Adult Social Support Research Articles

Adult attachment and social support of self-learning students

ObjectiveTo evaluate social supports among self-learning students and explore the relationship between adult attachment type and social support of the self-learning student. MethodsAdult attachment scales (including RQ and ECR), and the Social Support Scale were used to evaluate both the attachment type and social support of 419 self-learning students. ResultsThe scores of total, objective, subjective and availability of social supports were 37.06±6.40, 8.86±2.47, 20.59±3.99 and 7.63±1.81 respectively. Attachment avoidant is negatively related with social support (P0.01), with the coefficients of -0.327, -0.254, -0.243 and -0.284 for the total, objective, subjective and availability of social support respectively; however, attachment anxiety is not significantly correlated with the four indexes of social support. ConclusionAdult attachment influences the social support of self-learning students, including objective support and support available.

Nonparent Adult Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Mexican American and European American Adolescents

The notion that nonparent social support buffers the impact of parent depressive symptoms and substance use on adolescent depressive symptoms was tested in 142 Mexican American and 148 European American families with 12- through 15-year-old adolescents. Parent risk factors and adolescent nonparent adult social support were measured at baseline; adolescent symptoms were measured 1 year later. Analyses revealed significant interactions between social support, gender, ethnicity, and paternal depressive symptoms and substance use. Greater social support related to fewer depressive symptoms at follow-up. Mexican American girls benefited from more social support when fathers had lower depression and substance use scores; European American girls benefited from more social support when fathers had higher depression and substance use scores. No interaction effects emerged for boys or for mother depression and substance use. Variations based on gender, ethnicity, and parent risk factors suggest that nonparent social support might be different for girls and boys from diverse environments.

Personal Social Networks and Dual Disorders: A Literature Review and Implications for Practice and Future Research

ABSTRACT Objectives: To review and examine the literature on social networks and dual disorders, and the separate literatures on social networks in relation to mental illness and substance abuse respectively, and to consider implications for practice and research. Methods: Papers selected for review included empirical studies of social networks and/or social support of adults with diagnosed substance use and/or mental disorders. Results: Thirty-six studies met the criteria for review which is organized around three themes: structural characteristics of social networks, network composition, and the impact of social networks on treatment and recovery. Conclusions: Social networks function both as a predictor as well as an outcome of mental illness and substance use. Understanding and assessment of social networks is important to understanding addictive behaviors. Further research is needed in the following areas: the role of social networks in readiness for treatment, entry into and participation in treatment, and support for recovery; the impact of treatment and peer support programs on social networks; social networks in relation to a wider range of mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder); and the impact of race, ethnicity, and gender on social networks of adults with dual disorders. In addition, the role that families play in treatment and recovery as well as the impact of clients' dual disorders upon family members needs examination.

Examining the Link between Neighborhood Cohesion and School Outcomes: The Role of Support Coping among African American Adolescent Girls

Using data from a sample of 84 urban, female, African American adolescents (mean age = 11.86 years), the present investigation examines neighborhood cohesion and parent and adult social support coping, singly and cooperatively, as resources for school achievement outcomes. Results support previous findings that positive perception of the neighborhood is directly and positively related to increased feelings of school self-efficacy and higher grades. Parent support coping predicted increased school self-efficacy. Furthermore, as neighborhood cohesion increased, the use of adult support coping increased. Further analyses demonstrated that students who were failing reported an increased use of teacher support coping as compared to students with passing grades. The authors discuss the implications of these findings in regard to mentoring programs.

Perceived social support as an offshoot of attachment style

Questionnaires were completed by college students ( N=182), with the purpose of examining the role of adult attachment and social support as predictors of psychological distress. Factor analyses of the attachment and social support measures yielded three factors for attachment (Preoccupation, Avoidance, Dismissiveness), and two for social support (Intimate, Casual). Both types of support were significant zero-order predictors of distress, but intimate support effects were rendered non-significant when attachment style was controlled for. In contrast, attachment style (Preoccupation) exerted a significant additional effect after social support was controlled for. Analyses of interactions suggested that Preoccupation reduces the effect of Intimate Support, while Avoidance enhances the effect of Casual Support. These results support the hypothesis that perceived social support, and particularly Intimate Support is, to a large extent, a by-product of attachment style, but also point towards possible moderator effects of attachment style upon the impact of support.

Childhood physical abuse, early social support, and risk for maltreatment: current social support as a mediator of risk for child physical abuse☆

Objective: The study investigated whether perceptions of social support in adulthood partially mediated the associations between childhood experiences (i.e., receipt of physical abuse and levels of early social support) and adult risk for child physical abuse.Method: Participants included 598 general population adults who completed self-report measures designed to assess childhood physical abuse, perceptions of early and current social support, and risk factors for child physical abuse. Structural equation modeling was used to test and cross validate a model that included the direct effects of child physical abuse and early social support on child physical abuse risk, as well as mediated effects through an influence on adult perceptions of social support.Results: Childhood physical abuse and early social support covaried, such that receipt of physical abuse was associated with lower levels of perceived early social support. Early support, but not child physical abuse, had an indirect effect (i.e., through current support) on child physical abuse risk. More specifically, levels of early support were directly related to adult perceptions of support, and adult perceptions of support were inversely associated with child physical abuse risk. Childhood physical abuse was directly related to child physical abuse risk.Conclusions: Low levels of early support may impact risk for child physical abuse by affecting perceptions of others as supportive in adulthood. The receipt of physical abuse in childhood, however, does not appear to impact perceptions of support in adulthood. Research is needed to identify additional factors that may explain the association between receipt of physical abuse in childhood and increased risk of child physical abuse in adulthood.

Quality of life among women living with HIV: the importance violence, social support, and self care behaviors

This paper describes the relationship between psychosocial factors and health related quality of life among 287 HIV-positive women using items from the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey to measure physical functioning, mental health and overall quality of life. Multivariate models tested the relative importance of sociodemographic characteristics, HIV-related factors and psychosocial variables in explaining these quality of life outcomes. A history of child sexual abuse and adult abuse, social support and health promoting self-care behaviors were the psychosocial factors studied. Women in the sample were on average 33 years old and had known they were HIV-positive for 41 months; 39% had been hospitalized at least once due to their HIV; 83% had children; 19% had a main sex partner who was also HIV-positive. More than one-half of the women (55%) had a history of injection drug use and 63% reported having been physically or sexually assaulted at least once as an adult. A history of childhood sexual abuse, reported by 41% of the sample, was significantly related to mental health after controlling for sociodemographic and HIV-related characteristics. Women with larger social support networks reported better mental health and overall quality of life. Women who practiced more self-care behaviors (healthy diet and vitamins, adequate sleep and exercise, and stress management) reported better physical and mental health and overall quality of life. The high prevalence of physical abuse and child sexual abuse reported by this sample underscores the importance of screening for domestic violence when providing services to HIV-positive women. That such potentially modifiable factors as social support and self care behaviors are strongly associated with health-related quality of life suggests a new opportunity to improve the lives of women living with HIV.

Attachment and loss experiences during childhood are associated with adult hostility, depression, and social support

Objectives: This study examined developmental antecedents to psychosocial traits in adulthood that have been linked in prior studies to increased risk of heart disease. The hypothesis was tested that early parental loss coupled with poor-quality family relationships (FR) during childhood would be associated with increased hostility and depression, and lower social support in adulthood. Methods: Participants included 30 university students who experienced the death of one parent before the age of 16, and 31 control participants. Questionnaires were completed measuring current social support, hostility, depression, and the quality of FR. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) supported the hypothesis of maladaptive psychosocial characteristics in loss participants reporting poorer-quality FR. Significant interactions of loss and FR were found for individual variables of depressive symptoms, social support, and hostility. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that parental loss in childhood is associated with health-damaging psychosocial characteristics in adulthood only if the quality of the surviving FR is poor.

Parental loss in childhood and social support inadulthood among psychiatric patients

Psychoanalytic theories hypothesize that early attachment experiences with parentsshape the structure and function of adult interpersonal relationships. The present paper aims toexamine if parental loss experiences in childhood is related to perceived social support inadulthood. We directly interviewed 1247 patients representative of 31 psychiatric clinics andhospitals all over Japan as to their parental loss experiences in childhood and also administeredthem Sarason et al.s Social Support Questionnaire. It was found, to our surprise, that those whohad lost the father or mother through death reported as many current support persons as thosewho had not and that those who had experienced separation from the mother (but not the father)reported greater satisfaction with social support than those who had not. Several hypotheses areadvanced to explain these unexpected findings and it is concluded that we must at least entertainsome doubt on the direct continuity hypothesis between disruptions of parent–child relationshipsand the individuals later capacity to enjoy social support.

Psychosocial stressors among sheltered homeless children: relationship to behavior problems and depressive symptoms.

Level of exposure to severe psychosocial stressors was assessed among homeless children in emergency family shelters in an urban locale. The relationship between such exposure and child mental health problems was then investigated, along with the effects of adult family social support. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Social Support Knowledge of Infant Development, and Maternal Confidence Among Adolescent and Adult Mothers

To explore the influence of social support and knowledge of infant development on maternal confidence in performing infant care tasks among adolescents and adults. Descriptive, exploratory. A large urban teaching hospital in the midwestern United States. 116 adolescent mothers (ages 13 to 19 years); 101 adult mothers (ages 20 to 41 years). Adult mothers reported higher levels of knowledge about infant development than did adolescent mothers. For both adolescent and adult mothers, social support and knowledge of infant development were significantly correlated with confidence in providing infant care. For adolescents, knowledge of infant development explained 15% of the variance in maternal confidence scores, and the number of people in the adolescent's household explained an additional 5%. For adults, parity explained 10%, social support explained 9%, and knowledge of infant development explained 4% of the variance in maternal confidence scores. An adolescent's knowledge of infant development significantly affects her confidence in providing infant care. Given the learning needs of new mothers and the time constraints for in-hospital postpartum teaching, nurses may need to adjust content and teaching methods for all new mothers, but especially to meet the needs of adolescent mothers.

Predictors of Adult Sibling Social Support for the Seriously Mentally III

Little research examines the reasons adult siblings might provide social support to unmarried, dependent brothers and sisters. This article examines how obligation, reciprocity, and the quality of personal relationships affect whether siblings provide social support to the seriously mentally ill. It uses a sample of 108 siblings of 85 participants in a treatment program for the seriously mentally ill to examine the factors that predict several aspects of help provision. Reciprocity is an important predictor of reported and projected support: The more help respondent siblings receive from ill siblings, the more willingness to help they show in return. The availability of parental and other sibling caregivers is also associated with reported help from siblings. Neither norms of family obligation nor relational quality are highly correlated with support. The results indicate that professionals should take into account the potential importance of siblings as providers of social support to the seriously mentally ill and encourage their clients to develop reciprocal interactions with their brothers and sisters.

Preadolescent peer friendships: A critical contribution to adult social relatedness?

The primary aim of this paper is to review the literature on preadolescent friendships in order to examine the relationship between preadolescent friendships and social support in adulthood. Social supports are important to health, both directly and as a stress buffer. Few studies, however, have specifically examined adult social supports from the perspective of their developmental precursors and critical developmental periods. Some data indicate that the preadolescent period may be of particular importance to the development of adult social skills and ties. Observational and empirical studies of preadolescent peer relationships, and in particular best friendships, suggest unique and critical contributions to adult social relatedness. Present research is suggestive but is insufficient to validate preadolescence as a critical period in adult social relatedness. Our review has implications for better understanding the mechanisms by which preadolescent friendships effect adult social support—an important mediator of the effects of stress on health. Further longitudinal study is needed.

Mothers of children with spina bifida: factors related to maternal psychosocial functioning.

Maternal self-perceptions of well-being and of satisfaction and competence in the parental role were examined in 50 mothers of children diagnosed with spina bifida. Adult companionship and social support were found to be highly correlated with maternal satisfaction, while quality of family environment significantly predicted maternal competence and well-being.

The Social Support Functions of Siblings in Later Life

Social support networks of older adults have received much attention lately, as they are viewed as patterns of continuous ties and interchanges of assistance that play a significant role in maintaining the psychological, social, and physical integrity of old people over time (Cantor and Little, 1985). However, most gerontological research has focused on the support functions of a spouse or adult child. This is a rather limited view of the older adult's social support network given that many older adults do not have a living spouse (Watkins et al., 1987), children can often provide only a little support (Cicirelli, 1981), and with increasing age, adults show an increased preference for social contact with age peers over younger individuals (Hochschild, 1978; Johnson, 1983a). Social gerontologists now recognize the need for research that delineates the dimensions of age-peer relationships associated with enhanced well-being of older adults (Johnson, 1983b) and that specifically focuses on the functions of siblings (Cantor and Little, 1985). The discussion presented here is an integration of the empirical and theoretical literature regarding the social support functions of siblings in later life and a formulation of an explanatory theory to guide the research in this area.

Perceptions of parenting in childhood and social support in adulthood.

A group of primiparous women in Australia rated their parents' attitudes and behaviors toward them as children as well as perceived levels of social support shortly after the birth of their first child and 1 year later. After any bias that might have been introduced by neurotic perception of interpersonal relationships had been controlled for, analyses showed a consistent link over time between reports of perceived deficiencies in both maternal care during childhood and in the availability of close supportive relationships during adulthood. This study supports and extends findings from a 1986 U.S. study.

A Brief Measure of Social Support: Practical and Theoretical Implications

Two studies leading to the development of a short form of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) are reported. In Study 1 three items selected for high correlations with the total score (SSQ3) were administered to 182 university students together with several personality measures. SSQ3 had acceptable test-retest reliability and correlations with personality variables similar to those of the SSQ. Internal reliability was marginal although acceptable for an instrument with so few items. Study 2 employed three sets of data in developing a six-item instrument (SSQ6). The SSQ6 had high internal reliability and correlated highly with the SSQ and similarly to it with personality variables. The research findings accompanying the development of the short form social support measure suggest that perceived social support in adults may be a reflection of early attachment experience.

Stress and coping in early adolescence: relationships to substance use in urban school samples.

Measures of stress and coping were obtained from two cohorts of urban adolescents during the seventh- to eighth-grade period and were related to indices of cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Predictions were derived from a stress coping model of substance use. Stress was indexed by measures of subjective stress, recent events, and major life events; coping was assessed by behavior-based and intention-based methods. Concurrent and prospective analyses were consistent with predictions, indicating that stress was positively related to substance use, and four coping mechanisms (behavioral coping, cognitive coping, adult social support, and relaxation) were inversely related to substance use. Two types of predicted interactions, Stress X Coping and Positive X Negative Events, were found. Measures indexing peer support, distraction coping, and aggressive coping were positively related to substance use, independent of other predictors. Implications for substance use theory and prevention research are discussed.

Health and Social Support of Older Adults in the Community

ABSTRACTStructured interviews were conducted with forty-eight older clients discharged from a public health nursing service in order to: (1) describe their social support network and (2) identify specific components of social support related to physical, social and emotional health. The sample was comprised primarily of older widows living alone to whom family and relatives contributed the largest amount of support. Correlation analyses revealed that: (1) age, emotional support given by older persons to their supporters and aid given and received by older persons were related to physical functioning; (2) emotional, decisional and aid support given by older persons to their supports (total reciprocity) and femaleness were related to emotional functioning and; (3) emotional and aid support received by older persons and reciprocity were related to social functioning.