Supportive Relationships Research Articles

Are spatial terms rooted in geometry or force-dynamics? Yes.

Theories of spatial term meanings often focus on geometric properties of objects and locations as the key to understanding meaning. For example, in English, "The cat is on the mat" might engage geometric properties characterizing the figure ('cat', a point) and the ground ('mat', a plane) as well as the geometric relationship between the two objects ('on', + vertical, 0 distance from ground object). However, substantial literature suggests that geometric properties are far from sufficient to capture the meanings of many spatial expressions, and that instead, force-dynamic properties of objects that afford containment or support relationships may be crucial to the meanings of those expressions. I will argue that both approaches are needed to understand the variety of spatial terms that appear in language and further, that spatial terms fall into two distinct sets, one represented by geometric properties of figure and ground and their spatial relationships, and the other by the force-dynamic properties of objects and their relationships. This division of labor within spatial terms has many consequences, with the two types differing in the nature of the acquisition problem and likely learning mechanisms, the extent and kind of cross-linguistic variation that has been observed, and the application of pragmatic principles to spatial terms. Speculatively, the two types may also be rooted in different cognitive systems and their neural substrates.

"I Don't Feel Judged, I Don't Feel Less of a Person" - Engaged and Supportive Providers in the HIV Care Experiences of Black Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV.

Black sexual minority men (BSMM) in the Southern region of the United States experience a disproportionate burden of HIV. Research findings suggest that having supportive patient-provider relationships are critical for sustained HIV care engagement. The present study explores the role of supportive healthcare providers in the care engagement among BSMM living with HIV (BSMM+) in the US South. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with BSMM+ in Texas (n=27) to explore perceived barriers and facilitators of sustained care engagement. Interviews lasted 60 minutes on average, were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Participants described how important having relationships with engaged and supportive HIV care and service providers is to sustained engagement in care and positive HIV clinical outcomes. Supportive providers were characterized as non-judgmental, meeting patients' needs, and making patients feel "seen". Less supportive providers were described as making their patients "feel like a number" and having lack of follow through on proposed support and resources. Supportive providers were associated with increased care engagement of their patients while less supportive providers often led to patients switching providers, losing touch with services, and getting off track with their care. We found that among BSMM+ an important facilitator of sustained care engagement was having positive, affirming, and knowledgeable healthcare providers, while negative and dismissive experiences with providers was a notable barrier to care engagement. This work highlights the need for a scale up of comprehensive, ongoing trainings in patient-centered and person-first communication for providers. Further, manageable provider caseloads can facilitate more thorough patient interactions where tailored HIV care and education can be provided in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

Manipulation of a social signal affects DNA methylation of a stress-related gene in a free-living bird.

Social status directly affects the health of humans and other animals. Low status individuals receive more antagonistic encounters, have fewer supportive relationships and have worse health outcomes. However, the physiological and cellular processes that mediate the relationship between the social environment and health are incompletely known. Epigenetic regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the neuroendocrine pathway that activates in response to stressors, may be one process that is sensitive to the social environment. Here, we experimentally manipulated plumage, a key social signal in female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and quantified methylation of four genes in the HPA axis before and after treatment. We found that dulling the white breast plumage affected methylation in one gene, CRHR1; however, the effect depended on the original brightness of the bird. Methylation in this gene was correlated with baseline corticosterone levels, suggesting that DNA methylation of CRHR1 helps regulate glucocorticoid production in this species. Methylation in two other genes, FKBP5 and GR, changed over the course of the experiment, independent of treatment. These results show that methylation of these genes is labile into adulthood and suggest that epigenetic regulation of the HPA axis could help birds respond to current environmental conditions.

Research trends in nurse-parent partnership: A scoping review of the paediatric field in South Korea.

To analyse and describe the trends concerning nurse-parent partnerships in South Korean research, presenting their implications in paediatric care and guiding future directions for partnership research. A scoping review. The scoping review was conducted according to the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. This review method consists of five stages: (1) identifying a research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting relevant studies, (4) charting the data extraction and (5) collating, summarizing and reporting the results. The studies reviewed were searched from electronic databases. Thirty studies were analysed for general characteristics, type of research method and findings from quantitative and qualitative research. Among the quantitative research, factors associated with partnerships, such as self-efficacy, quality of care and coping, were commonly associated with nurse-parent partnerships regardless of parent-, child- and nurse-related factors. The intervention methods included active parental participation and the development of educational materials. In the review of qualitative research, parents and paediatric nurses experienced that even when both groups occupied the same environment simultaneously, a disparity existed between the paediatric nurses' and parents' perceptions of their partnership experiences. Strengthening nurse-parent partnerships is crucial in improving health outcomes and quality of life for paediatric patients in South Korea. Effective collaboration, emphasizing mutual respect, effective communication, and shared decision-making, is essential in paediatric nursing care. This requires ongoing research, including both parents and a multidisciplinary approach to build supportive relationships across various age groups. Recognizing parents as key members of the care team, with valuable insights and contributions, enhances care quality. Additionally, enhancing paediatric nurses' self-efficacy, empowerment, and communication skills through continuous education is vital to improving parents' perceived quality of nursing. Partnership-centred practices not only boost care quality but also fortify the bond between healthcare providers and families, promoting better health outcomes. This work did not incorporate patient or public contributions, as its methodology was centred on a scoping review approach.

Testing a Mediation Model of Dispositional Optimism, Mindful Self-Care, and Subjective Well-Being.

Research consistently demonstrates a positive association between dispositional optimism (DO) and subjective well-being (SWB). This study takes a step forward by exploring potential mechanisms underlying this relationship, with a specific focus on the mediating role of mindful self-care (MSC). We conducted a cross-sectional online survey involving 312 Singaporean adults. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their DO, MSC practices, and overall SWB. Our findings confirmed a significant link between DO and SWB, with individuals exhibiting higher optimism reporting greater well-being. Importantly, the relationship was mediated by MSC, suggesting that optimism motivates individuals to engage in MSC practices, which in turn, enhances SWB. Moreover, DO was linked to all SWB subcomponents, even after controlling for MSC as a mediator. Among the six MSC facets, self-compassion and purpose, supportive relationships, and mindful awareness emerged as significant mediators. This study adds to the growing body of evidence recognizing the positive role of DO and MSC in improving well-being outcomes. It highlights the potential of interventions aimed at cultivating optimism as a promising approach for enhancing mindful self-care practices and ultimately promoting well-being in adults.

Dynamics of Social Interaction, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being in Urban Communities: Social Support Theory Perspective

This study aims to investigate the effect of Quality of Social Relationships on Social Welfare and Urban Community Quality of Life, using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) quantitative analysis method with the SMARTPLS tool. This research method involves collecting data from 600 samples representing various backgrounds and characteristics of individuals in an urban environment. The results showed that Quality of Social Relationships has a positive and significant influence on Social Welfare and Urban Community Quality of Life. The quality of strong and supportive social relationships is shown to play an important role in enhancing individual social welfare and improving the overall quality of life in urban communities. From the analysis using the SEM method with SMARTPLS, the findings suggest that social interaction, life satisfaction, social support, and the ability to adapt to environmental changes contribute positively to the quality of social relationships which in turn influence Social Welfare and Urban Community Quality of Life. The implication of these findings is the need to consider the importance of strengthening the quality of social relationships in developing social policies and programs aimed at improving social welfare and quality of life in urban environments.

Interactions between relationship support from mothers, fathers, and best friends as related to adolescent adjustment during the transition to high school

AbstractSupportive parent‐adolescent relationships are known to promote adolescent adjustment, but less is known about the interactive roles of supportive relationships with mothers, fathers, and best friends. The current study examined the interactive relations between mother‐adolescent, father‐adolescent, and best friend relationship support on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems across the high school transition. Participants (N = 368, Mage = 13.60, 47% male, 58% White) reported on their perceived support from mothers, fathers, and best friends (at Time 1 [Grade 8]) and their depressive symptoms and externalizing behaviors (at Times 1 and 2 [Grade 9]). Path models revealed no interaction effects involving support from mothers, fathers, and best friends when predicting externalizing symptoms. However, when predicting T2 depressive symptoms, several compensatory interaction effects were found. Father supportiveness moderated the association between maternal supportiveness and later depressive symptoms, and maternal supportiveness similarly moderated the relation between father supportiveness and depressive symptoms. In both instances, more support from one parent was related to fewer depressive symptoms when youth experienced an unsupportive relationship with the other parent. Best friend support also moderated the associations between both maternal support and paternal support and later depressive symptoms, such that maternal and paternal support were related to fewer subsequent depressive symptoms when youth experienced low and average (but not high) levels of friend support. The findings highlight the importance of considering networks of close relationships in the study of depressive symptoms during adolescence.

Navigating Complex Relationships: Support Networks Among Women in Community Corrections

In this article, we explored the social networks of 20 women who were in the process, or had completed, a sentence at a residential community corrections facility. Drawing on egocentric social network data and in-depth qualitative interviews, we analyzed the kinds of support that were most and least available to women, who were members of their network and what type of support they provided, and the role of complex relationships and peers. We found that women often relied on complex relationships and strategically navigated these relationships to access support. Many women also expressed a desire to mend and heal damaged relationships, recognizing their significance in their support system. Although peers can play a critical role in providing support to system-involved women, community corrections must invest in facilitating supportive connections and relationships among women. Ultimately, this research offers insights that can guide community corrections organizations in building and repairing women’s networks.

The relationship of spiritual intelligence and social support with academic resilience emigrant college students in Surabaya

Academic resilience is an individual's ability to recover from difficulties and pressure in academics. This research aims to determine the relationship between spiritual intelligence and social support and academic resilience. This research uses a quantitative method with an accidental sampling technique, which is a method of determining samples based on chance, meaning that anyone who happens to meet the researcher can be used as a sample, if the person accidentally met is deemed suitable as a data source. The measuring instruments used include the academic resilience scale with 32 items, the spiritual intelligence scale with 34 items, and the social support scale with 38 items. The sample for this research consisted of 100 migrant students in Surabaya. These results indicate a significant positive relationship between spiritual intelligence, social support, and academic resilience among emigrant college students in Surabaya.

Enabling and inhibiting doctors transitions: introducing the social identity resource and belonginess model (SIRB).

The transition into postgraduate medical training is complex, requiring an integration into the workplace, adjustment to new identities, and understanding of the social and organisational structure of healthcare. Studies suggest that social resources, including a sense of belonging, inclusivity from social groups, and having strong social identities can facilitate positive transitions. However, little is known about the role these resources play in junior doctors' transitions into the healthcare community. This study aimed to explore the implications of having access to social resources for junior doctors. This study undertook secondary analysis from a longitudinal qualitative study which followed 19 junior doctors (residents within two years of qualification) for nine months. Data were thematically analysed using an abductive approach, with the social identity resource and belongingness (SIRB) model as a conceptual lens to explore how social networks of support act as identity resources (IRs) for junior doctors as they experience transitions. The doctors narrated that having accessible IRs in the form of supportive workplace relationships enabled an integration and a sense of belonging into healthcare practice, supported the construction of new professional identities, and strengthened career intentions. Those with inaccessible IRs (i.e. poor workplace relationships) expressed a lack of belonging, and casted doubt on their identity as a doctor and their career intentions. Our study indicates that SIRB model would be beneficial for medical educators, supervisors, and managers to help them understand the importance and implications of having IRs within the workplace environment and the consequences of their accessibility for healthcare staff experiencing transitions.

Communication Identity of Maize Farmers in the Digital Immigrant Group in Accepting Innovation through the Utilization of Digital Petani Apps

The development of digital technology has brought significant changes in the agricultural sector, including through the peTani Apps digital application that is expected to help farmers. However, adopting this technology is not always easy, especially for farmers in the digital immigrant group. This study aims to identify and examine the process of forming a communication identity of corn farmers in the digital immigrant group who accept innovations through digital peTani Apps. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach processed and analyzed using NVivo. The research applied Michael Hecht's Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) in farmers' interaction with new technology. The results showed that farmers' communication identity levels, including personal identity, enactment identity, relational identity, and communal identity, play a significant role in technology adoption. Personal identity resulted in the finding that many farmers felt insecure and inexperienced in using advanced technology, which led to discomfort in using the application. Enactment identity shows that peTani Apps' digital technology innovation has not become part of farmers' daily routine due to difficulties in navigation and understanding functions. Relational identity reveals that community support and social relationships are crucial in adoption. Communal identity reflects resistance to change in communities with strong traditional norms. Overall, the app has not been widely adopted by digital immigrant groups. Social, cultural, and economic factors influence the adoption rate of these technologies, so more targeted strategies and greater support are needed to encourage equitable adoption among farmers.

A pilot study in narrative approach of an adolescent parenting program for enhancing parenting competency during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Since 2019, Hong Kong has been experiencing a social and mental health crisis caused by social unrest and the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result, there have been reports of increasing family conflicts among secondary students. With the understanding that family support and positive relationships are crucial for maintaining the mental well-being of young people, narrative therapy is a practical approach for helping families shift from problem-focused perspectives to empowering strategies for rebuilding positive relationships. The study aims to report on the effectiveness of a pilot group parent narrative therapy workshop for family relationship harmonisation and enhancing parenting competency using quantitative and qualitative methods. The study participants included 34 parents from five local schools. The results indicated a significantly increased sense of parental competency, general self-efficacy, adult hope, and decreased parental stress. Qualitative reports and participants’ narratives also demonstrated the positive effect of the narrative therapy workshop on their parent–adolescent relationships.

Exploring causes of bullying among grade eight and nine learners in a South African education district

Bullying is a social phenomenon that has become a complex problem worldwide due to the complications that arise from its persistence among school-going adolescents. This study explored the causes of bullying among grades 8 and 9 in one secondary school in Amatole East District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This qualitative study employed constructivist paradigm and a case study design. It utilised interviews to elicit data from 15 purposefully sampled participants. This study was informed by Travis Hirschi's 1968 Social Control Theory, and I used Braun and Clark's thematic analysis steps to analyse and interpret the data. The study found that bullying is triggered by jealousy and envy among learners, inadequate school furniture, family environment, physical attributes, lack of moral education, lack of sexual orientation education, and age differences among learners. Therefore, the study concluded that in order to detect the causes of bullying among grade 8 and 9 learners, teachers must apply Social Control Theory in the school environment by establishing consistent and supportive teacher-learner relationships to easily identify learners' behavioural changes and promote support, peer relationships, and unity among learners. This will reduce internal motivation that leads them to initiate bullying and violate other learners' rights. Additionally, the findings of this study will enable school stakeholders to develop intervention strategies, including disciplinary measures for learners, providing sexual orientation education, and involving parents in their efforts to manage bullying among grades 8 and 9 learners.

“To Make this Leap”: Understanding Relationships that Support Community College Students’ Transfer Journeys

For too many community college students, transferring to a four-year institution for a bachelor’s degree (i.e., vertical transfer) remains an unrealized aspiration. Prior research suggests that forms of capital can assist students in realizing their goals. Therefore, we sought to explore how relationships both within and outside of their institutions serve as sources of capital to support students’ vertical transfer journeys. Utilizing a qualitative research design, we applied Putnam’s (2000) two forms of social capital (bridging and bonding) and eight social support-related constructs from Moser’s (2013) expanded transfer student capital framework to data from focus groups and interviews with 33 pre- and post-transfer students. We found that participants actively constructed a patchwork of supportive relationships with both institutional agents and individuals external to the institution, which they utilized to search for, gather, and employ transfer capital. Our findings highlight that relationships outside of institutions are as crucial as relationships within the institution as sources of capital for vertical transfer students, suggesting a need to incorporate extra-institutional relationships into transfer capital frameworks and institutional initiatives to support transfer students. We also recommend institutions invest in programs designed to build students’ social and transfer capital.

Resilience—The Ability to Bounce Back!

Resilience means “bouncing back” after a setback, like when you fall off your bike but get back on and try again, or when you do not do well on a test but keep studying and improve next time. This means that when people go through tough situations, resilience helps them to adapt successfully and go back to normal quicker. For kids, resilience can come in handy when you are faced with difficult problems or new environments. Our resilience is shaped by the things we do and the people in our lives. It changes and grows as we experience new things throughout our lives. We can also increase our resilience by building supportive relationships and modeling our behavior after good role models. Resilience in childhood has a big impact on children’s mental, physical, and emotional health and continues to influence them as they grow older. By building resilience, we can improve our grades in school and enjoy life more, while also feeling less worried and sad.

Resilience and mental health among perinatal women: a systematic review.

This review aimed to assess the current evidence on the relationship between resilience and mental health employed in response to the impacts of mental health. This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). The protocol of this review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023470966). Three authors searched peer-reviewed articles using several electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Psych Info, EMBASE, and Web of Science, from September to October 2023 and included all the studies from any time until November 1, 2023. The review included all eligible quantitative observational and qualitative studies, irrespective of geographical boundaries. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders were found to be the most common, but not the only, mental health disorders during the perinatal period, and higher maternal resilience during perinatal periods was found to reduce mental health disorders. It was also found that pregnant women were more resilient to mental health disorders than postpartum women. Tolerance of uncertainty and a positive cognitive appraisal, women's self-behavior and family functioning, and protective psychosocial resources such as dispositional optimism, parental sense of mastery, self-esteem, gratitude, and forgiveness were found to be the most common mechanisms of resilience among perinatal women. Older age, having an adolescent partner, family income, and distress were found to affect resilience. Noting that women's resilience is an important tool to prevent perinatal mental health disorders, maternal healthcare providers need to counsel perinatal women on resilience-boosting mechanisms, such as applying self-behavior and having social support or close family relationships. It is recommended to counsel or provide psychosocial interventions for the woman's companion or partner to give strong support for the woman in each of the perinatal periods. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=470966, identifier CRD42023470966.

How Needs-Supplies Fit Processes With Teachers, Peers, and Parents Relate to Youth Outcomes: A Theoretical and Methodological Extension of Self-Determination Theory.

According to self-determination theory (SDT), relationships that support the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential to youth development. It is yet unknown whether adolescents differ in what constitutes "optimal" supplies of support. This research proposes methodological extensions to analyze how the degree of fit or misfit between needs versus supplies in support (i.e., from teachers, parents, and peers) relates to engagement in class, academic achievement, and well-being. Data were collected on 389 adolescents (M(age) = 14.3, SD(age) = 2.1, 58% female, low to high SES). Extending SDT's contention that "the more supplies the better", results suggest that the impact of supplies actually depends on the level of needs, and that commensurate (for parents) or surplus supplies (for teachers, peers) are most optimal. Therefore, while some youth require strongly supportive relationships to experience optimal development, others require much lower support, and may even suffer from higher support.

Relationships of Psychosocial Factors to Diabetes Self-efficacy: A Cross-sectional, Correlational Study.

Self-care in people with diabetes is poor, which could be influenced by positive and negative psychosocial factors. Self-efficacy is an important factor affecting self-care, and depressive symptoms and diabetes distress may directly and indirectly affect self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships of depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, age, sex, self-compassion, resilience, self-esteem, and social support to diabetes self-efficacy and the mediating roles of diabetes distress and depressive symptoms in the relationships among people with diabetes. In this cross-sectional, correlational study, data on all the psychosocial and demographic factors were collected (N = 148; 57.6 years old) through Research Electronic Data Capture in 2023. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to address the purpose. The mean score of diabetes self-efficacy was 28.6 (range, 8-40). In 1 model, depressive symptoms were directly and indirectly associated with diabetes self-efficacy through diabetes distress (direct effect, -3.524; t = -3.020, P = .003; indirect effect, -2.089; 95% bootstrap confidence interval, -3.494 to -0.911). In another model, diabetes distress was directly and indirectly associated with diabetes self-efficacy through depressive symptoms (direct effect, -3.778; t = -3.638, P < .001; indirect effect, -0.785; 95% bootstrap confidence interval, -1.868 to -0.089). In addition, self-esteem was associated with both depressive symptoms and diabetes distress. Resilience was associated with diabetes self-efficacy in 1 model. Negative psychological factors were directly and indirectly associated with diabetes self-efficacy. Depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, self-esteem, and resilience can be important targets of interventions to improve diabetes self-efficacy.

Understanding the selection of support partners in a behavioral weight loss program

Objective Engaging a support partner during behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs can improve outcomes. However, little information is available about those selected as support partners. The study aimed to (1) characterize support partners and qualities of the relationship, (2) assess differences in relationship dynamics across relationship types, and (3) assess differences in supportive relationships by participant gender. Methods and Measures Upon entering a 24-month BWL program, participants (N = 323) nominated a support person from their existing social networks. Participants completed self-report measures at baseline, including the Working Alliance Inventory and study-specific measures assessing characteristics of the support person and comfort in communicating with them. Results Spouse/partners were chosen by 43.3% of all participants. Among married participants, 80.9% of men and 53.8% of women chose their spouse/partner. Working alliance was lower when the support partner was a spouse/partner versus a friend (p < 0.05, r = −0.19). Comfort talking about exercise with a support partner was higher than talking about eating or weight (p < 0.001, η2 p = 0.05). Conclusion A variety of friends and family can be selected as support partners during BWL. Programs should attend to the unique needs of men versus women when identifying sources of support.

Mental Health of Transgender Youth Following Gender Identity Milestones by Level of Family Support

Transgender youth are at an elevated risk for adverse mental health outcomes compared with their cisgender peers. Identifying opportunities for intervention is a priority. To estimate differences in the association between gender identity milestones and mental health outcomes among transgender youth, stratified by level of family support. This retrospective cohort study compares changes in mental health outcomes among transgender youth who initiate gender identity milestones compared with those who initiate the same milestones 1 year later, stratified by level of family support, using the 2015 US Transgender Survey. The analytic samples included 18 303 transgender adults aged 18 and older who had initiated at least 1 gender identity milestone between ages 4 and 18 years. Four gender identity milestones: feeling one's gender was different, thinking of oneself as transgender, telling another that one is transgender, and living full-time in one's gender identity, stratified by 3 levels of family support: supportive, neutral, and adverse. Age at first suicide attempt and at running away. Study participants included 18 303 transgender adults (10 288 [56.2%] assigned female at birth; 14 777 [80.7%] White). Initiating a gender identity milestone was associated with a higher risk of suicide attempt and running away from home among transgender youth. This finding was driven by children who live in unsupportive families. For example, thinking of oneself as transgender was associated with a meaningful increase in the overall probability of attempting suicide among those in either adverse families (estimate = 1.75 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.47-3.03) or neutral families (estimate = 1.39 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.72-2.05). Among youth living with supportive families, there were no statistically significant associations between gender identity milestones and adverse mental health outcomes and 95% CIs generally ruled out any meaningful associations. These results demonstrate that without a supportive family environment, gender identity development increases the risk of transgender youth attempting suicide or running away from home. Social services and community resources to establish supportive relationships between transgender children and their parents are essential.