Social Support Coping Research Articles

An empirical model for understanding the threat responses at the time of COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a global challenge which may have pervasive effects in several areas of community and individual life. Consequently, the virus could generate fear and anxiety that must be managed in a new and unknown situation, such as that of lockdown, with potential consequences for mental health outcomes. Therefore, with the theoretical guide of the Polyvagal perspective, this research aimed to analyse the mediation of social support, passive aggression, avoidance and dissociation in the relationship between fear and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: During the national COVID-19 lockdown phase, a sample of 992 Italian participants with a mean age of 35.07 years ( SD = 12.11) completed the Ten Penn State Worry Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – Form X3, Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced and Forty Item Defense Style Questionnaire, after providing written informed consent. Results: Results showed that fear affected anxiety, both directly and indirectly, highlighting a serial multiple mediation model with two parallel chain of mediators. Social support coping strategy negatively influenced fear and passive aggression, which instead were positively associated. Furthermore, in the second chain, avoidance directly induced fear in the presence of anxiety, opposite of dissociation defense mechanism. Conclusions: Such findings highlighted some possible answers that could be implemented as a consequence of the fear perception during the COVID-19 lockdown, according to the framework of the Polyvagal Theory. These data could provide an important contribution in shedding light on mechanisms put in place during the pandemic, promoting valuable information for a more effective clinical practice.

Perceived stress and social support needs among primary family caregivers of ICU Patients in Taiwan

BackgroundFamily caregivers of intensive care unit (ICU) patients may experience distress due to their care recipients’ unexpected ICU hospitalization. Social support in coping with stress has been discussed from different cultural perspectives, but social support does not seem to buffer stress for Chinese people. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore stress perception and social support needs and their associations among Taiwanese primary family caregivers of patients admitted to the ICU for the first time. MethodsThis descriptive correlational study used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), and structured interviews to explore stress perception and social support needs among Taiwanese primary family caregivers of patients admitted to the ICU. ResultsThe Taiwanese primary family caregivers (N = 71) perceived considerable social support, but they still experienced high stress, either daily life stress or ICU-related event stress. Most of them required extra support, such as discussion of medical conditions, disease treatment information and psychological support, even though they had social resources to assist them. ConclusionICU health professionals should actively inquire about family caregivers’ actual needs, even when family caregivers perceive considerable social support. Tailor-made interventions should be provided to assist family members in coping with stress. Further research should also explore the role of social support in stress and coping processes in Asian contexts due to cultural variance.

An investigation of the eating attitudes and coping ways with stress among medical students

Objectives: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the eating attitudes, coping ways and their relationships among medical students. Methods: A total of 100 medical students from all class levels of the medical school (except first and final year undergraduates) consisted of the research sample. Demographic Information Form, Eating Attitude Test and Coping with Stress Scale were filled by participants. SPSS 21.0 was used to analyze the data obtained. Results: Findings of the study showed no significant differences between abnormal and normal eating attitude groups in terms of demographic variables (gender, age and body mass index, class levels). In addition, there was no significant difference between the groups with regard to avoidance coping score and problem focused coping score. However, there was a significant difference between eating attitude groups in terms of seeking social support score. The mean of social support score is higher in the abnormal eating attitude group. Conclusions: According to our results, abnormal eating attitude group uses more seeking social support coping than normal eating attitude group.

Coping in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease: Systematic review.

To systematically review previous studies on the variables associated with coping strategies in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease (ALS/MND), such as demographics, clinical features and patient-reported outcomes. Coping strategies are important factors for adjustment and quality of life (QOL) in patients with long-term conditions, and this topic in people with ALS/MND has not yet been the subject of a systematic review. A systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA checklist. Electronic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were systemically searched from their inception to December 2019 for articles meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) written in English, (2) published in peer-reviewed journals, (3) included subjects with ALS/MND and (4) used quantitative measurements of coping strategies in people with ALS/MND. Twenty-one articles were included. Significant relationships between participants' demographics (age and sex) and any coping strategy aspect were shown in six studies. Eight studies found significant relationships between clinical characteristics (disease duration and physical functional status) and coping strategies, and ten studies reported coping strategies that were associated with patients' QOL and mental health outcomes. Younger people used relatively more problem-focused, emotion-focused and social support coping strategies, and women used relatively more social support coping strategies. Problem-focused coping was generally related to better QOL and mental health, and emotion-focused coping was generally related to less depression. As the pattern of coping strategies is related to demographic and clinical characteristics, this study could be used to inform the provision of patient-centred nursing in clinical care. Coping patterns are related to mental health and QOL; thus, in clinical care, it is recommended that people with ALS be encouraged to develop skills that enable them to cope more effectively and that their coping strategies be assessed.

Scanning the VIRUS: A study of dimensions of stress and coping with COVID-19.

The current research examines the psychosocial stressors that Indians are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, using a self-constructed COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS). It also assesses the coping strategies being used currently. The sample comprised of 1009 Indians ranging between 17 and 83 years. The items of the CSS were constructed based on a review of existing scales, expert evaluations, and participant interviews. The factor structure of COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS) was examined through the use of an exploratory factor analysis. Several psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain its reliability and validity properties. Results suggest a five-factor structure: Vexation with Others, Immediate Concerns, Routine Disruption, Uncertainty about the Future, and Systemic stressors (abbreviated as VIRUS) explaining 55.269% of the total variance in COVID-19 stress. Coefficient alphas for the entire scale (0.90) and for each of the five factors, ranging from 0.69–0.85, indicate satisfactory internal consistency. One-way analysis of variance was done to assess the differences among emotion-focused, problem-solving, and seeking social support coping strategy. Correlations were calculated between various coping strategies and COVID-19 Stress. Results suggested that seeking social support was the most used coping strategy. No significant correlation was found between the use of any coping strategy and COVID-19 stress. The proposed VIRUS model adequately captures the stressful experience of COVID-19. COVID-19 Stress Scale (CSS), a 21-item scale has robust psychometric properties.

Gender, role in domestic violence as victim or perpetrator and coping strategies in Uganda: implications for gender-inclusive counsellors

ABSTRACT This study investigated the extent to which male and female, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in a Ugandan urban sample engage different coping strategies. One hundred and twenty males (n = 60) and females (n = 60) participants from Kampala, Uganda, were recruited for the study from two agencies.: A two by two MANCOVA was conducted to explore the impact of role and gender on sub-scales of coping strategies (lie was controlled). The independent variables were role and gender. The results show statistically significant differences between victims and perpetrators on problem-solving and social support coping strategies (dependent variables). No differences were reported in results for males and females and there was no gender interaction. For role F = .4.986, p= .003; Pillai Trace = .117; partial eta squared = .117. For gender F = .199, p= .897; Pillai Trace = .005; partial eta squared = .005 . When the results for dependent variables were considered separately, differences of statistical significance were problem-solving strategy (F = 462.664, p= .041, partial eta squared = .036) and social support coping strategy (F = 4.261, p= .000, partial eta squared = .112). Post-hoc tests only showed significant differences between victims and perpetrators. Thus, although results revealed statistical significant role differences between victims and perpetrators in engaging coping strategies, the results revealed no gender differences in engaging coping strategies. This implies that males and females equally engaged in social, problem-solving and avoidant coping strategies at more or less the same rate. Thus, this study’s findings reveal appropriate coping strategies which will aid counsellors offering counselling services to victims and rehabilitation services to perpetrators to be gender-inclusive counsellors.

Coping Strategies of students of High School and College for Anxiety During the Pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic has affected people across the globe who have experienced lockdowns, restrictions, social distancing which has impacted their psychological and mental health. Coping strategies are a cognitive and behavioural effort made by individuals to deal with challenges presented by stressful situations. This study attempts to understand the coping strategies commonly adopted by students. This study examines three different coping strategies-problem solving, seeking social behaviour and avoidance adopted by high school and college students, during the pandemic. The study tries to understand the types of coping strategies adopted by students to deal with the stressful situation and how they use ‘coping with hope’ as a coping strategy. Further, the study aims to understand whether the coping strategies are more problem solving focussed or more avoidance focussed during the pandemic for the high school and college students. 98 students were selected based on random stratified sampling and snow ball sampling techniques from Delhi Public School, Gurgaon, India. The questionnaire used for the study was based on Coping Strategy Indicator developed by Dr. James H. Amir Khan along with a self-designed questionnaire to understand the nature of activities indulged in by the subjects and their attitude towards coping with hope. Pandemic has led to an increase in stress and a higher emotional oriented coping. Family and social support helped to reduce avoidance oriented coping. The findings of the study show that during the pandemic students adopted higher avoidance coping strategy than problem solving and seeking social support coping strategy.

Impact of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms on Posttraumatic Growth

This study explores the mediating role of perceived social support and religious coping on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Three hundred fifty university students completed the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Brief Religious Coping Scale. For testing the research hypotheses, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The study results showed that PTSD symptoms, perceived social support, and positive religious coping predicted PTG. Furthermore, perceived social support and positive religious coping mediated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and PTG.

When and how do hospital nurses cope with daily stressors? A multilevel study.

BackgroundDuring their workday, nurses face a variety of stressors that are dealt with using different coping strategies. One criticism of the contextual models of work stress is that they fail to focus on individual responses like coping with stress. Neverthless, little is know about the momentary determinants of coping in nurses.ObjectivesTo identify the momentary predictors of problem-focused approaching coping and emotion-focused approaching coping, as well as those for seeking social support and refusal coping strategies, during the working day in nurses.DesignThis study uses descriptive, correlational, two-level design with repeated measures.SettingsWards of two University hospitals.ParticipantsA random cohort of 113 nurses was studied.MethodsAn ecological momentary assessment was made of demand, control, effort, reward, nursing task, coping, mood and fatigue, and of coping style by questionnaire. Multilevel two-level statistical analyses were performed in order to identify both within person and between person relationships.ResultsDifferent momentary types of coping were associated with different tasks. The problem-focused coping could be explained by the direct care and medication tasks, demand, planning coping style, mood, and negatively by acceptation coping style. Emotion-focused coping could be explained by documentation and medication tasks (negatively), mood, demand, distraction, and disengagement coping styles. Seeking social support coping could be explained by the task of communication, mood, fatigue (negatively), and seeking emotional support as a coping style. Refusal coping could be explained by mood, and the coping style of focusing and venting emotions. Refusal coping is not specific to any task.ConclusionsThe choice of the coping strategy depends on the task, of their appraisal and on the different styles of coping.

Investigating relationships among coping, personal growth, and life satisfaction among individuals with physical disabilities.

Background: It is well-documented that active coping strategies can lead to better positive adjustment and psycho-social outcomes among individuals with disabilities and illnesses. However, little information exists related to exploring how coping is related to health benefits such as personal growth and life satisfaction in an international context. Thus, this study examined how the use of coping strategies is associated with personal growth and life satisfaction among individuals with physical disabilities in non-Western settings. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we employed a nonprobability methodology, purposivesampling, to recruit 351 participants who adults over the age of 18 living with a physicaldisability and currently enrolled in the Korean Disability Association. A hierarchical linearregression analysis was conducted to determine which types of coping strategies predictedpersonal growth and life satisfaction, while controlling for the effects of the demographicvariables (i.e., gender and age).Results: With regard to personal growth, problem-solving coping strategy (β = 0.663, P < 0.001,95% CI [0.51, 0.70]) was the strongest predictor, followed by avoidance coping strategy(β = -0.263, P < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.37, -0.20]). As for life satisfaction, problem-solving copingstrategy (β = 0.268, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.18, 0.70]) was the strongest predictor, followed bysocial support seeking coping strategy (β = 0.264, P < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.19, 0.10]).Conclusion: Our study suggests that problem-focused and social support coping strategies playimportant roles in improving the personal growth and life satisfaction among Korean individualswith physical disabilities. This study provides implications for health professionals seeking waysto facilitate the personal growth and enhance the life satisfaction of individuals with physicaldisabilities.

심리적 강인성과 외상 후 성장의 관계에서 지각된 사회적 지지와 문제중심적 대처방식의 매개효과

심리적 강인성과 외상 후 성장의 관계에서 지각된 사회적 지지와 문제중심적 대처방식의 매개효과

Social Support, Everyday Discrimination, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older African Americans: A Longitudinal Study.

Background and ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to explore the long-term effects of everyday discrimination on depressive symptoms among older African Americans, as well as the moderating role of social support in this association.Research Design and MethodsMixed-effects negative binomial regression analyses were performed on data selected from 6 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2016; baseline N = 1,144). The number of depressive symptoms was calculated based on an 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression measure. Everyday discrimination was measured using a 6-item scale. Contact with and perceived support from extended family and friends were assessed.ResultsOlder African Americans who experienced more frequent perceived discrimination had more depressive symptoms over time. Significant interactions between discrimination and perceived support from extended family and friends were found, indicating that among older African Americans who reported higher support from extended family and friends, perceived discrimination was positively associated with depressive symptoms over time. However, perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms were not longitudinally related among those who reported lower levels of perceived support.Discussion and ImplicationsThis is one of the few studies to examine the effects of discrimination on depressive symptoms over time and the first longitudinal study to test the role of social support in coping with discrimination in older African Americans. This study extends cross-sectional works on discrimination and mental health, indicating that experiences of discrimination can result in worse mental health over time. The significant interactions are consistent with the resource mobilization framework, which suggests that individuals who are more negatively affected by discrimination (more depressive symptoms) are more likely to reach out to friends and family to cope with discrimination.

Abstract D025: “Place it in God’s hands”: Exploring the influence of sources of social support and religious coping practices of African American breast cancer survivors

Abstract Background: Religious coping (i.e. religious practices or beliefs that help an individual adapt to a stressful situation) has been shown to help African American breast cancer survivors obtain a better quality of life as well as find purpose from their cancer experience. Both prayer and church attendance are believed to be the most common religious coping practices among African American breast cancer survivors. However, relatively little is known about: 1) the relative commonness of religious coping practices; and, 2) which sources of social support (i.e. church members, clergy leaders, family, and friends) may also influence religious coping among survivors. Objective(s): To assess the prevalence of religious coping mechanisms and the sources of social support who influence African American breast cancer survivors. Methods: The current study was a secondary analysis of the OASIS (Offering African American Survivors Increased Support) study. Participants were eligible for this study if they identified as being an African American female adult and were diagnosed between 2011-2014 within a local hospital in Chicago, IL. Eligible participants answered a modified version of the Church-based Social Support Scale and responded to open-ended questions related to their social support experiences by members of their social network. Results: A total of 33 participants completed the questionnaire at the time of data analysis. Weekly religious service attendance was highly prevalent among study participants post-diagnosis (n=12, 36.4%). Approximately eighteen percent of survivors (n=6) reported praying throughout their breast cancer journey. No participants reported receiving prayer from their church members or clergy leaders. However, nine participants (27.3%) expressed that a family member and/or a friend offered to pray for them throughout their cancer experience. Conclusion: There was a relatively high prevalence of church attendance. Family and friends appeared to be the more common source of influence in the form of religious coping through prayer. Future researchers should consider partnering with both family and friends when conducting faith-based and religious-based interventions to improve quality of life among African American breast cancer survivors. Citation Format: Shaila M. Strayhorn, Nyahne Q Bergeron, Desmona Strahan, Aditya Khanna, Kariem Watson, Dana Villines, Yamilé Molina. “Place it in God’s hands”: Exploring the influence of sources of social support and religious coping practices of African American breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D025.

Relationships among economic stress, social support, age and quality of life in patients with chronic wounds: A moderated mediation model.

The aims of this study were as follows: (a) to determine if social support mediates the relationship between economic stress and quality of life; and (b) to explore whether participants' ages would moderate the indirect relationship between economic stress and quality of life through social support. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. From January 2015-June 2016, a total of 300 patients with chronic wounds were recruited from three hospitals. Data regarding economic stress, social support and quality of life were collected through survey questionnaires. The moderated mediation analysis was examined using the Hayes' PROCESS macro modelling tool, based on the bias-corrected bootstrapping method. Economic stress was negatively correlated with quality of life and social support. The indirect effect of economic stress on quality of life through social support was negative. Furthermore, age moderated the relationship between economic stress and quality of life, as well as the relationship between economic stress and social support. Reducing economic stress and improving social support are important strategies for improving quality of life in patients with chronic wounds, especially for younger patients. Patients with chronic wounds experience considerable economic stress and severely impaired quality of life; however, little is known about the inner mechanisms of this relationship. This study emphasized the importance of providing social support in coping with the damage that economic stress causes to health. Clinical nurses should strengthen the comprehensive assessment of the socioeconomic status of patients and adjust nursing plans timely, to reduce the economic burden of patients based on the rational use of wound care materials. Moreover, when nursing for patients with chronic wounds, especially the elders, caregivers should strengthen the evaluation of social support and develop interventions to improve social support.

The Effects of Implementation Quality of a School-Based Social and Emotional Well-Being Program on Students' Outcomes.

School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs can be effective in producing positive outcomes for students. However, when the implementation quality is poor, these programs often lose their effectiveness and fail to produce the expected positive outcomes. The current study evaluates a school-based SEL program for 15–18-year-olds in Ireland by determining the impact of implementation quality on program outcomes. The study also examines the effects on outcomes of different implementation dimensions including Dosage, Adherence, Quality of Delivery, and Participant Responsiveness. Employing a cluster randomized controlled trial design, this study collected student outcome data (n = 675) from 32 disadvantaged schools across three time points (pre-, post-, 12-month follow-up) and compared these data across three treatment groups (high-implementation, low-implementation, and control). Linear mixed models (LMM) were used to determine the relationships between the implementation data and student outcome data longitudinally. The findings revealed that the positive effects of the program were only observed with the high-, but not the low-implementation group (reduced suppression of emotions (p = 0.049); reduced avoidance coping (p = 0.006); increased social support coping (p = 0.009); reduced levels of stress (p = 0.035) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.025). The comparison of implementation dimensions revealed that only Quality of Delivery had a significant effect on all of the tested outcomes. This study highlights the importance of high-quality implementation in producing positive outcomes and supports the need to evaluate implementation using multiple dimensions.

Relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in collegiate student athletes

ABSTRACT Depression levels in collegiate athletes are consistent with or higher than those of the general population [Cox (2015). Investigating the prevalence and risk-factors of depression symptoms among NCAA Division I collegiate athletes (Doctoral dissertation, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville); Prinz, Dvořák, & Junge (2016). Symptoms and risk factors of depression during and after the football career of elite female players. British Journal of Medicine and Sport Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2(1), e000124; Wolanin, Hong, Marks, Panchoo, & Gross (2016). Prevalence of clinically elevated depressive symptoms in college athletes and differences by gender and sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(3), 167–171], warranting examination of probable causes and protective factors. This study examined depressive symptoms in collegiate athletes and how they relate to different types and sources of social support. The student athlete population at a Division I university (N = 238) completed a survey on depressive symptoms (i.e., Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) [CES-D; Radloff (1977). The CES-D scale. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401] and social support (i.e., Berlin Social Support Scale; [BSSS; Schulz & Schwarzer (2003). Soziale Unterstützung bei der Krankheitsbewältigung. Die Berliner social support Skalen (BSSS) [Social support in coping with illness: The Berlin social support scales (BSSS)]. Diagnostica, 49(2), 73–82]four open-ended questions). Higher levels of social support were correlated with fewer depressive symptoms. Multiple regression revealed tangible support from athletic sources, need for support, and tangible support from personal sources were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, (F = 23.2, p <.001). Most beneficial soources of support were teammates (n=20) and non-athletic persons (n=19). Athletes wanted more support from coached (n=72). This study offers insight into how best to provide support, which impacts performance and overall mental health.

Gathering Trauma Narratives: A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Self-Identified Traumas on People Living with HIV (PLWH).

BACKGROUND Trauma-emotional, physical, and psychological-is common and associated with increased risk behaviors, low rates of care engagement and viral suppression, and overall poor health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH). This article presents the results of 15 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with PLWH in the Southeastern United States in which participants identified a trauma and described its long-lasting impact on their lives. Participants' trauma narratives described a wide range of traumas, including childhood sexual abuse, the loss of a loved one, and their HIV diagnosis.METHODS Systematic qualitative analysis was used to delineate beliefs about causes, symptoms, treatments, quality of life, and health implications of trauma.RESULTS: Fifteen participants completed semi-structured interviews that lasted on average 32 minutes. Participants described a wide spectrum of personal trauma that occurred both prior and subsequent to their HIV diagnosis. The types of trauma identified included physical, sexual, and psychological abuse inflicted by intimate partners, family members, and/or strangers.LIMITATIONS A chief limitation of this study is selection bias. Additionally, the participant selection and content of the trauma narratives might have been affected by the surrounding context of the parent study centered on HIV, aging, and psychosocial stress. It is also difficult to interpret the distinction between discrete trauma experiences and the diagnosis of HIV, leading to potential information bias.CONCLUSION This study highlights the importance of social support in coping with trauma and the effect of trauma on health-related behaviors. It also illustrates the need for additional research on the topic of trauma and trauma-informed care for PLWH. Understanding how different types of trauma affect individuals' lives is necessary to inform recommendations to provide better care for PLWH.

Psychometric Properties of the Brief COPE Among Pregnant African American Women

This paper describes the assessment of the psychometric properties of the Brief COPE in a sample of 189 pregnant African-American women. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested the original 14-factor model, and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) determined whether a reduced number of factors still accounted for inter-item covariances. The CFA replicated 13 of the 14 original factors. After deleting substance use items and allowing for correlated error across the support factors, the 13-factor model achieved an acceptable fit (CMIN/df = 1.77; RMSEA = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.05-0.07). ESEM resulted in three second-order factors: disengaged, active, and social support coping. Factor items were summed to create subscales with good internal consistency reliability (α = .74-.89). Social support coping and active coping were strongly correlated and accounted for nearly the same variance in four different psychological/affect scales, while disengaged coping was clearly distinct.

A comprehensive assessment of personality traits and psychosocial functioning in parents with bipolar disorder and their intimate partners

BackgroundIndividuals with bipolar disorder (BD) often possess maladaptive traits and present with various difficulties in psychosocial functioning. However, little is known about the intimate partners of adults with bipolar disorder (BD) and how mental illnesses other than BD within couples may further complicate the picture. Such knowledge is needed to inform both couple and family interventions.MethodsParticipants were parents whose children were enrolled in a prospective study: 55 with BD and their partners, and 47 healthy control couples. All completed diagnostic interviews, and questionnaires describing personality traits, negative life events, coping skills, social support, marital adjustment and inter-partner verbal aggression. Parents with BD and healthy control parents were compared, as were the intimate partners. A series of exploratory analyses focused on the average measures within couples, with and without BD, and took account of comorbid personality disorders among those with BD and major depressive disorder among their partners.ResultsIntimate partners of adults with BD, relative to healthy control partners, presented with more mental disorders, higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, more emotion-focused coping, smaller social networks, less satisfaction with their social networks, and little, satisfying social contact. Additionally, they reported less consensus and satisfaction in their marital relationships, and engaged in more verbal aggression towards their partners. Participants with BD showed similar, more extreme, characteristics. Marital distress and verbal aggression were greatest among couples with an adult having BD and a comorbid personality disorder or a partner with major depressive disorder.ConclusionThis study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that both parents with BD and their intimate partners exhibit high levels of mental illness, maladaptive personality traits and psychosocial difficulties, thus limiting their partners’ ability to provide support and stability in the these high risk families. Moreover, mental illnesses other than BD may contribute to marital problems within couples. Some statistical analyses, particularly those involving comorbid conditions, were under-powered in this study. As clinical implications, the current study suggests that both individuals with BD and their partners could benefit from interventions aimed at lowering emotionality and verbal aggression, and increasing social support and effective coping skills.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND STRESS COPING OF CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS WHO DO NOT LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS IN SALEMBA, INDONESIA

This study aims to determine the relationship between parental social support and stress coping of clinical clerkships who do not live with their parents in Salemba, Jakarta. The samples in this study are 90 clinical clerkship who do not live with their parents. The hypothesis in this study uses a quantitative approach, using incidental sampling data collection technique to count the scores from social support scale questionnaire and a stress coping scale. Data analysis was performed using the bivariate correlation. The relationship between these two variables is shown by the correlation coefficient (r) = 0.460 and p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). The main hypothesis is that there is no relationship between social support of parents and stress coping of clinical clerkship who do not live with their parents. And the alternative hypothesis is that there is a significant relationship between parental social support and stress coping of clinical clerkships who do not live with parents. Based on these results, the main hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is accepted. From the results, the study concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between social support of parents and stress coping of clinical clerkship who do not live with their parents. This means that the higher social support from parents, the better clinical clerkships cope stress. Article visualizations: