Social Support For Individuals Research Articles

“She is more about my illness than me”: a qualitative study exploring social support in individuals with experiences of psychosis

ABSTRACT Experiences of psychosis may increase isolation and stigma, increasing negative perceptions of oneself. Social networks can be a source of support and strain in dealing with these difficulties. This research explored how individuals with experiences of psychosis make sense of their social relationships. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guided the design and conduct of semi-structured interviews with seven Scottish mental health service-users with lived experience of psychosis, exploring positive and negative aspects of relationships and how they influenced personal recovery. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded for subordinate and superordinate themes. The superordinate theme “She is more about my illness than me” highlighted normalisation of participants’ illness identity through family and support staff dominating social networks; their primary orientation being towards illness management. Subordinate themes; “without the service I wouldn’t know what to do”, “They wouldn’t talk, they will sort of control me in a way” and “She doesn’t see me as normal either with me getting help” evidenced benefits and tensions associated with these relationships. The composition and nature of social networks can prevent individuals with experiences of psychosis from exploring identities unrelated to illness. Further research must identify ways to empower individuals and promote connectedness independently from illness management.

Perceived Social Support in Individuals With Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Cross-sectional Survey

Perceived Social Support in Individuals With Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Cross-sectional Survey

Perceived Social Support in Individuals With Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Explore levels of perceived social support and the associated factors among patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Cross-sectional survey. Outpatients (n = 140) with DFUs attending a diabetic clinic affiliated with a public hospital in Athens, Greece, for wound care and follow-up visits after healing. Data collection included demographic, clinical, self-report, and perceived social support, measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), during one-on-one interviews at the post-healing follow-up visit. For perceived social support, 50% of patients (average age 70 years) scored above 24, 24, and 18 (median) on the MSPSS in the categories of receiving support from significant other, family, and friends, respectively, suggesting high levels of perceived social support. Other statistically significant associations were observed for perceived social support from significant other, family, and friends and marital status (P = .001, P = .001, and P = .004, respectively), patients level of information about their health (P =.002, P =.001, and P =.001, respectively), family level of information (P = .001, P = .001, and P = .004, respectively), and how closely they followed period foot checks (P = .001, P = .002, and P = .011, respectively) and diet (P = .001, P = .001, and P = .001, respectively). Data from our study show that higher levels of perceived social support from significant others, family, and friends were linked to patients and others, being better informed about health status, and other self-care behaviors. Findings underscore the need for health care providers to recognize that social support is an important component of overall DFU management and may guide future interventions to determine which are most effective in enhancing socially supportive behaviors.

A 20-YEAR COHORT STUDY OF LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AND COGNITIVE DECLINE IN THE MEXICAN AMERICAN POPULATION

Backgrounds/Objectives: The prevalence of dementia in the elderly Latino population is expected to significantly increase from around 200,000 cases in 2000 to as many as 1.3 million cases in 2050. This demographic trend has important consequences for options in care and living arrangements. Very little is known about how of cognitive impairment trajectories co-vary with support available to Mexican Americans. We examine the relationship between living arrangements and the social support of individuals with dementia. Methods: Using data from nine waves from the 23 years of the Hispanic EPESE (n=3,952), we examine trajectories of cognitive functioning and family and social support. We first describe the change in Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores for survivors from Wave 1 (1993/1994) to Wave 9 (2015/2016), n=255. Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM) is then used to assess how changes in MMSE scores are distributed among living arrangements for individuals living independently compared to household extension (living with others) using the full sample. Results: Analyses reveal different trajectories in MMSE score. 12% (n=27) of the sample had no decrease, while the remaining (88%) were split between moderate decline (60% n=136, 1-10 point decline in MMSE) and severe decline (28% n=62 >10 point decline In MMSE). Changes in living arrangement over the same period show that 89% of individuals who move from independent living into extended household experienced cognitive decline. Conclusions: This study provides new information on how cognitive trajectories are associated with living arrangements. We discuss implications for improving community-based interventions for Latino family caregivers.

AN INTEGRATED TRANSITIONAL CARE MODEL FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH MULTIMORBIDITY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

This pragmatic randomized controlled trial examined the implementation, effectiveness and costs of a nurse-led transitional care intervention to improve hospital-to-home transitions for 127 older adults (≥ 65 years) with depressive symptoms and multimorbidity in three Ontario communities. Participants were randomly allocated to receive the intervention plus usual care (n=63) or usual care alone (n=64). The intervention included an average of 5 in-home visits and 6 phone calls from a Registered Nurse (RN) over a 6-month period. The RN provided system navigation, patient education, medication review, and management of depressive symptoms and chronic conditions. Implementation outcomes included engagement rate, intervention dose, and feasibility of intervention implementation. Effectiveness outcomes included quality of life, depressive symptoms, anxiety, social support, and health and social service use and costs. Participants were an average of 76 years and had an average of 8 chronic conditions. Findings suggest that the intervention was feasible and acceptable to participants and providers. Intention-to-treat analyses using ANCOVA models showed no statistically significant group differences for the outcomes. However, the upper 95% confidence interval for the mean group difference showed greater clinically significant improvements in physical functioning in the intervention group. Quantile regression showed that the intervention may result in greater improvements in physical functioning for individuals with low to average physical functioning values compared to the control group. The intervention may also result in higher levels of perceived social support for individuals with a range of social support values. No statistically significant group differences were observed for service use or costs.

Peculiarities OF TRAINING OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS OF SOCIONOMIC PROFESSIONS TO WORK IN THE INTERCULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the system of formation of intercultural competence of future specialists of socionomic professions. Methods used: problem-target analysis of scientific literature, modeling of the system of formation of intercultural competence of future specialists of the socionomic sphere. The author: analysed the problem of professional training of future specialists of socionomic professions in the context of the necessity of forming their ability to work in the intercultural environment; characterised the specifics of the activities of specialists of socionomic professions; outlined the leading functions that specialists carry out in the process of professional activity (educational, monitoring of social and interpersonal problems of individuals / groups / communities, expert examination of social and interpersonal problems, social support of individuals and social groups, social protection of individuals / groups / community, assistance in the harmonisation and humanisation of social and interpersonal relations). The general professional skills of specialists of socionomic professions (analytical, projective, forecasting, communicative, organizational) are distinguished and characterised. The necessity and expediency of a systematic approach to the training of future specialists of socionomic professions based on the specifics of their professional activities is substantiated. The system of formation of intercultural competence of future specialists of socionomic professions is characterized. The main components of the system (conceptual-target, structural-content, technological and procedural and monitoring-corrective) are revealed; their content is described. Monitoring and correction of the process of formation of intercultural competence of future specialists of socionomic professions is carried out according to criteria and indicators that allow to confirm the correspondence of the obtained result with the research objectives, its purpose, to analyse the effectiveness of the system of formation of intercultural competence.

Treatment Experiences and Social Support in Individuals with Gender Incongruence/Gender Dysphoria - A ENIGI 5 Year Follow-Up Study in Three European Countries

Gender Dysphoria (GD) refers to a distress resulting from an incongruence between the individual's sex characteristics and the experience of their gender (Gender Incongruence, GI). The interaction between medical treatment of GI/GD and social support in the long-term has not been investigated sufficiently so far. Using an online questionnaire, the present study investigated n=117 individuals with GI/GD assigned male and n=52 assigned female at birth that had been referred to one of the specialized clinics of the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI) in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.They filled out a questionnaire at 2 time points within a follow-up time of 4 to 6 years after clinical entry (between 2007 and 2009). Two hierarchical regression analyses explored the effects of the sex assigned at birth, the treatment progress and social support on mental distress and satisfaction with life at follow-up in the sample. A female sex assigned at birth and higher degrees of social support significantly predicted the reduction in mental distress at follow-up. An advanced stage of the individual treatment and higher social support significantly predicted an increase in overall satisfaction with life. The results illustrate the importance of social support with regard to the outcome of medical treatment of GI/GD.

Trajectories of perceived social support in acute coronary syndrome.

Perceived social support is known to be an important predictor of health outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates patterns of longitudinal trajectories of patient-reported perceived social support in individuals with ACS. Data are from 3013 patients from the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease registry who had their first cardiac catheterization between 2004 and 2011. Perceived social support was assessed using the 19-item Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS) 2 weeks, 1 year, and 3years post catheterization. Group-based trajectory analysis based on longitudinal multiple imputation model was used to identify distinct subgroups of trajectories of perceived social support over a 3-year follow-up period. Three distinct social support trajectory subgroups were identified, namely: "High" social support group (60%), "Intermediate" social support group (30%), and "Low" social support subgroup (10%). Being female (OR=1.67; 95% CI=[1.18-2.36]), depression (OR=8.10; 95% CI=[4.27-15.36]) and smoking (OR=1.70; 95% CI=[1.23-2.35]) were predictors of the differences among these trajectory subgroups. Although the majority of ACS patients showed increased or fairly stable trajectories of social support, about 10% of the cohort reported declining social support. These findings can inform targeted psycho-social interventions to improve their perceived social support and health outcomes.

Perceived social support and mental health for college students in mainland China: the mediating effects of self-concept

ABSTRACTPrevious studies revealed that both self-concept and social support were associated with mental health in college students. Very few studies have explored the ways these two variables work on mental health, particularly in mainland China. In the present study, 411 college students in northwest China were assessed using the School and Society Situations Scale (which includes a social support sub-scale and self-concept sub-scale) and Self-report Symptom Checklist 90. The results showed that a positive self-concept was positively correlated with individual perceived social support from parents, teachers, and peers, and that both self-concept and perceived social support were negatively associated with mental health problems. Moreover, structural equation modeling analyses showed that self-concept fully mediated the role of perceived social support in individuals’ mental health. These results suggested that all kinds of perceived support from the social environment may help the college student form a positive self-concept, and the positive self-concept may help them resist and effectively cope with the risk factors related to mental health. These results also have implications in interventions to improve mental health in college students.

Perception of social support in individuals living with a diabetic foot: A qualitative study

AimTo explore the perception of social support in individuals living with a diabetic foot in order to influence future service delivery in management of similar individuals. MethodA purposive sample of eight participants with a diabetic foot were recruited from a public podiatry service in Tasmania, Australia. A hermeneutic phenomenology qualitative approach was used with individual semi-structured interviews conducted using an interview guide designed to gain insight into five pre-determined measures of social support. Hybrid thematic analysis was used to produce the final results. ResultsFive clusters of themes emerged; emotional self-efficacy, isolation and stress; transport needs linked to physical or social functioning; perception of social support from health professionals; reciprocal support including health professionals facilitating support and financial support. ConclusionThe findings have major implications for three broad areas; recognition and management of psychosocial well-being, the need for patient centred care approaches and inclusion and equity in health care and society. Adopting measures that are informed by these findings in current day management practices will complement the existing body of evidence on addressing factors for developing and treating ulceration.

Social Support for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease: Implications for Rehabilitation Professionals

From the patient’s perspective: 1. To understand social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and its relationship to psychological well-being. 2. To understand the barriers to social support. 3. To understand the perceived opportunities for improved social support.

Long-term effects of mental disorders on marital outcomes in the National Comorbidity Survey ten-year follow-up.

Epidemiological research has consistently shown an association between mental disorders and marital dissolution. However, this research mostly examined the association of divorce as a risk factor for mental illness. This study prospectively examined the associations of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders with future marital dissolution and new marriages in a representative population sample. The study used data from the National Comorbidity Survey panel study-a two-wave community epidemiological survey of 5001 participants interviewed in 1990-1992 and re-interviewed in 2001-2003. Mental disorders were ascertained with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a fully structured instrument. Associations of baseline lifetime disorders and disorders with onset after the baseline with subsequent divorce and marriage/remarriage were examined using discrete-time survival analysis models. Mental disorders at baseline or with onset after baseline were associated with significantly greater odds of subsequent divorce among respondents who either were married at baseline or got married after baseline. Mental disorders with onset after baseline were associated with smaller odds of marriage or remarriage. Projections assuming causal effects of mental illness on marital outcomes suggest that preventing the effects of common mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders would be associated with 6.7million fewer divorces and 3.5million more marriages in the US population over an 11-year period. Individuals with common mental disorders are at greater risk of marital dissolution and are less likely to enter new marriages. These factors contribute to the diminished social engagement and social support for individuals with these disorders. Interventions aimed at improving marital and family relationships could potentially ameliorate the effect of mental disorders on these vital social ties.

Network Environments and Well-Being: An Examination of Personal Network Structure, Social Capital, and Perceived Social Support

ABSTRACTPrevious studies have demonstrated the role of social networks, social capital, and social support in individuals’ well-being. However, the ways in which these related constructs simultaneously influence one’s well-being outcomes and relate to one another have not been closely examined. This study pays particular attention to the structural characteristics of personal networks, distinction between offline and online social capital, and different indicators of well-being outcomes. Based on survey data collected from 574 college students, the study found that two dimensions of personal networks—density and gender homophily—and social capital in the form of offline bonding capital explained perceived social support. Further, perceived social support consistently predicted well-being outcomes and played a mediating role between personal network density and well-being, as well as between offline bonding capital and well-being. The results offer implications for a more nuanced understanding of the role of individuals’ interpersonal and social environments in well-being outcomes.

Relations among social support, PTSD symptoms, and substance use in veterans.

Social support plays a significant role in the development, maintenance, and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there has been little investigation of social support with PTSD and its frequent comorbid conditions and related symptoms. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are 1 set of conditions that have yet to be investigated in combination with PTSD and social support. As compared with civilians, veterans are at increased risk for developing both PTSD and SUD. In this study, veterans (N = 171) with symptoms of PTSD (76% met diagnostic criteria) and SUD (83% met diagnostic criteria for any dependence) were recruited and completed clinician-rated and self-report measures of PTSD, SUD, and social support. Overall, low social support was reported in the sample. When controlled for the other disorder's symptoms, PTSD symptoms demonstrated a significant negative relation and SUD symptoms demonstrated a significant positive relation to social support. The PTSD findings are consistent with previous studies on PTSD and social support without SUD comorbidity. However, the SUD findings are inconsistent with previous studies, which focused primarily on older veterans. Together, these findings highlight the significance of social support in individuals with PTSD and SUD and promote future research within comorbid presentations. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Associations Between Diabetes Status, Psychiatric Conditions and Social Support

Background: Major depression (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are more prevalent in people with diabetes compared to the general population. Social support is associated with increased diabetes self-management, as well as fewer depressive symptoms. Although it is associated with a number of positive outcomes in people with diabetes and those with psychiatric conditions, social support tends to be lower in these populations. Research examining social support in individuals with diabetes and comorbid psychiatric conditions, particularly within the Canadian community-based context, is lacking.

Psychosocial Determinants of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in a Japanese Population.

There is limited evidence in Japan regarding the psychosocial determinants of fruit/vegetable intake. We performed a cross-sectional study of people aged 18 years or older in four regions of Japan; 2308 (men: 1012, women: 1296) individuals who completed the questionnaires were included. We found that 24.8% of people were aware of the current recommendations for vegetables and 13.2% for fruit and that “ability to design meals” and “availability when eating outside of the home” were the most important factors related to self-efficacy and barriers to fruit and vegetable intake, respectively. People with high self-efficacy (OR: 3.16; 95% CI: 2.17, 4.60 for fruit; OR: 4.52; 95% CI: 3.08, 6.64 for vegetables) were more likely to consume more fruit and vegetables. People with high scores on attitude (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.24) and social support (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.27) were more likely to consume more fruit. People with high perceived barriers (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.98) were less likely to consume fruit. This study suggests a need to increase the general population’s awareness of the fruit and vegetable intake recommendations; facilitating positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and social support for individuals and strengthening the ability of individuals to design meals with more vegetables and fruit might be useful intervention programs.

Perceived Discrimination, Social Support, and Quality of Life in Gender Dysphoria

IntroductionTransgender individuals experience discrimination in all domains of their personal and social life. Discrimination is believed to be associated with worse quality of life (QoL). AimTo investigate the relation between QoL and perceived levels of discrimination and social support in individuals with gender dysphoria (GD). MethodsIndividuals with GD who attended a psychiatry clinic from January 2012 through December 2014 were recruited. Demographic, social, and medical transition features were collected with standardized forms. Main Outcome MeasuresSelf-report measurements of QoL (Turkish version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life-BREF) that included physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains, perceived discrimination with personal and group subscales (Perceived Discrimination Scale [PDS]), and social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) were completed. ResultsNinety-four participants (76.6% trans men) adequately completed the study measurements. Regression models with each QoL domain score as a dependent variable indicated a significant predictor value of personal PDS in social and environmental QoL. Social support from family was associated with better QoL in psychological QoL, whereas perceived support from friends significantly predicted all other domains of QoL. There was a tendency for group PDS to be rated higher than personal PDS, suggesting personal vs group discrimination discrepancy. However, group PDS was not found to be a predictor of QoL in the multivariate model. ConclusionPerceived personal discrimination and social support from different sources predicted domains of QoL with a non-uniform pattern in individuals with GD. Social support and discrimination were found to have opposing contributions to QoL in GD. The present findings emphasize the necessity of addressing discrimination and social support in clinical work with GD. Moreover, strategies to improve and strengthen friend and family support for individuals with GD should be explored by clinicians. Further research with larger and community-based samples is required.

Patients experiences of maintaining mental well-being and hope within motor neuron disease: a thematic synthesis.

Research is required that can synthesize the experiences of patients with Motor Neuron Disease (MND). One value of being able to do this is to understand the psychological experiences and processes involved in maintaining mental well-being and hope. A qualitative thematic synthesis of studies was undertaken. Studies were electronically searched from inception until June 2014. Twenty-nine studies with 342 (175 male) unique individuals with MND were identified. Five themes were identified: (1)The effects of the disease on interactions, relationships, roles and meaningful activities, (2) Responses that relate to the expression of hope, (3) Factors which disable hope, (4) Factors which enable hope, and (5) Cognitive and Practical adaptation that enabled hope, control and coping. Finally, a model of hope enablement was identified that considers the psychological pathways undertaken by a patient which influence mental well-being and hope. Within this review article evidence is provided which illustrates the central importance of relationships and social support for individuals with MND. Further, it has been identified that periods of coping are possible and are likely associated with greater mental well-being for patients with MND.

"Please Don't Make Me Ask for Help": Implicit Social Support and Mental Health in Chinese Individuals Living with HIV.

China faces a growing HIV epidemic; psychosocial needs of HIV-positive individuals remain largely unaddressed. Research is needed to consider the gap between need for mental healthcare and lack of sufficiently trained professionals, in a culturally acceptable manner. This study assessed explicit and implicit forms of social support and mental health symptoms in 120 HIV-positive Chinese. Explicit social support refers to interactions involving active disclosure and discussion of problems and request for assistance, whereas implicit social support refers to the emotional comfort one obtains from social networks without disclosing problems. We hypothesized and found using multiple linear regression, that after controlling for demographics, only implicit, but not explicit social support positively predicted mental health. Future research is warranted on the effects of utilizing implicit social support to bolster mental health, which has the potential to circumvent the issues of both high stigma and low professional resources in this population.

Literature review of pain management for people with chronic pain.

Multimodal approaches toward relieving pain, patients' participation, and improving self-efficacy are important for chronic pain management. The aims of this review were to identify possible options of nursing strategies for pain management in individuals with chronic pain and to determine the effectiveness of these strategies for pain relief/pain-related problems; therefore, nurses and researchers could consider and/or adopt multimodal chronic pain management strategies. A Systematic Integrated Literature Review was conducted. Published work related to pain management in individuals with chronic pain was identified by searching databases and reviewed. Among the studies reviewed, we identified 35 studies that focused on pain management strategies. In 10 studies, interventions such as integrated and multidisciplinary pain management programs were associated with significant decreases in pain intensity. However, they reported that the long-term effectiveness of pain relief was not satisfactory. Individuals with chronic pain reported that strategies including pharmacotherapy, physical activity, social support from friends and family, acupuncture, heating, rest, diets, or life-style changes helped them to effectively manage their pain. We identified possible options of pain management strategies and explored effectiveness of chronic pain interventions. The long-term effects of pain relief interventions and social support for individuals with chronic pain require further investigation.