Mental Health Social Support Research Articles

Experientially simulated others: finding social support for mental health in digital games

ABSTRACT People with mental illness struggle to find connection and community due to a combination of stigma, social isolation, and adverse social experiences. Digital games, as an immersive and interactive media, can convey aspects of mental health experiences in thoughtful ways. I considered how players connect with characters in digital games about mental health. Combining social network theories and science and technology studies, this qualitative grounded theory study of 48 people who play video games and experience mental illness found that players perceive and form bonds with characters as experientially similar to themselves. Players engaged with different commercially-available games about mental health and felt less alone in their own experiences, identified new coping strategies, and envisioned alternate self-narratives. I put forward a concept, experientially simulated others, to define the specific ways that digital games’ interactivity and immersivity enhance the impacts of connecting with shared mental health experiences.

SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH COMORBIDITIES

Abstract Psychological distress is common and problematic for older adults with comorbidities. Social media has great potential to help older adults engage in meaningful social activities and relationships that might improve mental health. However, little information exists about the actual use and the beneficial effects of the use of social media on mental health among this particular population. Using data from the 2019-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), we aimed to describe the prevalence of social media use, and whether social media use is related to better self-care confidence and thus related to better mental health among U.S. older adults with comorbidities. Data were analyzed using weighted logistic models and mediation analyses that considered the complex survey design with jackknife replications. Variables were assessed by self-reports. The prevalence of social media use increased rapidly from 41% in 2017 to 54% in 2020 among U.S. older adults with comorbidities. Those who were of younger age, women, higher education, or higher income were more likely to use social media, whereas those who were Hispanic or Black were less likely to use social media. Social media use was related to better self-care confidence (b=0.17, 95% CI=0.07-0.26, P< 0.001) and is further related to better mental health (b=1.07, 95% CI=0.86-1.28, P< 0.001). Our results suggest that social media is a beneficial supplement to traditional sources of social support for mental health. However, more attention is needed to those who are not only affected by commodities but also socially disadvantaged (e.g., Hispanic or Black with lower education).

Predictive and Protective Role of Grit, Internal Locus of Control and Social Support in Mental Health of Cardiac Patients

Individuals diagnosed with cardiac diseases often experience poor mental health outcomes. However, grit, social support and internal locus of control can provide protective effects against poor mental health in patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to assess the predictive and protective role of grit, internal locus of control and social support with regard to mental health of cardiac patients. A total of 250 cardiac patients had been sampled comprising 130 males and 120 females in the age range of 30 to 70 years selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was done using Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Duckworth Grit Scale and DASS-21. Data analysis was done using Pearson correlation and regression analyses using dummy coding. Results showed that among cardiac patients, being a male in the age range of 30 to 45 years of age, being married, having higher levels of education, higher scores on grit with an internal locus of control is associated with improved mental health. It is thus concluded that having an internal locus of control, higher levels of social support and being gritty is associated with improved mental health outcomes in cardiac patients.

Supporters First: Understanding Online Social Support on Mental Health from a Supporter Perspective

Social support or peer support in mental health has successfully settled down in online spaces by reducing the potential risk of critical mental illness (e.g., suicidal thoughts) of support-seekers. While the prior work has mostly focused on support-seekers, particularly investigating their behavioral characteristics and the effects of online social supports to support-seekers, this paper seeks to understand online social support from supporters' perspectives, who have informational or emotional resources that may affect support-seekers either positively or negatively. To this end, we collect and analyze a large-scale of dataset consisting of the supporting comments and their target posts from 55 mental health communities in Reddit. We also develop a deep-learning-based model that scores informational and emotional support to the supporting comments. Based on the collected and scored dataset, we measure the characteristics of the supporters from the behavioral and content perspectives, which reveals that the supporters tend to give emotional support than informational support and the atmosphere of social support communities tend also to be emotional. We also understand the relations between the supporters and the support-seekers by giving a notion of "social supporting network'', whose nodes and edges are the sets of the users and the supporting comments. Our analysis on top users by out-degrees and in-degrees in social supporting network demonstrates that heavily-supportive users are more likely to give informational support with diverse content while the users who attract much support exhibit continuous support-seeking behaviors by uploading multiple posts with similar content. Lastly, we identified structural communities in social supporting network to explore whether and how the supporters and the support-seeking users are grouped. By conducting topic analysis on both the support-seeking posts and the supporting comments of individual communities, we revealed that small communities deal with a specific topic such as hair-pulling disorder. We believe that the methodologies, dataset, and findings can not only expose more research questions on online social supports in mental health, but also provide insight on improving social support in online platforms.

Mental disorders and lack of social support among refugees and Ugandan nationals screening for HIV at health centers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwestern Uganda.

Exposure to potentially traumatic events and daily stressors in humanitarian settings puts refugees and asylum seekers (henceforth collectively referred to as refugees) at increased risk for mental disorders. Little is known about how mental disorder prevalence compares between refugees and national populations who live in the same settings and are exposed to many of the same daily challenges. We aimed to compare the proportions of refugees and Ugandan nationals screening positive for mental disorders in a Ugandan refugee settlement to inform targeted health interventions. Given displacement's disruptive effect on social networks and the importance of social support for mental health, we also aimed to assess social support. Refugees and Ugandan nationals voluntarily testing for HIV at health centers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement were screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD CheckList-6 - Civilian Version [PCL-6]), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7]), and lack of social support (Brief Social Support Scale [BS6]). The association between refugee versus Ugandan national status and the four outcomes was assessed using log-binomial regression. Screening surveys were completed by 5,513 participants, including 3,622 refugees and 1,891 Ugandan nationals. A positive screen for PTSD, depression, anxiety and lack of social support was found for 2,388 (44%), 1,337 (25%), 1,241 (23%) and 631 (12%) participants, respectively. Refugee status was associated with a higher prevalence of a positive screen for PTSD (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.23), depression (PR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.11-1.36), anxiety (PR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.14-1.42), and lack of social support (PR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.27-1.78). When adjusted for the other outcomes, the higher prevalence of a positive screen for PTSD, anxiety and lack of social support for refugees remained statistically significant. Elevated symptoms of mental disorders are found among refugees and Ugandan nationals testing for HIV in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. The significant association between refugee status and PTSD, anxiety and lack of social support symptoms highlights the distinct needs of this population. To determine the prevalence of mental disorders in these populations, comprehensive assessment, including psychological and neuropsychological testing, is needed.

Psychological First Aid Training in the Community

Mental health problems in Malaysia have been showing an upward trend, especially due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite good primary, secondary, and tertiary care, and the availability of community-based mental services such as psychosocial rehabilitation, there remains to be a lack of social support for mental health in the Malaysian community. Stigma toward mental health problems remains high in the country. There are existing volunteer programs, such as Komuniti Sihat Perkasa Negara, that could deliver psychological first aid to the community. This allows the mobilization of societal resources and increases universal health coverage for mental health, which is a crucial preparation before the next crisis that could impact the community’s mental health.

Reciprocal Support within Intimate Relationships: Examining the Association with Depression and Anxiety

Sociological research has established the importance of social support for mental health. Although social support is exchanged within relationships, most research on the relationship between support and mental health examines the perspective of only one person. This study uses the Actor-partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to examine the relationship between perceived support and depressive and anxiety symptoms in intimate partner relationships. Results show that when one perceives more support from one’s partner, one’s depressive and anxiety symptoms are lower. These results are not moderated by gender. Findings indicate that, while one’s own perceived support affects one’s own mental health, one’s partner’s perceived support does not affect one’s mental health, either directly or through moderation. This study advances prior research by examining support and mental health within intimate partner relationships from the perspectives of both relationship partners. Further research using longitudinal data is recommended.

Social support as a protective factor for the mothers of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome

Mothers of children with CZS face exceptional challenges caring for their offspring. Due to this reality, the availability of social support can function as an important protective factor. In this respect, this study aimed to evaluate the role of informal and formal social support in mental health, parental self-efficacy and satisfaction in the life of mothers of children with CZS. A total of 69 mothers of children with CZS (M = 26.4 years; SD = 6.23) living in the state of Ceará, Brazil participated in this study. They filled out the Social Support Satisfaction Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Parental Self-efficacy Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results show that the greater perception of informal social support significantly enables better mental health and satisfaction with life levels. In addition, access to formal social support significantly enables enhanced perception of parental self-efficacy. The results observed with the mothers of children with CZS are consistent with those reported in other studies with mothers of children with chronic conditions, pointing out that formal and informal social support have different effects on mental health, parental self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life, even controlling the effect of sociodemographic variables.

Interpersonal Relationship Aspects as Perceived Risk and Social Support Factors in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents With Depression

Abstract The goal of this qualitative study was to explore how adolescents with diagnosed depression describe their social relationships with peers, parents and teachers. Several previous findings have revealed the dual role of interpersonal relationships — as a stressor and contributor to different mental disorders, and also as a source of social support for mental health. Previous studies confirmed the value of a qualitative approach in exploring the self-perceived experiences of adolescents. The research group consisted of 28 adolescents, aged 13–17, with a diagnosis of depression. Individual semistructured interviews (Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised; CDRS-R) were applied in this study, which were analysed using thematic analysis. The results have both scientific and practical value, as well as relevance for the development of preventive interventions targeted at well-being and mental health of adolescents.

Grateful Nation: Student Veterans and the Rise of the Military-Friendly Campus by Ellen Moore, and: What’s Next for Student Veterans? Moving From Transition to Academic Success ed. by David DiRamio

Reviewed by: Grateful Nation: Student Veterans and the Rise of the Military-Friendly Campus by Ellen Moore, and: What’s Next for Student Veterans? Moving From Transition to Academic Success ed. by David DiRamio Jan Arminio Grateful Nation: Student Veterans and the Rise of the Military-Friendly Campus Ellen Moore Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2017, 260 pages, $26.00 (paperback) What’s Next for Student Veterans? Moving From Transition to Academic Success David DiRamio (Editor) Columbia, SC: National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, 2017, 219 pages, $28.00 (paperback) Early research on student veterans of the Global War on Terror consisted mostly of qualitative inquires exploring the nature of student veteran experiences, and in particular their transition to civilian student life. These early studies illuminated why educators and administrators needed to pay more attention to student veterans. David DiRamio’s edited book, What’s Next for Student Veterans?, presents findings from a second wave of research about student veterans to better inform policy and decision makers. Ellen Moore’s Grateful Nation, also a second-wave inquiry, was written to help people differentiate between support for veterans and support for the wars in which they fought. It challenges dualistic understanding of pro- or anti-military, veteran, and war to broaden our discussion about what it means to be a soldier, veteran, or civilian in a country at war. (p. x) As someone who has conducted research on student veterans, I found both books informative, but Moore’s critique of earlier scholarship on student veterans and what she views as higher education institutions becoming not only veteran-friendly but military-friendly (and she does distinguish them), makes for particularly poignant reading. The two are very different books, but both are important. Both offer reviews of recent empirical scholarship aimed at more clearly describing student veterans and their experiences in higher education. Chapter authors of DiRanio’s edited book are researchers and practitioners with significant expertise in the student veteran experience. The book is written in two parts. Part 1 offers findings from several studies and data sets including the Million Records Project, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, and the National Survey of Student Engagement. Chapter authors also report on smaller multi-institutional samples, though how they found the samples is not always clear. In comparison to much of the first wave of scholarship on student veterans, these authors take a deeper and more specific focus on the experiences and perspectives of student veterans including issues of equity, engagement patterns of student veterans with disabilities, and the role of social support in mental health and academic success. Part 2 describes promising and essential practices including the Peer Advisors for Veteran Educators program, a collaboration between 13 campuses (originally started at the University of Michigan) and the Student Veterans of America. With a neoliberal view, included in this part are findings on progress toward degrees and the return on investment of federal educational benefits of student veterans and active duty personnel. In this section authors advocate and offer data to substantiate the worth of peer advising, as well as student veteran engagement and advocacy programs. Social support from friends and family is also stressed. One study, the subject of chapter 9 by Ryan Van Dusen, distinguishes how student veterans fail to fit models of traditional and [End Page 644] nontraditional students. Themes from parts 1 and 2 emphasize the need for (a) continued transition and social support for student veterans from institutions, peers, friends, and family members, (b) continued training for staff and faculty, (c) and additional policies pertaining to enrollment processes (e.g., credit for military training). DiRamio ends the book with an impassioned plea not to abandon postsecondary support for student veterans and laments the waning of advocacy for programs and services. The plea is more powerful after reading in chapter 1 that the most frequently cited reason for joining the military is to receive educational benefits. Withdrawing essential programs and services would be a betrayal of these and future veterans’ trust. Moore raises critical questions about programs and services for veterans. Are these programs serving veterans or more so the military? Are these programs...

The Role of the Social Network in Access to Psychosocial Services for Migrant Elderly-A Qualitative Study.

Background: Despite high prevalence of mental problems among elderly migrants in The Netherlands, the use of psychosocial care services by this group is low. Scientific evidence points at the crucial role of social support for mental health and the use of psychosocial services. We therefore explored the role of social networks in the access to psychosocial care among elderly migrants in The Netherlands. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured group interviews and individual interviews. The eight group and eleven individual interviews (respectively n = 58 and n = 11) were conducted in The Netherlands with Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese, and Dutch elderly. The data were analysed through coding and comparing fragments and recognizing patterns. Results: Support of the social network is important to navigate to psychosocial care and is most frequently provided by children. However, the social network of elderly migrants is generally not able to meet the needs of the elderly. This is mostly due to poor mental health literacy of the social network, taboo, and stigma around mental illness and the busy lives of the social network members. Conclusions: Strategies to address help-seeking barriers should consider mental health literacy in elderly migrants as well as their social networks, and counteract taboos and stigma of mental health problems.

Deprivation and Social Support in Mental Health of Welfare Recipients in Japan.

Although many Western studies examining the mental health of welfare recipients exist, Japanese welfare recipients have been overlooked. This study investigated mental health among welfare recipients in Japan and relations with a sense of deprivation of life's necessities and social support. Participants (n = 305) completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Proportional Deprivation Index, and a social support scale. Participants' GHQ-12 scores exceeded those of the general public, as 54.9% scored above the cut-off, suggesting poorer mental health among welfare recipients than the general population. Proportional Deprivation Index and emotional support from relatives and friends were associated with GHQ-12 scores. These results suggest that while chronic deprivation is associated with poorer mental health among welfare recipients, receiving emotional support may help cope with distress and maintain mental health.

The importance of family and community support for the health of HIV-affected populations in Southern Africa: what do we know and where to from here?

Informal family and community support deriving from social relations can play an important role in protecting mental and physical health in resource-scarce contexts and may help facilitate health service access and uptake. Yet, to date, there has been surprisingly little empirical research investigating the role of social support as a resource for health in HIV-affected Southern African communities, despite the known importance of social connectedness, high rates of physical and mental health conditions, and existing 'treatment gaps'. This paper brings together and discusses findings of multiple linked analyses, from the first large-scale explanatory sequential mixed methods research investigating the relationship between social support and health with caregiver populations in HIV-endemic South Africa. Overall, findings highlight the protective role of social support for caregiver mental health, the multiple perceived psychological and behavioural mechanisms possibly explaining the relationship between social support and both mental and physical health, and gender differences in the provision, effects, and availability of support. Drawing from these findings and the broader literature, four potential foci for future research in Southern Africa are identified and discussed, as are implications for research design and methodologies. These involve achieving a better understanding of the following: The pathways and processes explaining common and differential effects of social support across different population groups; the potential protective role of social support for physical health; and the role of factors such as gender and social and cultural norms in shaping the relationship between social support and health. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Mental and physical health are closely related. HIV increases the risk of mental health conditions. Studies mainly from high-income countries have shown social relations and support to be protective of health. What does this study add? First mixed methods research of this dimension on social support and health in Southern Africa. Highlights importance of social support for mental health among caregivers of children in HIV-endemic South Africa. Points to biological and psychological pathways explaining the support-health relationship in this sample.

Functional Pathways of Social Support for Mental Health in Work and Family Domains Among Chinese Scientific and Technological Professionals.

This study investigated the role of social support in the complex pattern of associations among stressors, work-family interferences and depression in the domains of work and family. A questionnaire was administered to a nationwide sample of 11,419 Chinese science and technology professionals. Several structural equation models were specified to determine whether social support functioned as a predictor or a mediator. Using Mplus 5.0, we compared the moderation model, the independence model, the antecedent model and the mediation model. The results revealed that the relationship between work-family interference and social support was domain specific. The independence model fit the data best in the work domain. Both the moderation model and the antecedent model fit the family domain data equally well. The current study was conducted to answer the need for comprehensive investigations of cultural uniqueness in the antecedents of work-family interference. The domain specificity, i.e. the multiple channels of the functions of support in the family domain and not in the work domain, ensures that this study is unique and culturally specific.

Social support and suicide in Japanese men and women – The Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-based prospective study

Although the important role of social support in mental health is acknowledged, no prospective study has yet examined the relation of social support to suicide. Here, we investigated the association between social support and suicide in a cohort of Japanese men and women. A total of 26,672 men and 29,865 women aged 40–69 years enrolled in the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study in 1993–1994 completed a self-administered questionnaire which included four items of social support, and were followed for death through December 2005. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of suicidal death by social support index were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. A total of 180 suicidal deaths were recorded during an average of 12 years’ follow-up. Men and women with the highest level of social support had a significantly decreased risk of suicide, with HRs (95% CI) for the highest versus lowest social support group of 0.56 (0.33–0.94) and 0.38 (0.16–0.89) in men and women, respectively. Esteem support and having four or more friends were associated with a lower risk of suicide in women [0.32 (0.13–0.77)] and in both sexes [men: 0.56 (0.36–0.88); women: 0.65 (0.32–1.30)], respectively, whereas confident support was not. These findings suggest that social support may be important for suicide prevention. Avoiding social isolation may decrease the incidence of suicide in men and women, and esteem support can provide additional benefit for women.

Marital loss, mental health and the role of perceived social support: findings from six waves of an Australian population based panel study

ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of transitions out of marriage (separation, widowhood) on the self reported mental health of men and women, and examine whether perceptions of social support play an...

Soutien social et santé mentale : concept, mesures, recherches récentes et implications pour les cliniciens

This article's first objective is to better situate the concept of social support within the vast field of social relations. The authors then describe theoretical models allowing to explain the importance of social support in mental health as well as the implications within the context of the intervention, the various measures of social support, their respective values and the major instruments which have been developed in order to apprehend them. Recent studies then allow to illustrate the narrow links between mental health and social support identified in population and clinical studies. In conclusion, the authors present interventions that favor the development of social support and propose recommendations for clinicians.

Fatalism, Social Support, and Mental Health in Four Former Soviet Cultures

Research on social support has identified differences in levels of support between cultures but has provided only a limited explanation of the role of values or beliefs in accounting for such variations. In this article, the authors examine the relationship between fatalism and perceived support among 2,672 respondents in four former Soviet states (Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Belorussia), with participants drawn from groups of manual workers, managers, civil servants, students, and the retired in these four countries. The authors also examine the consequences of such social support for mental health across these nations. Findings indicate a small but significant moderator effect for fatalism on the relationship between social support and mental health. These results are discussed in the context of the continuing economic and social challenges facing the citizens of these nations.