Social Support Interventions Research Articles

Network support, technology use, depression, and ART adherence among HIV-positive MSM of color

ABSTRACTDepression is associated with poor antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS. This relationship may be moderated by an individual’s social network characteristics. Our study sought to examine social network correlates of treatment adherence among HIV-positive men recruited from social service agencies throughout Los Angeles County (N = 150) to inform technology-driven social support interventions for this population. We administered egocentric social network and computer-assisted survey interviews focused on demographic characteristics, health history, depressive symptoms, and ART adherence, where adherence was assessed by the number of reasons participants missed taking their medication, if ever. Significant univariate correlates of adherence were included in a multivariable regression analysis, where the moderating effect of having a network member who reminds participants to take their HIV medication on the relationship between depression and adherence was tested. Over 60% of participants reported clinically significant depressive symptoms; this was significantly associated with lower adherence among those without someone in their social network to remind them about taking their HIV medication, even after adjusting for covariates in an ordinary least squares regression (adjusted mean difference b = −1.61, SE = 0.42, p = 0.0003). Having a network member who reminds participants to take their ART medication significantly ameliorated the negative association between depression and treatment adherence, especially for those reporting greater depressive symptoms (p = 0.0394). Additionally, participants demonstrated high rates of technology use to communicate with social network members. In order to achieve the aims of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, innovative interventions addressing mental health to improve ART adherence are needed. Network strategies that leverage technology may be helpful for improving ART adherence among HIV-positive men with comorbid depressive symptoms.

Feasibility and effectiveness of a telephone-based social support intervention for informal caregivers of people with dementia: Study protocol of the TALKING TIME project

BackgroundCaring for people with dementia at home requires a significant amount of time, organization, and commitment. Therefore, informal caregivers, mainly relatives, of people with dementia often feel a high burden. Although on-site support groups are known to have positive effects on the subjective well-being (SWB) and perceived social support of informal caregivers, there are cases in which relatives have either no time or no opportunity to leave the person alone or in which there are no support groups nearby. The TALKING TIME project aims to close this supply gap by providing structured telephone-based support groups in Germany for the first time. International studies have shown benefits for informal caregivers.MethodsThe TALKING TIME study is a randomized controlled trial. The effects of the 3-month TALKING TIME intervention will be compared with those of a control group without intervention at two time points (baseline = T0, after 3 months = T1). The control group will receive the TALKING TIME intervention after T1. With a planned sample size of 88 participants, the study is powered to detect an estimated effect size of 0.70 for psychological quality of life, considering an α of 0.05 (two-sided), a power of 80%. Caregivers are informal caregivers who are eligible if they are 18 years of age or older and have cared for a person with diagnosed dementia for at least four hours, four days per week, in the past six months. The exclusion criteria are psychiatric disorders of the informal caregiver. The primary outcome is the mental component summary of the SF-12 rated by informal caregivers. The secondary outcomes for informal caregivers are the physical component summary of the SF-12, the Perceived Social Support Caregiver Scale (SSCS) score, and the Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS) score. The secondary outcome for care recipients is the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q). For the process evaluation, different quantitative and qualitative data sources will be collected to address reach, fidelity, dosage and context.DiscussionThe results will provide further information on the effectiveness and optimization of telephone-based support groups for informal caregivers of people with dementia, which can help guide the further development of effective telephone-based social support group interventions.Trial registrationClinical Trials: NCT02806583, June 9, 2016

Application progress of social support and psychological intervention on preventing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

China has a high burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) . The treatment for MDR-TB was affected by complex and long treatment course, high treatment costs and high psychological burden. Previous studies have shown that social support and psychological intervention play an important role in alleviating the economic and psychological burden, and improving the compliance and treatment outcome in MDR-TB patients. The aim of this article is to conclude and analyze the research progress of social support and psychological intervention in China and overseas in recent years. Different intervention methods are collected and classified into different areas. The article also gives some expectations to the studies of social support and psychological intervention refer to follow-up and management in MDR-TB patients. Key words: Review; Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis; Social support; Psychological intervention

Psychosocial interventions for supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy.

Psychosocial interventions for supporting women to stop smoking in pregnancy.

Enhancing Social Support Postincarceration: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Over 50% of released prisoners are reincarcerated within 3 years. Social support from loved ones postincarceration significantly reduces the likelihood of reincarceration. Increasingly, intervention developers aim to implement interventions that will enhance the stability of support available. This study responds to gaps in knowledge. The current efficacy study reports findings from a randomized controlled trial (n = 57) of a social support intervention. A priori power analysis indicated moderate effect sizes could be detected. Participants were men, average age was 25 years, and over 90% were African American. Preliminary effects on social support, cognitions, substance use, and rearrest were assessed. Recruitment and consent occurred in prison; the intervention and 4 follow-ups occurred postrelease. Findings converge with research indicating declines in social support (b = -.70, p < .05) and perceived quality of support (b = .05, p < .01) over time. Age showed inverse relationships with support (b = -1.77, p < .05). There were no statistically significant group effects for social support, cognitions, substance use (with the exception of marijuana), or recidivism. Clinical implications are discussed. This study advances research on intervention dosage, potency, and measurement considerations.

The failure to increase social support: it just might be time to stop intervening (and start rigorously observing)

In 1986, Lichtenstein et al. (Behav Ther. 17(5):607–19, 1986) presented the results of five studies focused on enhancing social support for smoking cessation in community-based clinic and worksite interventions. The manuscript was titled Social Support in Smoking Cessation: In Search of Effective Interventions and its main conclusion was that "attempts to both increase social support and to enhance treatment effectiveness have not been successful." Thirty years later, the paper by Cutrona et al. (Transl Behav Med. 6(4):546–57, 2016) draws a similar conclusion from a study focused on providing social support through an online social network for smoking cessation. In reviewing these findings - and based on our knowledge of the extensive literature on social support interventions that has been published over the past 30+ years - we believe there is a need for a fundamental shift in research on social support. Our focus here is largely on smoking cessation, but our comments are applicable to other areas of behavior change.

Effectiveness of Social Support in Coping with Stroke by Medically Ill Patient in Ibadan

Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult (CVI) or brain attack, is when poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death, there is need for concurrent coping with stroke demand cognitive effort from the patient. Social support intervention is best started as early (at diagnosis) and demands continuous effort. Hence, the study examines the effectiveness of social support in coping with stroke by medically ill patient in Ibadan. The study is a descriptive survey research and a total of 50 stroke patients attending the government hospital of Adeoyo, Ibadan were purposively selected for the study. The study adopted the researchers, Multidimensional Scale of Social Support and the result yielded r=0.78 while coping with stroke was measured using a scale from Journal compilation (2008) Blackwell publishing Ltd. titled stroke self-efficacy questionnaire, the result yielded 0.81. The study developed five hypotheses and pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze of the findings. The result revealed that, there was a significant effect of family support on coping with stroke by the medically ill patients (r=0.352, N=50, p<0.05), there was a significant effect of financial support on coping with stroke by the medically ill patients (r=0.658, N=50, p<0.05), there was a significant relationship of emotional support on coping with stroke by the medically ill patients (r=0.402, N=50, p<0.05), there was a significant effect of companionship support on coping with stroke by the medically ill patients (r=0.654, N=50, p<0.05), the multiple regression analysis showed that, Family Support (β=-0.391, p<0.05) had significant effect followed by Financial Support (β=0.418, p<0.05), followed by Emotional Support (β=0.165, p<0.05) and Companionship Support (β=0.7878, p<0.05)Hence, the study revealed that, living with stroke requires joint effort of family support, financial support, emotional support and companionship support to help make the necessary changes to cope and adapt to stroke.

Supporting Rural Women During Pregnancy: Baby BEEP Nurses.

The aim of this study was to characterize nursing care provided by the research nurses from the Baby Behavioral Educational Enhancement of Pregnancy (Baby BEEP) study as they delivered a telephone social support intervention to low-income, pregnant women in the Midwestern United States. This was a descriptive qualitative study that used Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations to frame and interpret the analysis. Research nurses from the Baby BEEP study found a novel way to reach a vulnerable population through weekly telephone interactions. Acting in several of Peplau's nursing roles, the care they provided led to a remarkable retention rate and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. The Baby BEEP study demonstrated the provision of a well-received psychosocial support intervention that can be used to help underserved women throughout pregnancy. Telenursing care provided to low-income, rural women was well received and reflected the principles in Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations. Nurses may use this type of nursing care to support women who are difficult to reach and typically experience low levels of support. This article describes the nursing care provided by the Baby BEEP nurses and provides a model for future, novel approaches to social support in a vulnerable and difficult-to-reach population.

Social Support, Parenting Competence, and Parenting Satisfaction Among Adolescent, African American, Mothers.

This secondary analysis explored how social support changed during the first 6 months postpartum and examined the relationships among social support, parenting competence, and parenting role satisfaction. Single, low-income, adolescent, new mothers ( N = 34) completed measures of perceived parenting competence, parenting role satisfaction, and four types of received social support (emotional, informational, tangible, problematic) from the entire social network at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Results indicated that social support did not change over time. Emotional, informational, and tangible social support were significantly correlated, concurrently and predictively, with perceived competence and satisfaction at most data collection points. Future social support intervention studies using social support as a modifiable variable with this high-risk group of African American adolescent new mothers are advocated. Health care professionals are encouraged to examine existing social support within these mothers' identified family units.

The Effects of a Mobile Application Social Support Program on Postpartum Perceived Stress and Depression

Postpartum depression is a common health problem for women following childbirth. Using effective social support to reduce postpartum depression has become an important issue. The current popularity of smartphones offers new possibilities for interventional methods. To investigate the effects of mobile-application-based social support programs on perceived stress and postpartum depression in postpartum women. The present study employs an experimental research design. 126 smartphone users at 36 weeks' gestation were assigned randomly to the intervention (n = 61) or the control (n = 65) group. The intervention group received a social-support intervention via the mobile application Line twice per week for a period of 4 weeks after childbirth. The control group did not receive the intervention. The Perceived Stress Scale-Chinese version and Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale were used to evaluate the outcome. Participants in the intervention group had significantly lower perceived stress (F = 27.25, p < .001) and postpartum depression (F = 35.73, p < .001) than their control group peers. Social-support programs that are delivered via mobile applications such as Line may significantly reduce the perceived stress and postpartum depression of women during the early postpartum period. The results support the implementation of mobile-application-based social support programs in postpartum care.

Psychosocial employment characteristics and postpartum maternal mental health symptoms.

For new mothers returning to work, the role of the workplace psychosocial environment on maternal mental health has not been fully described. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between psychosocial employment characteristics and mothers' postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Ninety-seven women answered survey questions regarding employment, job demand, control, and support, and postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms soon after live birth and 6 months later. Working and nonworking mothers reported similar mental health symptoms. Psychological characteristics of employment were not associated with increased odds of mental health symptoms. Increased social support provided by coworkers, supervisors, and the organization was associated with reduced odds of anxiety symptoms. Our findings identified lack of workplace social support as a modifiable risk factor for postpartum anxiety. Future evaluations of workplace social support interventions may be explored to improve postpartum mental health symptoms. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:109-120, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A survey of illness uncertainty and its influencing factors among family members of patients insurgical intensive care unit

Objective To investigate the level of illness uncertainty among family members of patients in surgical intensive care unit (ICU) and analyze its potential influencing factors based on Mishel's theory. Methods A sample of 260 family members were recruited from the surgical ICU during the period from September 2014 to June 2015. Illness uncertainty was assessed by the Mishel Uncertainty of Illness Scale-Family Member. General variables questionnaire, Social Support Rating Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire were also examined to explore the influencing factors. Results The score of illness uncertainty was (96.75±13.90 ) points in family member of patients in surgical ICU, at a high level. Multiply liner regression showed that social support (P=0.011), positive coping style (P=0.027) and average family income (P=0.033) were significant influencing factors of illness uncertainty. Conclusions The level of illness uncertainty is high among family members of patients in surgical ICU. There is a need for nurses to provide accessible social support and psychological intervention, help them cope with illness uncertainty positively. Key words: Intensive care unit; Family member; Illness uncertainty; Cope; Support

Evaluation of impact of social support and care on HIV-positive and AIDS individuals' quality of life: a nonrandomised community trial.

Our study was conducted to further investigate the model of social support and care for People Living with HIV/AIDS(PLHA), to explore their role in People Living with AIDS's quality of life (QOL) as reference for improving nursing policies for AIDS. Social support and care are the most important factors impacting the QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS, but most studies conducted upon the influence of social support and QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS are mainly based on cross-sectional design. Our study was a nonrandomised controlled community intervention study. The participants diagnosed as People Living with HIV/AIDS at Beijing You An Hospital received a comprehensive social support care from December 2013 to December 2014. To evaluate the impact of social support and care model on People Living with HIV/AIDS, our study analysed the different dimension scores of social support scale and quality of life before and after the intervention. Correlation between the net benefit value of social support and that of QOL from various dimensions were analysed. There were significant differences in the score of objective support and usage of support (all p=0·02) for social support. Net values of objective support score and usage of support were 0·25 and 0·19, respectively, after intervention. There were significant differences in physiological function, role physical, general health, vitality, social function, mental health, health transition and total score of quality of life (all p<0·05). The canonical correlation analysis of net values of social support and QOL indicated that the first and second canonical correlation were statistically significant, with correlation coefficients of 0·53 (p=0·00) and 0·21 (p=0·04). Social support and care intervention model can effectively improve perceived subjective feeling on social support and QOL condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS. And strategies to improve social support and care intervention programmes are strongly encouraged. The method is simple and cost-effective and could be a way to improve the quality of life condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Evaluation of a family camp intervention for children with a heart transplant and their families

ABSTRACTGiven the arduous course of heart transplantation and follow-up care, recipients and their families face complex challenges and stressors warranting supportive interventions. This study explored the impact of a family camp as an intervention of education and social support for pediatric transplant recipients and their families. A total of 49 individuals participated in this evaluation, including eight children and nine youth with heart transplants, five siblings, 19 parents, and 13 health care providers. Participants ranked and described the 3-day family camp experience. Analysis of pre/post intervention measures on knowledge, social support, and coping revealed statistically significant improvements in knowledge, social support, self-esteem, and psychological stability. Satisfaction surveys revealed the camp to be an important resource for education, family fun, and peer support among transplant recipients, their families, and the health care team. Implications and recommendations are offered for clinical and community practice.

Dispositional Affect Moderates the Stress-Buffering Effect of Social Support on Risk for Developing the Common Cold.

The aim was to examine whether trait positive and negative affect (PA, NA) moderate the stress-buffering effect of perceived social support on risk for developing a cold subsequent to being exposed to a virus that causes mild upper respiratory illness. Analyses were based on archival data from 694 healthy adults (Mage = 31.0 years, SD = 10.7 years; 49.0% female; 64.6% Caucasian). Perceived social support and perceived stress were assessed by self-report questionnaire and trait affect by aggregating responses to daily mood items administered by telephone interview across several days. Subsequently, participants were exposed to a virus that causes the common cold and monitored for 5 days for clinical illness (infection + objective signs of illness). Two 3-way interactions emerged-Support × Stress × PA and Support × Stress × NA. The nature of these effects was such that among persons with high trait PA or low trait NA, greater social support attenuated the risk of developing a cold when under high but not low perceived stress; this stress-buffering effect did not emerge among persons with low trait PA or high trait NA. Dispositional affect might be used to identify individuals who may be most responsive to social support and support-based interventions.

Association between Food Insecurity and Procurement Methods among People Living with HIV in a High Resource Setting.

ObjectivePeople living with HIV in high-resource settings suffer severe levels of food insecurity; however, limited evidence exists regarding dietary intake and sub-components that characterize food insecurity (i.e. food quantity, quality, safety or procurement) in this population. We examined the prevalence and characteristics of food insecurity among people living with HIV across British Columbia, Canada.DesignThis cross-sectional analysis was conducted within a national community-based research initiative.MethodsFood security was measured using the Health Canada Household Food Security Scale Module. Logistic regression was used to determine key independent predictors of food insecurity, controlling for potential confounders.ResultsOf 262 participants, 192 (73%) reported food insecurity. Sub-components associated with food insecurity in bivariate analysis included: < RDI consumption of protein (p = 0.046); being sick from spoiled/unsafe food in the past six months (p = 0.010); and procurement of food using non-traditional methods (p <0.05). In multivariable analyses, factors significantly associated with food insecurity included: procurement of food using non-traditional methods [AOR = 11.11, 95% CI: 4.79–25.68, p = <0.001]; younger age [AOR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86–0.96, p = <0.001]; unstable housing [AOR = 4.46, 95% CI: 1.15–17.36, p = 0.031]; household gross annual income [AOR = 4.49, 95% CI: 1.74–11.60, p = 0.002]; and symptoms of depression [AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.25–5.96, p = 0.012].ConclusionsFood insecurity among people living with HIV in British Columbia is characterized by poor dietary quality and food procurement methods. Notably, participants who reported procuring in non-traditional manners were over 10 times more likely to be food insecure. These findings suggest a need for tailored food security and social support interventions in this setting.

Intervention Costs From Communities Putting Prevention to Work.

IntroductionIn 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded 50 communities to participate in the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program. CPPW supported community-based approaches to prevent or delay chronic disease and promote wellness by reducing tobacco use and obesity. We collected the direct costs of CPPW for the 44 communities funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and analyzed costs per person reached for all CPPW interventions and by intervention category.MethodsFrom 2011 through 2013, we collected quarterly data on costs from the 44 CPPW ARRA-funded communities. We estimated CPPW program costs as spending on labor; consultants; materials, travel, and services; overhead activities; and partners plus the value of in-kind donations. We estimated communities’ costs per person reached for each intervention implemented and compared cost allocations across communities that focused on reducing tobacco use, or obesity, or both. Analyses were conducted in 2014; costs are reported in 2012 dollars.ResultsThe largest share of CPPW total costs of $363 million supported interventions in communities that focused on obesity ($228 million). Average costs per person reached were less than $5 for 84% of tobacco-related interventions, 88% of nutrition interventions, and 89% of physical activity interventions. Costs per person reached were highest for social support and services interventions, almost $3 for tobacco‑use interventions and $1 for obesity prevention interventions.ConclusionsCPPW cost estimates are useful for comparing intervention cost per person reached with health outcomes and for addressing how community health intervention costs vary by type of intervention and by community size.

Challenges and Innovations in a Community-Based Participatory Randomized Controlled Trial

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a long-standing and important design for conducting rigorous tests of the effectiveness of health interventions. However, many questions have been raised about the external validity of RCTs, their utility in explicating mechanisms of intervention and participants' intervention experiences, and their feasibility and acceptability. In the current mixed-methods study, academic and community partners developed and implemented an RCT to test the effectiveness of a collaboratively developed community-based advocacy, learning, and social support intervention. The goals of the intervention were to address social determinants of health and build trust and connections with other mental health services in order to reduce mental health disparities among Afghan, Great Lakes Region African, and Iraqi refugee adults and to engage and retain refugees in trauma-focused treatment, if needed. Two cohorts completed the intervention between 2013 and 2015. Ninety-three adult refugees were randomly assigned to intervention or control group and completed four research interviews (pre-, mid-, and postintervention, and follow-up). Several challenges to conducting a community-based RCT emerged, including issues related to interviewer intervention to assist participants in the control group, diffusion of intervention resources throughout the small refugee communities, and staff and community concerns about the RCT design and what evidence is meaningful to demonstrate intervention effectiveness. These findings highlight important epistemological, methodological, and ethical challenges that should be considered when conducting community-based RCTs and interpreting results from them. In addition, several innovations were developed to address these challenges, which may be useful for other community-academic partnerships engaged in RCTs.

Factors contributing to social support among female marriage migrants in Hong Kong: A longitudinal study

This study investigates the determinants of social support. We used a random sample of 211 female Chinese marriage migrants from a 2-year longitudinal secondary data set and conducted bivariate and multivariate multiple regressions to examine the associations of social support with acculturation stress, persistent acculturation stress, psychological wellbeing, perceived neighborhood disorder, and optimism. Results showed that marriage migrants have difficulties rebuilding their social network outside their own communities. Acculturation stress and psychological wellbeing were the two significant factors affecting social support. Findings suggest that social support interventions should focus on alleviating acculturation stress, expanding social networking opportunities, and enhancing psychological wellbeing.

Effects of a Home-Based and Volunteer-Administered Physical Training, Nutritional, and Social Support Program on Malnutrition and Frailty in Older Persons: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of a home-based and volunteer-administered physical training and nutritional intervention program compared with social support intervention on nutritional and frailty status in prefrail and frail community-dwelling older persons. DesignThis was a randomized controlled trial in which community-dwelling persons (mean age = 83 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to the physical training and nutritional intervention group (PTN, n = 39) and the social support group (SoSu, n = 41). The study was conducted by trained lay nonprofessionals. SettingThe community-dwelling older persons in both groups were visited twice a week by trained nonprofessional volunteers (buddies) in Vienna, Austria. ParticipantsEighty prefrail and frail adults aged 65 years or older. InterventionIn the PTN group, both the buddies and older persons performed 6 strength exercises within a circuit training session and discussed nutrition-related aspects. The active control group (SoSu) had the opportunity to perform cognitive training in addition to the social contact. MeasurementsOutcome measures as nutritional (Mini Nutritional Assessment long form [MNA-LF]) and frailty status (Frailty Instrument for Primary Care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe [SHARE-FI]) were obtained at baseline and after 12 weeks. ResultsSignificant improvements in the MNA-LF score (1.54 points, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51–2.56; P = .004) and the SHARE-FI score (−0.71 discrete factor score values, 95% CI −1.07, −0.35; P < .001) were observed in the PTN group after 12 weeks. In both groups, the prevalence of impaired nutritional status and frailty decreased significantly over time. The prevalence of impaired nutritional status decreased by 25% in the PTN group and by 23% in the SoSu group. Moreover, the prevalence of frailty decreased by 17% in the PTN group and by 16% in the SoSu group. The presence of impaired nutritional status at baseline was independently associated with greater changes in the nutritional (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.18, 95% CI 1.26–7.98; P = .014) and frailty status (adjusted OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.01–9.93; P = .049) after 12 weeks. ConclusionThe results indicate that a home-based physical training, nutritional, and social support intervention conducted by nonprofessionals is feasible and can help to tackle malnutrition and frailty in older persons living at home. Furthermore, social support alone also can result in improvement. In particular, older adults with impaired nutritional status at baseline can benefit more from the intervention. Such a home visit program might also have the potential to prevent future health risks and could allay isolation and loneliness.