlated with 5 intercultural contact factors;correlation analysis proved that outgroup social support has a stronger positive correlation with both psychological and sociocultural adaptation than ingroup social support, which is the main source of social support for African merchants;the overlapping and strength differences of correlations show that the two acculturation dimensions of African merchants are distinct and interrelated, thus verified the Colleen Ward's two-dimension acculturation model in the group of African merchants in Guangzhou.&#x0D;  

The Caregiving Experiences of Fathers and Mothers of Children With Rare Diseases in Italy: Challenges and Social Support Perceptions.

Family caregiving is a growing phenomenon with the increased prevalence of chronic illness and shorter hospitalizations. Rare diseases pose significant challenges not only to patients living with these kinds of pathologies but also to those who care for these patients. The caregiving role has specific characteristics. The present work aims to increase knowledge of the challenges that are common or specific to fathers and mothers of children diagnosed with a rare disease. Moreover, the paper analyses the kinds of social support they experience according to gender. A descriptive study was conducted using grounded theory methodology. A semi-structured interview with open-ended questions was conducted with 15 parents of children with a rare disease. The interview was organized into three main areas: personal experiences in caring for a child with a rare disease, family changes and perceived social support. The transcriptions were analyzed using NVivo 11 software. From data analysis, themes emerged regarding the challenges shared by fathers and mothers, but some aspects also emerged that were gender-specific. The analyses of differences between mothers’ and fathers’ narratives showed that there is a specific experience of the impact that caregiving has on parents’ relationships with their jobs and on their worries. Self-help group is the main source of social support for all respondents. We discuss these findings in relation to possible appropriate specific interventions and support for family caregiving.

El impacto del apoyo social y la inteligencia emocional percibida sobre el rendimiento académico en Educación Secundaria

El apoyo social (familia, profesorado y grupo de iguales), así como la percepción que tienen los individuos de sus habilidades emocionales podrían ser factores que condicionasen el rendimiento académico en Educación Secundaria, aunque la evidencia empírica no es del todo concluyente. El objetivo de este estudio es examinar la influencia directa de las principales fuentes de apoyo social y de la inteligencia emocional percibida sobre el rendimiento académico del alumnado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato. La muestra la componen 850 estudiantes (41.4% hombres y 58.6% mujeres; Medad=14.38 años, DT=1.69) del País Vasco, seleccionados aleatoriamente, quienes rellenaron el Relational Support Inventory (RSI) para medir el apoyo social, y el Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-22) para evaluar la inteligencia emocional percibida. También se obtuvieron las calificaciones globales medias como indicador del rendimiento académico. Los datos obtenidos con regresiones múltiples evidencian que el apoyo que el alumnado percibe tener de su familia y docentes tiene un efecto directo y relevante sobre el logro académico en la Educación Secundaria. Asimismo, el trabajo destaca la importancia del apoyo de la familia y del profesorado en el ajuste sociopersonal en comparación con la inteligencia emocional percibida durante este periodo educativo.

Social media as social support in pregnancy and the postpartum

Based on the rapidly growing use of social media and its influence on society an online survey to explore social media use and perceptions of social support was developed. A survey link or QR, quick read code was provided to new mothers in the postpartum setting of an academic medical center, posted on the hospital hosted website for new mothers and shared with Centering Pregnancy groups at the research hospital. The survey link was available for 4 weeks and 117 mothers from 64 different zip codes across the United States completed the survey. The majority of respondents indicated the main source of social support came from their current partner (92%). In addition, 43% used blogs to communicate with other mothers, 99% used the internet for answers to parenting questions, 89% used social media sites for questions and advice related to pregnancy and/or their role as a parent, and 84% considered social media friends a form of social support. These results demonstrate social media plays a substantial role in the lives of mothers today. Providers of healthcare should become familiar and comfortable with social media resources to support mothers of young children.

Percepção de homens após infarto agudo do miocárdio

Objective: To understand men’s perception about their feelings, repercussions of lifestyle change and family participation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Qualitative descriptive study conducted between March and June 2016 in Goiânia, Goias, Brazil, using semi-structured interviews with adult men who had an episode of infarction. The analysis of the interviews was based on Grounded Theory, from which the following explanatory categories emerged: Feelings experienced by the patients after diagnosis of AMI; Repercussion of lifestyle change with focus on feeding and physical activity; Family involvement and support. Results: In the midst of the whirlwind of feelings that accompanied the diagnosis of AMI, the fear of finitude and of abandoning the family stood out. Lifestyle change, as an essential element of non-drug treatment, was initiated. However, with regard to feeding, they were partially insufficient due to the lack of adequate nutritional guidelines. As for physical activity, there was adequate awareness, but the difficulty of maintaining the new habit prevailed. Families have proved to be the main source of social support, being decisive in this process. The adherence was partial and the lack of continuity was the main obstacle. Conclusion: The success of continuous therapeutic planning depends on users’ adherence, who experience difficulties in this aspect, even in the face of adequate social support. There is a clear need for raising awareness of secondary prevention and its benefits, of food education and of maintaining habit changes.

The role of the partner in social support networks in Spain

ABSTRACTSocial support influences the subject’s well-being through various mechanisms. Literature shows that the partner is one of the main sources of social support. Nevertheless, sometimes people do not ask their partners first for help. Our aim is to determine what factors (values related to the family, personal characteristics and availability of resources) influence this decision. We use Spanish representative samples from International Social Survey Programme (2001) and Spain’s Center for Sociological Research (2010). Data show that family solidarity is widespread in Spanish society. The determinants for not turning first to the partner are the availability and frequent contact with immediate kin, whereas family values and personal characteristics are less relevant.