Social Support Processes Research Articles

Women With Breast Cancer in Malaysia: Social Work Perspectives on the Challenges and Social Support

It has been reported that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women in Malaysia. A diagnosis of breast cancer will usually bring upon a set of issues and challenges affecting the well-being of these women. The aim of this article is to provide a literature review regarding the biopsychosocial issues, challenges, social support and adaptation process experienced by women with breast cancer, with an application to the Malaysian setting focusing on the Malaysian sociocultural backgrounds. The discussion of this article focuses on the importance of social support in adaptation process such as from immediate family members, support group and the medical team following the challenges faced by the patients such as ones stemming from their cultural background, their biological issues and their refusal to seek treatments. The overall review of the literature is aligned with the social work values in addressing human wellbeing, including the recognition of the psychosocial and sociocultural backgrounds as powerful components of health in practice and policies. Finally, this article will provide insights for the helping profession in the country such as medical social workers in providing social work assessments and interventions suitable for Asian women with breast cancer.

The Big Five Personality Traits and Social Support During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: The Supporters, the Supported, and the Overlooked

ABSTRACTSocial support can benefit its recipients and even its providers and is especially important in times of crisis. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, support from society and personal networks became particularly crucial but individuals greatly differed in their support reception and provision. The Big Five personality traits may be key to explaining these interindividual differences: In this study, we investigated their impact on the support provided, received and additionally needed during the COVID‐19 pandemic using data collected in October 2020 in a large German sample (N = 3330). The Big Five personality traits predicted support received from the state, civil society and the social network, with extraversion and openness emerging as positive and conscientiousness and emotional stability as negative predictors. The need for additional support was predicted positively by openness and negatively by conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness. Support provision was predicted by all traits, positively by extraversion and openness and negatively by conscientiousness and emotional stability. Notably, agreeableness showed positive associations with social but negative associations with societal support reception and provision. Our findings highlight the importance of personality in social support processes during crises and the need to distinguish between different support sources. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Online Social Capital as a Catalyst for Female Entrepreneurship

Social capital is an essential factor which supports the progression of entrepreneurship, and many recent studies have examined its positive relations to individual empowerment. Although many studies focus on social capital, research on online social capital in the context of vulnerable groups, such as women, still needs further examination. This paper aims to examine the role of online social capital in the development of female entrepreneurship by examining various constructs it may affect. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, we conducted a systematic review to map existing literature from 2018 until 2023. The finding confirms that online social capital, bonding, bridging, or both, positively influence several constructs, such as social connections, emotional support, entrepreneurial perception and opportunity process, self-efficacy, and empowerment

The Effect of Social Support on Recovery and Treatment Adherence in Individuals Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

IntroductionSocial support have affected the recovery and adherence with treatment in bipolar patients.ObjectivesThis research aims to understand the contribution of social support mechanisms to treatment adaptation processes in individuals struggling with bipolar disorder and the effects of these support mechanisms on recovery. In this way, the importance of the social support factor will be tried to be understood in order to provide more effective and customized support to individuals living with bipolar disorder.MethodsThis study will planned to descriptive correlational design. The data will collect to using the Morisky Treatment Adherence Scale (MTAS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Recovery Process Inventory (RPIS), and the Sociodemographic Data Form from individuals diagnosed with Bipolar disorders. By filling out these scales, participants will evaluate their treatment compliance, perceived social support levels, and recovery processes. The data will be subjected to appropriate methods for statistical analysis and will be used to understand the relationships between social support and treatment compliance and recovery processes.ResultsData extraction is still on going in detailed style by principal authors. Description of studies and the key findings will be presented.ConclusionsIt is thought that the results obtained from this research will be an important guide in providing more effective support to individuals with the level of social support, treatment adherence and recovery processes in individuals struggling with bipolar disorderKey Wordsbipolar disorder, social support, treatment adherence, recovery.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Participatory online music creation as a crisis response: A qualitative case study

Online participatory music creation provided an opportunity to build the public’s psychological resilience during the COVID-19 lockdown measures that led to widespread negative emotions on a societal level. This study explored how online participation in music creation as a crisis response contributes to the public’s mental health. The study employed a qualitative method that combines network ethnography and multimodal performance discourse analysis to conduct participatory observation and content analysis of people’s activities related to the song “Wuhan Ya” (the Wuhan Kids) and its participatory creation. The results showed that “Wuhan Ya” and its creation process demonstrated a music phenomenon centered on local identity and characterized by collective participation. The study proposed a theoretical framework to explain how this music phenomenon promotes mental health. In the context of song creation and dissemination, the public’s psychological resilience to crises is bolstered by engaging in emotional contagion, behavioral responses, and social support processes.

Prevalence and coping of depression and anxiety among college students during COVID-19 lockdowns in China

BackgroundThis study sought to investigate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and mixed anxiety-depression disorder among college students during COVID-19 shelter-in-place lockdowns in China. MethodsParticipants (N = 2818) were selected from 8 provincial regions across the country in areas that were under lockdown mandates. The dependent variables were anxiety and depression. Multiple regression models were tested using anxiety and depression as the respective outcome variables, and binary logistic regression was conducted with anxiety-depression comorbidity as the dependent variable. Explanatory variables were changes in (social) media use and communication behaviors, perceived effectiveness of daily activity involvements as well as a number of demographic and environmental factors. ResultsBeing a college senior, prior anxiety/depression history, having family members and residents in neighborhood tested positive with COVID were all important predictors of elevated anxiety, depression and their comorbidity. Increased face-to-face family communication and reading more e-books were associated with reduced anxiety, depression and their comorbidity. Listening to music and playing video games were correlated with lower anxiety but not depression. ConclusionsDraconian shelter-in-place lockdowns as strictly enforced in China within a short notice could be detrimental to individual mental health and psychological well-being. Findings in this research can provide practical guidance for college counselors and health professionals in targeting particular segments of the student population in providing tailored psychological, therapeutic and material services during disruptive moments and public health crises. The central role of family communication in the emotional and social support process deserves critical contemplation.

ГЕНЕЗИС ТА ПЕРІОДИЗАЦІЯ РОЗВИТКУ ФОНДІВ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО СТРАХУВАННЯ

The article analyzes the work of modern scientists regarding the genesis and periodization of the development of social insurance funds in foreign countries and Ukraine. A significant contribution to the development of the modern social insurance system was made by Lord William Beveridge of Great Britain, who in 1942 justified the social security of citizens in a report on the topic of Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services. Hence, social security was based on national solidarity and a guaranteed minimum income for all. As the analysis of foreign experience shows, today, in the economically developed countries of Europe, an effective system of social insurance has been formed, which generally satisfies the basic needs of its citizens. The common and distinctive features of the periodization of the stages of the development of social insurance funds are determined. It was established that the processes of social assistance, social support, social protection, and social insurance were formed practically in parallel in different countries of the world, although they had different periods of development, social and financial differences. The classification of the periods of origin and development of social insurance funds in Ukraine has been developed and supplemented. The proposed classification fully covers the main milestones of the birth and formation of social insurance and differs from others as follows: qualitative changes in social insurance at specific stages are taken into account; the boundaries of the stages are substantiated with a corresponding presentation of historically confirmed facts; the views of scientists regarding the characteristics of individual stages are analyzed and summarized. Conclusions were made about the need to optimize social insurance funds and introduce additional levels of insurance, in particular, accumulative pension insurance (security). It is important to study the genesis of the development of social insurance funds, as today’s requirements indicate that the system of social insurance funds needs to be improved and supplemented with voluntary insurance. In particular, in our opinion, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the existing social insurance funds at the expense of funds that operate on a commercial basis.

The value of peer contributions and different forms of social support in rare dementia bereaved caregiver groups

AbstractBackgroundPeer support has a key role to play in national and local health services worldwide given growing need, pressure on resources, and strategic drives towards supporting people to manage their own health. Yet evaluation of peer‐only and multi‐component peer and professional group services is held back by research methodology gaps, including the absence of direct, within‐session evaluation tools. The current study evaluates the relationship between participation and conversational characteristics using linguistic analysis of a series of online bereaved support groups.MethodParticipants were bereaved family caregivers (N = 102) attending Rare Dementia Support bereaved support group meetings between March 2017 and March 2022. Attendance rates and (virtual) travel distance were compared for in person meetings (N = 9 sessions; 2017‐2019) and online meetings (N = 26 sessions; 2020‐2022). During each online session, notable phrases & contributions were recorded using a verbatim note‐making process and shared with participants post‐session as a reminder of the experiences shared by group members. These text files (660 phrases comprised of 9,600 words) were analysed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC; Pennebaker et al., 2015) software, automatically classifying words into LIWC categories of analytical thinking, clout, authenticity and affect variables.ResultThe switch to online sessions increased accessibility to bereaved support in terms of attendance rates (Figure 1A), geographical proximity (Figure 1B) and group consistency (Figure 1C, e.g. higher proportion of online attendees returned for further sessions [in person 42%, online 69%; McNemar χ2 = 3.84, p = 0.0001]). Linear regression analyses with robust standard errors revealed that greater session attendance (mean number of sessions attended by participants present) was associated with conversations that were more authentic and less emotional and definitive (i.e. more reflective) over time (regression coefficients: Authentic: 0.111 [0.073, 0.149]; Affect: ‐0.637 [‐1.089, ‐0.185]; Clout: ‐0.066 [‐0.112, ‐0.020]; see Figures 2A‐C). The level of analytical thinking was maintained across sessions (Analytic: ‐0.012 [‐0.086, 0.061]; see Figure 2D).ConclusionOnline peer groups offer a practical and effective medium for bereavement support. Shifting the focus of evaluation to the processes of social support – how it is delivered and received – rather than just the outcomes, offers insights into the mechanisms of peer support.

Exploring the use of masks for protection against the effects of wildfire smoke among people with preexisting respiratory conditions

BackgroundThe impact of wildfire smoke is a growing public health issue, especially for those living with preexisting respiratory conditions. Understanding perceptions and behaviors relevant to the use of individual protective strategies, and how these affect the adoption of these strategies, is critical for the development of future communication and support interventions. This study focused on the use of masks by people living in the Australian community with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsSemi-structured phone interviews were undertaken with people living in the community aged 18 years and over. Participants lived in a bushfire-prone area and reported having been diagnosed with asthma or COPD.ResultsTwenty interviews were undertaken between July and September 2021. We found that, during wildfire episodes, there was an overwhelming reliance on closing windows and staying inside as a means of mitigating exposure to smoke. There was limited use of masks for this purpose. Even among those who had worn a mask, there was little consideration given to the type of mask or respirator used. Reliance on sensory experiences with smoke was a common prompt to adopting an avoidance behavior. Participants lacked confidence in the information available from air-quality apps and websites, however they were receptive to the idea of using masks in the future.ConclusionsWhilst COVID-19 has changed the nature of community mask use over the last couple of years, there is no guarantee that this event will influence an individual’s mask behavior during other events like bushfires. Instead, we must create social support processes for early and appropriate mask use, including the use of air quality monitoring.

Understanding the protective effect of social support on depression symptomatology from a longitudinal network perspective

BackgroundHigher social support protects people from developing mental disorders. Limited evidence is available on the mechanism through which social support plays this protective role.ObjectiveTo investigate the stress-buffering process of social...

The medical, legal, social and educational status of youth with special health care needs in a pediatric and adolescent medicine clinic

Studies have shown that the lack of a structured transitioning of adolescents to adult care has led to adverse consequences, particularly affecting youth with special health care needs (YSHCN). There are low rates of transition planning in this vulnerable group leading to medical complications, increased use of emergency rooms and gaps in care. We examined what parents of YSHCN have been taught and prepared for regarding their child's medical issues, educational support, social support and legal processes in an effort to ensure transition readiness. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients (14–24 y/o) with one or more of the following diagnoses: autism, developmental delay, intellectual disability, epilepsy or seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or down syndrome, who presented to a general pediatric or adolescent medicine hospital-based clinic for an annual physical, follow up visit or form renewal visit. Data regarding demographics, medical history, participation in social programs, discussions of reasons to see a doctor or escalate care to the emergency department, established health care coordinators, identification of an adult doctor to transition care to and discussion of guardianship were recorded from eligible charts. Data from 122 medical charts (general pediatrics, 70; adolescent medicine, 52) were included with 70 patients (57%) being cared for by a general provider and 52 patients (43%) being cared for by a transition-focused provider. The median patient age was 18, with 70% of patients (n = 85) being between the ages of 14 to 17 y/o and 30% of patients (n = 37) being in the transition age range of 18–24 y/o. A significantly greater percentage of patients in the 18–24 y/o age group (35%) than the 14–17 y/o age group (9%) had identified an adult medical provider to transition care. A significantly greater percentage of patients in the 18–24 y/o age group (54%) than the 14–17 y/o age group (29%) had discussed obtaining guardianship. A significantly greater percentage of patients with transition-focused providers (46%) than patients with a general provider (14%) had an established health care coordinator. A significantly greater percentage of patients with transition-focused providers (35%) than patients with a general provider (4%) had identified an adult medical provider to transition to for adult care. Outcomes showed that being in the transition age group (18–24 y/o) and having a transition-focused provider had a positive influence on discussions about the legal and social aspects of care for YSHCN. This emphasizes the importance of having transition focused providers in both general pediatric and adolescent medicine offices, as well as, incorporation of structured transition readiness protocols to ensure a safe transition.

'But we survived': Older adults’ strategies to cope with the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background Older adults are one of the most vulnerable groups to severe illness associated with the SARS-COV-2 virus. Therefore, it would be expected that the elderly would suffer great impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health. However, it seems not to be the case, possibly due to contextual aspects and the strategies used by them to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed at exploring the strategies older adults in Portugal deployed during the mandatory lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 to protect their mental health. Methods A total of 22 older adults were interviewed and included in this study (36% women; age range between 66 and 92 years old). Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews between Jan-Sept 2020 and analysed according to codebook thematic analysis. Results Three main themes were identified. The first theme - ‘finding things to do and activities that can protect me’ - referred to behavioural coping strategies adopted to deal with the pandemic (e.g., preventing behaviours to avoid COVID-19 infection, social support). The second theme - ‘identifying how my thoughts can protect me’ - encompassed cognitive coping strategies, such as engaging in meaning-making processes to make sense out of the circumstances. Finally, the third theme - ‘counting myself lucky: me and my home advantages’ - included aspects perceived as beneficial to the wellbeing of participants during lockdowns (e.g., being healthy, living in a rural area). Conclusions The thematic strategies identified by older adults to manage the pandemic and lockdown-related stresses could be linked to meaning-centred coping and could be further developed via existential therapy. Key messages • As older adults with health problems and living in urban areas may be at a disadvantage when facing lockdowns, they should be identified by government health entities and forward to psychologists. • The efficacy of preventing behaviours to avoid COVID-19 dissemination, distraction, social support, and meaning-making processes during health hazards should be targeted by treatment programmes.

Similar Others, Social Comparison, and Social Support in Online Support Groups

Social comparison and social support have implications for individuals' wellbeing, offline and on social media. Perceptions of similarity underlie both social comparison and social support processes, though how comparison and support function in tandem in online spaces, and which aspects of identity and experiential similarity are salient to which comparison and support outcomes, merits investigation. Through interviews with people who have joined or considered joining social media-based support groups following pregnancy loss (N=18), we provide an intracommunity view into social comparison within online support groups. We identify a set of identity and experience attributes that inform perceptions of similarity and difference in these support spaces. We characterize tensions arising from these attributes and propose the preliminary Social Comparison and Social Support in Online Support Groups model to describe interactions between social support and comparison processes within online support groups. We further discuss findings' implications for design, including via introducing the tolerance principle of online health support groups. CAUTION: This paper includes quotes about pregnancy loss.

Nonsupport Experiences of Young Adult Cancer Patients: Prevalence, Acceptability, and Outcomes of Not Receiving Support

ABSTRACT This study provides foundational data regarding instances of nonsupport (i.e. instances when support was expected from someone but not received) in the cancer context. In a sample of 205 young adult cancer patients from 22 countries, approximately three out of every five patients reported having experienced nonsupport at some point during their cancer journey. Men and women patients were approximately equally as likely to have experienced nonsupport and were approximately equally likely to be recalled by a cancer patient as a nonsupporter. Results showed that patients who had experienced nonsupport reported worse mental and physical health, greater depression, and greater loneliness than those who had not experienced an instance of nonsupport. Patients were also presented with a previously published list of 16 reasons why people choose to forgo communicating support to cancer patients, and patients rated each reason’s acceptability. Nonsupport reasons that assumed communicating support would create a burden for the patient (e.g. providing support would create a privacy issue; the supporter feared losing control of their own emotions) were rated as more acceptable. Reasons involving the nonsupporter making assumptions or decisions about the broader social support process were seen as less acceptable (e.g. communicating support does not help; assuming support is not desired). Together, these results demonstrate the prevalence and impact of nonsupport on cancer patients’ health outcomes and provide justification for nonsupport as an important avenue for future social support research.

Social protection of motherhood and childhood in the regions of the south of Western Siberia in the 1990s.

The article is devoted to the study of the processes of social support for motherhood and childhood in the Russian Federation, in general, and in the regions of Southwestern Siberia during one of the problematic periods of social protection — in the 90s of the twentieth century. In the context of the crisis of financing social payments, the most important task is to develop an effective concept of social support for vulnerable segments of the population. The analysis of statistical data confirming the relevance of the demographic crisis in Russian society is presented. In particular, the materials of the State Archives of the subjects of the south of Western Siberia are considered: the Altai Republic, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions, the Altai territory. The basic normative acts adopted in the 1990s regulating the mechanisms of social security for families with children in our country are characterized. The logical result of the study was the conclusion that the systematic indexation of material payments is mandatory in proportion to the increase in consumer prices for essential goods. The provision of preferential loans for the purchase of housing; budget financing of summer holidays for children from poor and large families; an increase in the volume of free services for children and mothers in medical institutions is clearly not enough to overcome the difficulties that have arisen. Overcoming the crisis phenomena is seen in attempts to balance the social system of the Russian Federation relative to the real socio-economic level of the country.

‘The oxygen of shared experience’: exploring social support processes within peer support groups for carers of people with non-memory-led and inherited dementias

Objectives To explore support processes and behaviours taking place during online peer support groups for family carers of people living with rare, non-memory-led and inherited dementias (PLWRD). Methods Twenty-five family carers of PLWRD participated in a series of ongoing online peer support groups on the theme of ‘Independence and Identity’. Transcripts from 16 sessions were analysed using qualitative directed content analysis with a coding framework informed by Cutrona & Suhr’s (2004) Social Support Behaviour Code (SSBC). Results Most of the social support behaviours outlined in the SSBC were identified within the sessions, along with two novel social support categories – ‘Experiential Support’ and ‘Community Support’ – and novel support behaviours including ‘Advocacy and Collective Action’ and ‘Uses Humour’. The SSBC code ‘Relationship’ appeared to be of central importance. Conclusions This study sheds light on the unique challenges of the caring context for those affected by non-memory-led and inherited dementias and the significant contributions carers can offer to, and receive from, peers in similar situations. It highlights the importance of services which recognise the value of the informational and emotional expertise of carers of PLWRD and encourages the continued development and delivery of tailored support for these populations.

Identification and validation of grief in Facebook groups on mourning

This research aims to analyze the interactions related to the identification and validation of grief in Facebook groups whose purpose is to give support to those who are grieving. A qualitative content analysis of 1,816 comments in three Facebook groups on mourning, published between February 23 and March 23, 2020, was conducted. The comments were grouped into 456 digital interactions between group members, from which the analytic categories “identification with other‘s grief” and “validation of other‘s grief“ were constructed. Among the results of the research, it was found that identification with grief among users of the social network is a recurrent type of emotional support. Identification generates the perception that one‘s own emotional experiences related to grief are shared with others. Validation of grief is another form of support, as it invites users to express their emotions and recognize the grief involved in the mourning process. These two processes, identification and, validation, are at the core of the guidance that users are offered to mitigate their grief. Online groups provide an opportunity for people going through similar experiences of grief to find shared expressions of identification with and validation of their grief, which are fundamental processes of social support.

“I hate it when that happens too!”: observed and perceived exchanges of social support between university student-athletes during discussions of stressors

ABSTRACT Receiving social support is often related to adaptive outcomes for athletes, such as reduced stress and greater wellbeing. Nevertheless, in some cases, receiving social support may not reduce, or even heighten, stress reactions. Thus, research is needed to better understand the complex dynamics of social support processes among athletes. Though substantial research has examined social support in sport, the majority of these studies relied on self-report measures; there is a lack of information about the actual interactions that constitute social support exchanges among teammates. This study sought to fill this gap by observing athletes’ discussions of stressful experiences, with a focus on understanding the types of social support behaviours that are displayed. University athlete dyads (N = 46 dyads, Mage = 20.2 years, SD = 1.9) were asked to complete surveys and engage in a conversation regarding stressors in a lab setting. The conversations were video-recorded and analysed along with self-reported survey data. Results showed that in addition to emotional, esteem, and informational support, athletes commonly engaged in co-rumination – collective discussions of stressful experiences with a persistent focus on negative feelings associated with the experience. Correlational analysis revealed that observed informational support was positively associated with perceived emotional and informational support, and co-rumination was positively associated with perceived stress. Emotional, esteem, and informational support did not relate to stress perceptions. The findings were interpreted to highlight the importance of considering co-rumination and we suggest potential avenues for future research on social support in sport that might further illuminate this salient component.

Co-rumination and conversational self-focus: Adjustment implications of problem talk in adolescents' friendships.

Friendships are central relationships during adolescence. Given the increased experience of stress during adolescence, friends are especially critical sources of support at this time. Although experiencing social support is related to well-being, adolescents' experiences sharing problems with friends is not always positive. In this chapter, we consider two forms of problematic talk, co-rumination and conversational self-focus. Co-rumination refers to conversations about problems that is excessive, repetitive, speculative, and focused on negative affect. Conversational self-focus refers to adolescents re-directing conversations about friends' problems to oneself. Both co-rumination and conversational self-focus are associated with depressive symptoms. However, whereas co-rumination draws friends together and is associated with positive friendship quality, adolescents who engage in conversational self-focus are increasingly rejected by friends. Directions for future research and applied implications of studying social support processes between friends are discussed.

Effects of social support processes during implementation of community-based randomized controlled trials: An example from a culturally adapted replication trial for Latino families.

Little work has considered the effects of salient interpersonal processes on the successful implementation and receipt of community-based interventions within randomized control trial designs. Using data from the intervention arm (n = 120) of Nuestras Familias: Andando Entre Culturas (Our Families: Walking Between Cultures)-a community-based parent training intervention among Latino families-we assessed the effects of two common social support processes (group member and group leader support) during intervention delivery on participant satisfaction, use of intervention techniques at program termination, and longer-term parenting outcomes. Findings indicated that group member and leader social support predicted program satisfaction, and group leader support predicted greater use of intervention techniques at termination. However, social support processes did not predict longer-term parenting outcomes. Group member and leader support may help to promote higher consumer satisfaction and initial use of intervention techniques in a community intervention for Latinos.