Specific Types Of Support Research Articles

Thoughts and experiences of well-educated fathers about their role when breastfeeding difficulties arose

ObjectiveTo investigate how fathers or partners perceive their roles as new parents when confronted with early breastfeeding challenges, how they navigate these difficulties, and the specific type of support they seek from the Child Health Care Centre (CHCC). MethodIn-depth, individual interviews conducted with 12 partners of women for whom breastfeeding was difficult. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied on the interview data. ResultsInterviews resulted in three themes: 1) ‘It is a revolutionary time to be a new father’ represented a tumultuous time when fathers wanted to be involved in all decisions and part of a strong team with their partners. 2) ‘When a breastfeeding problem arose’; fathers questioned the sovereignty of breast milk and began to seek more knowledge. They experienced a strong social norm about breastfeeding that led to feelings of guilt for their partners. They felt helpless when their partners suffered and lacked support. 3) ‘Child Health Care Centre’s duty’; was instrumental, as knowledge and competence were found to be important for trust. The fathers wanted concrete solutions to breastfeeding problems and more conversations of support with the CHCC nurse. ConclusionWell-educated fathers desire to protect their partners as they experience suffering due to a robust social norm telling them that breastfeeding is best. This can result in them starting to question the sovereignty of breast milk. Fathers need support to help their partners successfully during breastfeeding. They want counselling to strengthen their role as parents and help them build trusting teams with their partners.

Friendships and Student Success in College

Over the past two decades, a growing body of research has investigated college students’ friendships and how these relationships can both enable and constrain students’ success. I review this body of literature, describing the characteristics and processes of college students’ friendships. First, I review work that describes characteristics of students’ friendships, particularly focused on the roles of similarity and proximity in shaping the friendships students make. Second, I focus on what students do with friends that promote college success. Taking a broad view of success, I focus on how friends facilitate a sense of belonging and identity development as well as specific types of support that students provide, emotionally and academically. Third, I discuss processes related to friendships that impede students from success. I conclude by noting some implications for practice and promising areas of future research on friendships and success for postsecondary students.

Romantic attachment and support preferences in new mothers: The moderating role of stress

In the present research, we examined whether attachment anxiety and avoidance in support recipients were related to preferences for specific types of support. In addition, we examined whether stress moderated the relationship between attachment and support needs. Two-hundred and forty-five first-time mothers, currently involved in romantic relationships, participated in study 1, in which support needs and stress were appraised over the previous month using self-reports. High levels of attachment avoidance were related to needing less support, but attachment anxiety was not associated with support needs. There was no hyperactivation or deactivation of the attachment system in response to stress. It is possible that recall bias, associated with cross-sectional methods, may have confounded the results. In study 2, we sought to replicate these hypotheses using an ambulatory method to examine the association between attachment and momentary support needs in the daily life of mothers with babies ( N = 40). Results revealed that attachment anxiety was associated with a preference for high levels of momentary support, but attachment avoidance was not related to any support needs. Stress experienced in the moment was found to moderate the relationships between attachment and support needs, with mothers high in anxiety and avoidance needing more support.

Why a strong work-life balance system is needed?

Purpose. This paper describes the concept of “strength of the work-life balance system” as a new and more advanced form of involvement in work-life issues, which lead to a stronger relationship with positive outcomes such as performance, commitment or satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach. From a theoretical point of view, and following Bowen and Ostroff (2004; 2016)’s framework of strength, all the features of a strong work-life balance system are described. We define the characteristics that allow the work-life balance system to create strong situations in which clear messages are sent to employees about what appropriate behavior is. Findings. Offering specific practices or specific types of support is not enough; a strong work-life balance system must also be in place. The strength of the system, which refers to the process, allows the firm to convey a consistent message about the content of the practices. Employees’ motivation, attitudes and behaviors towards work-life balance are highly dependent on how they interpret the signals from employers about the work-life balance system designed but also implemented. Practical implications. Future research and practitioners should pay more attention not only to design work life practices, but also to the implementation process in order not to fail in gaining all the positive outcomes related to work life balance, for employers and employees. Originality/value. This paper is the first step in the exploration of the importance of the implementation process of a work-life balance system, for a better contribution to organization positive outcomes.

Extended care: Global dialogue on policy, practice and research

• The concept and aspects of extended care are widely adopted internationally. • Extended care is conceptualised in diverse ways by different countries. • Extended care is implemented in diverse ways by different countries. • Extended care is not clearly differentiated from aftercare. • There is a very limited research on the value of extended care across countries. Young people who are taken up into the care system (including foster, formal kinship and residential or group care) traditionally have to leave care at age 18, the generally accepted age of adulthood. Research globally has shown that most youth are not ready to transition to independent living at 18 and require additional support into early adulthood. One specific type of support that has gained increasing interest is extended care arrangements, including permitting young people to remain in their care placements beyond the age of 18. While widely discussed, there is a limited body of literature on the conceptualisation, implementation and evaluation of extended care, and almost no cross-national dialogue on extended care. This article aims to gather together a range of experiences on extended care and to explore the extent to which there is a cross-national consensus on the conceptualisation and operationalisation of extended care. Ten countries participated in the study, reviewing their country’s extended care policy, practice and research using a common matrix. Findings reveal adoption of aspects of extended care in all countries, wide variations in how extended care is conceptualised, legislated, funded and implemented, and very little research on the effectiveness of extended care. The authors recommend resolving cross-national variations in the conceptualisation of extended care and further research on the role and contribution of extended care placements to improved outcomes for youth in diverse social, political and economic contexts.

Support for non-prescribed anabolic androgenic steroids users: a qualitative exploration of their needs

Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are used by the general population (particularly male gym users) for their anabolic effects (increased muscle mass). Few studies have sought AAS users’ views on what information and support they need. This study focuses on ideal support wanted by people who use AAS. Interviews were conducted with 23 self-declared adult AAS users. Using thematic analysis, six themes were identified aligned to support and information wanted by AAS users: (1) specific types of information wanted: managing risks, (2) mechanisms for communication of advice, (3) specific types of support wanted: medical and emotional, (4) stigmatisation of people who use AAS, (5) paying for support services, (6) legality of AAS use.Integral to the support was that it should be considered within the context of use and identity. Support needs to be specific, targeted towards AAS users ensuring that balanced and evidenced-based advice is given. Sensitivity to AAS users’ perceptions of their drug-use and the stigma of being classified in the same sub-set as other illicit drug users is relevant to facilitating successful engagement. Furthermore, there is a need to consider the emotional issues surrounding AAS use and how to meet these needs.

Spousal Support for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Getting the Wrong Kind Is a Pain.

Research indicates that perceived support availability is beneficial, with support available from the spouse particularly important for well-being. However, actual support mobilization has shown mixed associations with recipient well-being. The primary goal of the present study was to go beyond examining the effects of global perceptions of support on recipient outcomes. Instead, we examined the effects of several specific types of support that have been found to be important in the clinical literature. In this study, we followed both members of couples in which one partner was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients provided reports on pain for both mornings and evenings across 1 week. Both partners also reported esteem, solicitous, and negative support mobilization received by the patient. We found that patient pain tended to increase across the day following increases in patient reports of negative support receipt and partner reports of solicitous support provision. We also found that patient pain tended to decrease across the day when partners reported increased levels of esteem support provision. Reverse causation analyses indicated higher levels of patient pain may lead partners to increase solicitous support mobilization to the patient. Findings underscore the importance of examining both partners’ reports of support within a dyadic coping framework. They further suggest that not all forms of support are equally beneficial, calling for a finer grained assessment of specific support transactions.

The Role of Partner Support Among Women with Depressive Symptoms.

Scarce research has explored how sex partners and their provision of social support impact depression among women. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of social support (overall and specific types of support) provided by a sex partner on depressive symptoms among a sample of women (n = 295). We assessed depression using the Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and used a social network inventory to evaluate partner characteristics and types of support provided. Overall 76% (n = 225) of the sample experienced depressive symptoms in the past 90 days. Approximately one-third of the sample had a partner who provided emotional support (33.9%), financial support (36.6%), or socialization support (40.0%). About 41% of women said their partner offered no support while 16.3% had a partner who gave all three types of support. These findings demonstrate that partners and the level and types of support provided should not be discounted in mental health assessments.

What makes supportive relationships supportive? The social climate in supported housing for people with psychiatric disabilities

ABSTRACTThe link between social support, well-being, and mental health has been established in numerous studies in a variety of disciplines since the 1970s. A specific type of support is professional social support for people with psychiatric disabilities living in the community. This study emphasizes the relationship between the professional and the person with psychiatric disability in supported housing. The results show that a supportive relationship involves a social climate with the following components: interest in the individuality, care/concern, and respect for the integrity of the individual. The results also indicate that the social climate has a crucial influence on perceived support, as exemplified by supportive and unsupportive types of relationship.

Abstract A21: Exploring the social networks of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

Abstract Background: Minority women in the United States continue to experience inferior breast cancer outcomes compared with white women, in part due to delays in care delivery. Emerging cancer care delivery models such as patient navigation focus on the social causes of disparities, but evidence demonstrating how these interventions increase social support is lacking. Social network analysis provides a method to understand the complex social dynamics that contribute to better cancer outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study is to describe the social networks of newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients and explore the contributing role of patient navigators to those networks. Methods: This descriptive pilot study explores the social networks of newly-diagnosed cancer patients enrolled in an active RCT comparing standard patient navigation versus patient navigation enhanced by legal advocacy. Eligible women were enrolled in the parent RCT, spoke English or Spanish, and agreed to complete the interview 3-7 months post-diagnosis. A convenience sample of 25 women was recruited to participate in a one hour interview to elicit information about their social networks related to cancer care support. Preliminary analysis visualized network structures to qualitatively identify patterns of network support (network types) and characterize the contributing role of types of support received (i.e. emotional and moral support, household help, access to resources). Secondly, network metrics (centrality, density, diversity, and knowledge exclusivity) were produced to quantify important structural attributes, influential individuals and critical types of supports. Comparisons using ANOVA identified potential differences between network types based on social network metrics. Results: Participants had a mean age of 56.9 years (40-80). Forty six percent were Black, 21% White, 21% Hispanic and 12% Other. Three distinct network types were qualitatively identified: 1) Networks with predominantly kinship ties; 2) Networks with predominantly role-based and affective ties (i.e. health care workers and friends); and 3) Heterogeneous networks with multiple tie types. Examining network metrics in relation to network types indicated that role/affect-based networks were characterized by patients who had higher betweenness centrality, compared to kinship networks (p<0.05), indicating patients played a key role in connecting other network members. No other network-level metric was significantly associated with network type. In terms of types of support received, 21 of 24 networks had moral and emotional support holding the highest degree centrality (mean=0.743, SD=0.13), suggesting sampled patients received emotional/moral support from many sources. Patient navigators were identified in 6 of the 24 networks, despite all patients being assigned a patient navigator. In 4 of the 6 networks in which navigators were identified, they held the highest knowledge exclusivity, indicating that navigators provided types of support not found elsewhere in patient social networks. Conclusions: Emotional and moral support is provided to cancer patients from many sources within their social networks. Among patients who identified navigators within their network, we found that they were able to provide distinctive support not found elsewhere in the network, suggesting they play a crucial role in the delivery of cancer care aimed at reducing disparities. Services and systems that identify and address deficits in specific types of support in patient social networks should be explored for their potential to reduce cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Christine M. Gunn, Sharon M. Bak, Tracy A. Battaglia, Naomi Ko, Vanesa Noel, Victoria A. Parker. Exploring the social networks of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A21.

Effects of feedback on collaborative writing in an online learning environment

The need for supporting student writing has received much attention in writing research. One specific type of support is feedback—including peer feedback—on the writing process. Despite the wealth of literature on both feedback and academic writing, there is little empirical evidence on what type of feedback best promotes writing in online environments. This article reports on research that tries to determine what type of feedback best improves the quality of collaborative writing and what the effects of feedback are on student learning in an environment based on asynchronous written communication. The results reveal that concerning the type of feedback, epistemic feedback or epistemic and suggestive feedback best improve the quality of collaborative writing performance. The nature of the feedback-giver (whether teacher feedback or teacher and peer) makes a difference to the final text only when the feedback is epistemic, or epistemic and suggestive.

An examination of social support influences on participation for older adults with chronic health conditions

Social support can improve participation in everyday activities among older adults with chronic health conditions, but the specific types of support that are needed are unclear. Purpose: This study examined the types of social support that most strongly predict participation in everyday activities. Method: Two hundred and twenty-seven participants completed a self-administered cross-sectional survey. The sample included adults aged 60 years or more with arthritis, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or heart disease. Participation was defined as satisfaction with participation in 11 life areas. Social support was defined as availability of tangible, affectionate, emotional/informational and positive social interaction support. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that participants who perceived greater tangible support and positive social interaction support had higher satisfaction with participation than participants with lower levels of these types of support. Conclusions: Targeting and developing tangible and social interaction support may help to facilitate satisfaction with participation for older adults with chronic conditions. Creating networks for companionship appears equally as important as providing support for daily living needs.Implications for RehabilitationVarying types of social support can improve participation in older adults with chronic health conditions.Tangible support and positive social interaction support are the strongest predictors of participation.Creating networks for companionship may be equally as important as providing support for daily living needs.

Support and coronary heart disease: the importance of significant other responses.

In addition to the recognized benefits of social support, there is evidence across several health-related disorders suggesting that specific types of support can contribute to negative outcomes. Informed by theory and research examining the role of pain-related interpersonal interactions in the perpetuation of chronic pain, this study examined whether specific responses from significant others to expressions of coronary heart disease(CHD) related symptoms and incapacity are associated with level of symptoms, degree of disability, and depressive symptom severity among persons with symptomatic CHD. Forty-nine persons with CHD completed self-report questionnaires of the constructs of interest. Regression analyses revealed that degree of perceived solicitious responding to CHD symptoms was associated with increased symptom severity, disability, and depressive symptoms. Results are consistent with an operant-conditioning model and suggest that positive attention from significant others contingent on expressions of CHD symptoms may unwittingly serve to reinforce symptom occurrence and expression, concomitant disability, and emotional distress.

Does Social Support Buffer Stress for College Women

This study investigated whether specific functions of social support buffered the relationship between different types of stressful life events and anxiety and depression in 60 college women. Strong main effects for global, belonging, and self-esteem social support were obtained, indicating that these types of social support are generally beneficial to women. Evidence for a buffering effect was also present, particularly for self-esteem support among college women who had experienced coercive sexual events and interpersonal stressors. These results have important clinical implications since knowledge of when specific types of support are particularly beneficial could guide intervention efforts following major life events. Findings were also suggestive of the importance of attending not only to the positive aspects of support but to the potential for social relationships to produce rather than alleviate stress.

Type of social support among homeless women: its impact on psychosocial resources, health and health behaviors, and use of health services.

Information about whether specific types of support are associated with poor psychosocial profiles, health behaviors, and positive use of medical care is critical for identifying homeless women at highest risk for negative outcomes. This study aimed to examine the impact that various levels of support from substance users and nonusers have on homeless women's psychosocial profiles, health and health behaviors, and use of health services. This cross-sectional survey used a sample of 1,302 sheltered homeless women. Using controls for potential confounders, outcomes were compared across four mutually exclusive subgroups of women reporting support from substance users only (n = 58), substance nonusers only (n = 439), both users and nonusers (n = 136), and no one (n = 669). Structured and psychometrically sound instruments measured social support, substance use, self-esteem, coping, and psychological symptoms. Additional instruments measured sociodemographic characteristics, sexual risk behavior, health status, and use of health services. As compared with those who have little or no support, women whose support included substance nonusers reported better psychosocial profiles and somewhat greater use of health services. Support from substance nonusers only was associated with better health behaviors and greater use of health services. Support from substance users only was essentially equivalent to not having support. Modifying the social networks of homeless women appears to be associated with improved mental health outcomes, less risky health behaviors, and greater use of health services.

What kind of social support do cancer patients get from nurses?

Health care workers have been identified as sources of social support for cancer patients. However, little is known about the type of support patients receive from nurses. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if patients perceived differences in how often they received different types of support from nurses. The dimensions of support assessed were based on House's conceptualization of social support as made up of four components: emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal. A secondary purpose was to determine how satisfied the patients were with the nursing care they received while hospitalized. Sixty-six patients completed a questionnaire containing a 23-item self-report scale that measured how often they received specific types of support from nurses. The questionnaire also contained a seven-item self-report scale that measured how satisfied they were with the nursing care they received. Patients reported receiving significantly more instrumental and less appraisal support than other types of support (p < 0.008). Satisfaction with nursing care was significantly related to the amount of support they perceived receiving (p < 0.01). Implications for the importance of affirming the personal worth of cancer patient's as a part of routine nursing care are discussed and intervention strategies suggested.

Social relationships and psychosocial impairment of persons with spinal cord injury

Abstract This study examined predictions that the effects of social support on psychosocial impairment among persons with spinal cord injury would vary as a function of specific social relationships and chronicity. Results revealed positive and negative associations between certain types of support and psychosocial impairment. Reports of greater support reinforcing self-worth were less impaired regardless of time since the onset of disability. In contrast, social relationships in which a person was responsible for the well-being of another were associated with greater impairment. Several significant interactions between specific types of support and time since injury were observed. Findings are discussed as they expand current theoretical understanding of the beneficial and negative effects of social support on adjustment.

Social support for exercise: Relationship to physical activity in young adults

Background. Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet little is known concerning factors which influence participation in physical activity or exercise. Two studies assessed the relationships between self-reported physical activity and social support for exercise. Method. One study involved a biracial sample of middle-class male and female teachers (mean age = 38.5 ± 8.9 years) and one involved a biracial sample of lower- to middle-class males and females (mean age = 35.8 ± 5.1 years). Results. In both studies the social support scales had high internal consistencies and a two-component solution identical to the original validation study. In both studies, social support for exercise positively correlated with physical activity, but the relationships were mediated by race, gender, specific types of support (i.e., family, friend), and dimensions of physical activity (i.e., global, work, sports, and leisure). In both studies, regardless of work status and race, women's overall activity, particularly during leisure time, was positively related to family support for exercise. In both studies white women's overall activity levels, especially sports and leisure activities, were positively related to friend support. In both studies, black women's sports activity was positively associated with family support. Among white men in both studies, sports activities and total energy expenditure were positively related to family and friend support. Black men's sports-related activity was positively related to family support among the teachers and to friend support among subjects in the second study. Conclusion. Findings are discussed in terms of future research directed toward identification of other familial and sociocultural variables which might influence individuals' involvement in physical activity.

When social support fails: The homeless

The social support networks of residents of a temporary shelter for the homeless were examined. Participants (N = 125) were interviewed to obtain detailed information concerning resources of support, specific types of support, and subjective appraisals of support. Seven meaningful subgroups of homeless persons were identified using a cluster analysis technique. These groups varied along the dimensions of transiency, psychiatric history, criminal victimization, and criminal activity. As expected, this population had relatively small social networks, although most clearly had some sources of support, particularly from family members. Few differences on social support variables were revealed between subgroups. The differences between the homeless and other nonclinical populations are discussed, and implications for interventions are addressed.

Types and Sources of Social Support for Managing Job Stress In Critical Care Nursing

The theoretical model of occupational stress developed by LaRocco, House, and French, (1980) was tested in relation to job stress in critical care nursing. A sample of 164 female critical care nurses was obtained from eight hospitals. The variables of perceived social support, perceived job stress, job dissatisfaction, and psychological symptoms were measured, and specific types and sources of support were examined. Findings from the full sample supported all the main effects in the model but none of the buffering effects. For the married group, a specific type of support (work support) explained 24% of the variance of perceived job stress, nearly double that of the overall social support measure for this group. For the unmarried group, a specific source of support (from relatives) explained 10% of the variance in perceived job stress and 16% of the variance in psychological symptoms--double or triple the effect of the total network support score for the full sample.