Quality Of Social Functioning Research Articles

Relating social skills and social media use to consumer behavior: An investigation across the autism spectrum

AbstractIn this study, we focus on the role of social functioning on consumer behavior, exploring social media use as a mediating factor. In order to facilitate our identification of social functioning competence as a factor, we increased the range by including a subgroup of respondents who identified themselves as being on the autism spectrum. Indeed, this group stood out as having difficulties in getting along with persons they interact with at school, at work and at home. We used these measures to define an individual differences index of social functioning that we call Quality of Social Functioning (QoSF). In a preliminary report, we showed that this index was predictive of social media use and its influence, with those scoring higher reacting more favorably and utilizing more of its features. In the main study, we focused on the content of social media posts by providing photos of posts that depicted either group activities or individual activities. Those scoring lower on our index gave lower ratings of posts in general, but especially for those posts depicting group activities. Results are discussed in terms of the important role of social functioning in the use of social media and its content as a vehicle for informing consumer behavior. We describe how the results of our study and related studies can be used by marketers to improve the lives of especially vulnerable consumers.

The Structure of the Relationship between Physical Activity and Psychosocial Functioning of Women and Men during the COVID-19 Epidemic in Poland.

Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious crisis in many countries around the world, it is important to conduct empirical research aimed at identifying risks and factors protecting the functioning of people affected by it. For this reason, the goals of the present research were to determine the level of physical activity and the severity of symptoms characteristic of mental disorders, cognitive disorders and the quality of social functioning, as well as the structure of the relationship between physical activity and psychosocial functioning of 226 women and 226 men during the COVID-19 epidemic in Eastern Poland. The research was conducted using the IPAQ-SF Questionnaire, GHQ-28 Questionnaires, TUS Test-6/9 version, the original SFS Scale and a self-developed sociodemographic survey. The collected data indicate that women as compared to men show lower levels of weekly physical activity, walking, moderate activity, vigorous activity and quality of functioning in family relationships, but higher severity of mental health disorders, somatic symptoms, functional disorders, depressive symptoms, cognitive disorders, perceptual work disorders, attention deficits and higher quality of functioning in work relationships. On the other hand, the structural model indicates that physical activity, interacting with mental health disorders and cognitive disorders, is positively associated with the social functioning of the respondents, and gender is the moderator of the occurring dependencies. This suggests that physical activity adapted to the condition of health may be an important component of gender-individualized psychopreventive interventions.

Exploring educators’ experiences of the social functioning of learners in middle childhood

In the research reported on here we explored educators’ experiences of learners’ social functioning in middle childhood in a South African context. Educators are important socialisation agents for learners in middle childhood, and we reasoned that they could offer valuable information to identify those key social skills and competencies that learners in this life phase need to function optimally. A qualitative exploratory design was used. Twenty-nine educators were purposefully selected as participants from 4 school districts in a demarcated area in the North-West province. Data were collected via 4 focus group interviews, with each focus group interview including the educators of 1 school per district. Thematic analysis of the data revealed the embeddedness of learners’ social functioning in the complex blend of South Africa’s unequal contexts and diverse cultures; the demonstration of inappropriate and appropriate behaviour as indicators of learners’ quality of social functioning in the learning environment; and the imperative to intentionally develop and strengthen the social skills and emotional competencies of learners in middle childhood. We recommend that learners in middle childhood be supported to acquire higher levels of social competence, in particular skills of communication and listening, conflict management, and problem-solving to improve innate social functioning.

50.6 Mindfulness As a Mediator in the Relationship Between Trauma Related to COVID-19 and Social Functioning in Emerging Adults

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have shown that the percentage of individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms has increased. Individuals with severe PTSD symptoms often have challenges with social functioning. Researchers have found evidence that interventions targeting mindfulness, or the act of being aware of one’s self and one's surroundings in the present moment, have helped to improve symptoms of PTSD as well as the quality of social functioning. The current project aims to explore mindfulness as a mediator in the relationship between COVID-19–related PTSD and social functioning.

Model of medical and psychological support for adolescents with depressive behavior

IntroductionTraditional methods of preventing the deviant behavior in adolescents are aimed at clinical variants of certain forms of deviant behavior.ObjectivesThe study included 160 teenagers with depression.MethodsStudy design included: Depression Test, Projective Drawing Tests, Pathoharacterological Diagnostic; Package of AUDIT tests for the diagnosis of dependent behavior.ResultsSymptoms of depressive behavior disorder in adolescents depending on age and gender were identified: in girls aged 12-14 – autoaggression, food disorders and suicidal behavior; in boys aged 12-14 – gaming, internet addiction; in boys aged 15-18 – gambling, drug addiction and smoking. Anxiety of younger teenagers turns into a chronic anxiety-dreary depression, with frequent attacks behavioral disorders.ConclusionsThe use of technology makes it possible to identify informative imprinting of stereotypical behavior and the locus of the therapeutic window, provide medical and psychological support for adolescents with depressive disorders and the quality of social functioning, provide primary and secondary prevention of depression progression and the formation of dependent behavior.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Clinical and psychopathological characteristics and social functioning of patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders in moderate vascular dementia.

The relevance of the study is determined by a high prevalence of dementia, significant economic costs of treatment, negative consequences in the form of disability and decrease in the quality of social functioning. The aim of the research was to study the clinical and psychopathological characteristics and specificity of the social functioning of patients with hallucinatory-paranoid disorders (НРD) in moderate vascular dementia (MVD). To achieve this goal, a comprehensive methodological approach was used, which was implemented using the clinical and psychopathological method, supplemented by the use of psychometric scales (neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI), global assessment functioning scale (GAF), disability assessment scale (WHO / DAS), Bristol daily activity scale (BADL)) and methods of mathematical data processing. In a study of clinical-psychopathological characteristics and social functioning of patients with HPD in MVD 75 patients took part. 41 patients with HPD (main group) and 34 patients without psychotic disorders (control group) were examined. In the structure of clinical-psychopathological mani­festations in patients with HPD in MVD the following symptoms were revealed: the prevalence of frequent delusional ideas of material damage, robbery and jealousy - in a moderate degree; a combination of HPD with frequent vagrancy; periodic moderate verbal aggression; frequent rhythm disturbances day / night, frequent low mood, manifested in the form of dysphoria; fear of being alone; frequent states of irritability. The expressed negative influence of HPD on communication function, quality and level of participation in fulfilling the parental role, the need and effectiveness of social contacts, the effectiveness of behavior in non-standard and difficult conditions was established. The influence of HPD on the formation of limitations of their vital functions in communication, ability to use the phone, make purchases, manage finances and use transport in patients of this group was defined. It was proved that the range of social functioning of patients corresponded to disorders ranging from a serious deterioration in functioning in the social and professional spheres - to the inability of functioning in certain areas of life.

Effect of group painting art therapy on social function rehabilitation and quality of life of chronic schizophrenia patients

Objective To explore the effect of group painting art therapy on social function rehabilitation and quality of life of chronic schizophrenia patients. Methods Totally 104 inpatients with schizophrenia were assigned to study group with 53 cases and control group with 51 cases by random number table method.Patients in study group received group painting art therapy intervention, medication and other rehabilitation activities.While the patients in control group were only given medication and other rehabilitation activities.All patients in both groups received positive and negative symptoms scale(PANSS), schizophrenia quality of life scale(SQLS) and scale of social-skills for psychiatric inpatients(SSPI) before and after the intervention.The results were analyzed by independent sample t test. Results Before treatment, there were no significant differences of the total scores and the dimensional subscores of PANSS, SQLS and SSPI between the study group and control group(all P>0.05). Compared with control group, the difference score between pre-test and post-test of PANSS ((12.26±6.87) vs (5.11±3.11), t=13.11, P<0.01) and negative symptom ((-7.96±5.44) vs (-2.82±3.47), t=-12.30, P<0.01), score of SQLS ((27.45±12.22) vs (2.41±10.68), t=-11.11, P<0.01) and score of SSPI((-20.40±8.10) vs (-0.94±8.01), t=12.31, P<0.01) in study group changed statistically(all P<0.01). Conclusion These results suggest that group painting art therapy intervention can improve the negative symptoms, the quality of life and the recovery of social function in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Key words: Group painting art therapy; Schizophrenia; Social function; Quality of Life

Application of WeChat public platform on continuous nursing for patients with high risk of pressure ulcers

Objective To explore the effect of continuous nursing based on WeChat public platform on the patients with high risk of pressure ulcers. Methods Selecting 165 pairs of high-risk patients and their caregivers from the emergency department of pressure ulcers in the General Hospital of Chinese People′s Armed Police Forces, and they were divided into control group and experimental group by paired random method. There were 83 pairs in control group, and 82 pairs in experimental group. The control group gave oral education according to the traditional model, and adopted the way of telephone follow-up for continuous nursing. While the experimental group let patients and their family members follow the Wechat public account that specially developed on Wechat platform and get continuous nursing in new models to come true networking health education and communicate with patients and their family members by multi-dimensional nurse. After 3 months intervening, compared patients′ quality of life, the care behavior of caregivers and acquisition of knowledge of pressure scores, the incidence of pressure ulcers, degree of satisfaction of high-risk patients and caregivers between the two groups. Results The psychological function score, social function score and quality of life score was respectively (67.61 ± 1.67), (58.60 ± 1.52), (50.41 ± 2.70) points in experimental group, and (63.21 ± 1.30), (53.23 ± 1.92), (45.83 ± 2.59) points in control group, the comparative difference of the two groups was statistically significant(t =-4.638, -4.930, -2.749, P 0.05). The care behavior of caregivers score and pressure sores knowledge score was respectively (50.84 ± 1.92), (27.83 ± 1.48) points in experimental group, and (46.43 ± 2.40), (19.28 ± 1.31) points in control group, the comparative difference of the two groups was statistically significant (t=-3.192, -9.738, P<0.05 or 0.01). The incidence of pressure ulcers was 15.9%(13/82) in experimental group, significantly lower than that in control group (50.6%, 42/83), two groups was statistically significant (χ2=22.413, P<0.01). The satisfying degree and scores of patients or caregivers for follow-up form, nursing service attitude, follow-up content and the total score was respectively (24.83 ± 3.11), (24.10 ± 2.55), (25.03 ± 2.12), (76.23 ± 2.17) points in experimental group, and (18.34 ± 1.41), (17.41 ± 1.34), (19.85 ± 1.92), (63.25 ± 3.03) points in control group, the comparative difference between two groups had statistical significance (t=-7.797--4.061, all P<0.01). Conclusions Utilizing Wechat public platform continuity of care for patients at high risk of pressure ulcers can improve the patients quality of life, reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers, improve the efficient communication of nurses and patients, and enhance the degree of satisfaction of the patients. This method is convenient, shortcut, economic, practical and worthy for clinical use and promotion. Key words: Pressure ulcer; WeChat public platform; Continuous nursing

Preschoolers’ effortful control and negative emotionality, immediate reactions to disappointment, and quality of social functioning

Relations among effortful control/low negative emotionality, immediate reactions in a situation that usually calls for the masking of disappointment (i.e., the use of display rules), and social competence/adjustment were investigated for 78 preschool children (mean age = 4.87 years). Parents, teachers, and peers rated children on negative emotionality and/or effortful control as well as on social competence/adjustment. Children who were rated by parents and teachers as high on effortful control/low on negative emotionality expressed fewer immediate verbal/gestural indicators of disappointment in the presence of an unfamiliar adult and were perceived by their parents, teachers, and peers as socially competent and well adjusted. The pattern of findings was consistent with the view that children’s immediate verbal/gestural reactions to disappointment partially mediated the relations between effortful control (as reported by parents) and social competence/adjustment.

Regulation, Resiliency, and Quality of Social Functioning

The relations among dispositional regulation / control, resiliency, and quality of children's social functioning are examined, both conceptually and empirically. Differences between effortful (voluntarily controlled) and less voluntary (i.e., passive or reactive) modes of control are delineated and hypotheses are offered regarding their relations to children's social functioning. Recent empirical findings are presented that demonstrate the following: (a) effortful regulation and impulsivity (viewed as reflecting low passive control) relate differently to children's adjustment, (b) effortful control and more passive aspects of control (i.e., impulsivity) are both related to resiliency and contribute some unique variance to its prediction, and (c) resiliency relates to type of adjustment problems.

TIME MATTERS: On Temporal Interactions in Long-term follow-up of Long-term Psychotherapies

The roles of treatment duration, session frequency, and their interaction ~ere studied in a. sample of 156 patients who had terminated psychotherapy. or psychoanalysis. The outcome parameters were treatment end-state and posttreatment change with respect to symptom distress, measured by the General Symptom Index from the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90); morale, as indicated by the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOCS) overall mean; and the quality of social functioning, according to the Social Adjustment Scale overall mean1 all of them taken for 3 consecutive years after termination of treatment. Growth curve modeling on the basis of covariance and mean structures yielded 5 principal results. First, outcome changed significantly after treatment termination. Second, end-state and posttreatment changes were influenced by duration and frequency but primarily in interaction. Thus, the effects of duration and frequency were conditional on each other. Third, the joint effects on end-state were ,small and on posttreatment change, small to moderate. Fourth, on the. SCL-90 and the SOCS, there were outcome reversals during the posttreatment period such that good end-states deteriorated in the long run, whereas modest end-states improved considerably. Fifth, generally, the findings seemed to favor lowduration/ low-frequency and high-duration/high-frequency treatments in this sample.

Time Matters: On Temporal Interactions in Long-Term Follow-Up of Long-Term Psychotherapies

The roles of treatment duration, session frequency, and their interaction ~ere studied in a. sample of 156 patients who had terminated psychotherapy. or psychoanalysis. The outcome parameters were treatment end-state and posttreatment change with respect to symptom distress, measured by the General Symptom Index from the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90); morale, as indicated by the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOCS) overall mean; and the quality of social functioning, according to the Social Adjustment Scale overall mean1 all of them taken for 3 consecutive years after termination of treatment. Growth curve modeling on the basis of covariance and mean structures yielded 5 principal results. First, outcome changed significantly after treatment termination. Second, end-state and posttreatment changes were influenced by duration and frequency but primarily in interaction. Thus, the effects of duration and frequency were conditional on each other. Third, the joint effects on end-state were ,small and on posttreatment change, small to moderate. Fourth, on the. SCL-90 and the SOCS, there were outcome reversals during the posttreatment period such that good end-states deteriorated in the long run, whereas modest end-states improved considerably. Fifth, generally, the findings seemed to favor lowduration/ low-frequency and high-duration/high-frequency treatments in this sample.

Dispositional emotionality and regulation: their role in predicting quality of social functioning.

Individual differences in emotionality and regulation are central to conceptions of temperament and personality. In this article, conceptions of emotionality and regulation and ways in which they predict social functioning are examined. Linear (including additive) and nonlinear effects are reviewed. In addition, data on mediational and moderational relations from a longitudinal study are presented. The effects of attention regulation on social functioning were mediated by resiliency, and this relation was moderated by negative emotionality at the first, but not second, assessment. Negative emotionality moderated the relation of behavior regulation to socially appropriate/prosocial behavior. These results highlight the importance of examining different types of regulation and the ways in which dispositional characteristics interact in predicting social outcomes.

Dimensions of social impairment and their effect on depression and recovery following stroke.

Prior studies have identified that quality of social functioning is strongly associated with both physical and cognitive recovery from stroke as well as with the existence of depression. This study was undertaken to identify the specific elements of social functioning that are related to depression and impaired recovery and to determine whether these elements are different between acute and chronic periods following stroke. There were 50 patients with acute stroke who were assessed in the hospital and at short-term (3- or 6-month) and long-term (12- or 24-month) follow-up. An impaired relationship with the patient's "closest other" prior to the stroke and limited social activities were both associated with depression immediately after the stroke as well as with depression at long-term follow-up. An impaired relationship with the closest other prior to the stroke was also associated with impaired recovery in activities of daily living and cognitive recovery at long-term follow-up. Fears of economic stability and limited social activity were associated with depression at short-term follow-up whereas loss of job or job satisfaction was associated with depression at long-term follow-up. These findings suggest that during the first few weeks following stroke, social supports and contact are essential needs for patients, whereas during the chronic period, other factors such as financial security, adequacy of living arrangements, and loss of job satisfaction also become important. Future research should examine the effect of enhanced social support on poststroke depression and physical and cognitive recovery.

Prediction of elementary school children's socially appropriate and problem behavior from anger reactions at age 4–6 years

Four- to 6-year-olds' anger reactions were observed in preschool/kindergarten and their social functioning was assessed at ages 4–6, 6–8, and 8–10 years. Teachers reported on socially appropriate and social/prosocial behavior, and parents reported on children's problem behaviors. Early anger reactions (especially the use of verbal objections, physical retaliation, and escape behavior) predicted social functioning years later; findings were strongest for teachers' reports of socially appropriate behavior and parents' reports of problem behavior. For aspects of social functioning other than teacher-reported socially appropriate behavior (prosocial/social behavior and low aggression and disruptive behavior), these relations were not due solely to the effects of social skills at age 4–6 on both anger reactions and quality of social functioning in elementary school. Findings were consistent with the possibility that level of social skills at age 4–6 partially mediated the effects of anger reactions on subsequent teacher-reported socially appropriate behavior.

Depression in Parkinson??s Disease

A consecutive series of 105 outpatients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were examined for the presence of depression. Twenty-one percent met diagnostic criteria for major depression, 20% had minor depression, and the remainder were not depressed. The frequency of depression showed a bimodal distribution over time, with highest frequencies occurring in the early and late stages of the disease. Although other factors such as a positive family history of psychiatric disorders, quality of social functioning, and severity of tremor, rigidity, and akinesia did not show a significant association with depression, depressed patients had significantly higher impairment scores in activities of daily living and cognitive function than nondepressed PD patients. There was also a significant correlation between impairment and depression scores. In addition, among patients with mainly unilateral symptoms, depression was significantly associated with greater left hemisphere involvement. These findings suggest that depression in the early stages of the disease may be related to left hemisphere dysfunction, while later in the disease, depression and impairment in activities of daily living are interrelated. This may indicate more than one etiology of depression or that depression may have an adverse impact on the course of the disease.