Quantity Of Social Support Research Articles

Multidimensional determinants of psychological adjustment to cancer

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between psychological adjustment and illness‐related, demographic, intrapersonal, family and socio‐ecological variables. A total of 132 men and women receiving active cancer treatment completed a battery of instruments designed to measure global psychological functioning, depression, anxiety, coping strategies, domestic and extended family relations, social support quantity and perceived quality, and satisfaction with the health care system. Results revealed that the majority of subjects were experiencing little or no psychological distress; however, 30–35% reported experiencing clinically significant levels of depression, anxiety or global adjustment difficulties. Results further revealed that coping strategies characterized by avoidance or acceptance‐resignation, family disturbance and quantity and perceived quality of social support distinguished good versus poor adjustment and were most predictive of psychological distress in this sample.

The quality and quantity of social support: stroke recovery as psycho-social transition.

The impact of various types and amounts of social support is examined in the context of recovery from first stroke. We conceptualize the rehabilitation process as a psychosocial transition. In a longitudinal design, 44 patients were followed for 6 months following first stroke. Growth-curve analysis (repeated measures MANOVA) was utilized to examine the impact of three types of social support on changes in functional status during recovery. While all three types of support (emotional, instrumental and informational) were shown to be significantly related to recovery of functional capacity, substantial differences were found in the nature of those effects. The impact of social support does not appear during the first month of rehabilitation, indicating the importance of longitudinal designs and longer observation. Patients reporting high level of emotional support showed dramatic improvement despite having the lowest baseline functional status. Instrumental support is most closely related to positive outcomes when provided in moderate amounts. Unlike the other two types, the effect of informational support is mediated by disease severity.

Social support and health in the elderly

Quality and quantity of social support are examined for their differential effects in two adult age groups: the elderly and the non‐elderly. Self report indices of both physical and mental health are employed as the dependent measure of well being. The main effects of the social support measures are discussed in terms of the well established findings regarding the positive relationship between support and well being. The age group differences indicate that while the elderly have more serious physical health problems, they report relatively fewer mental health problems than the non‐elderly group. Quality of social support is more strongly related to physical well being in elderly than in the non‐elderly group.