Tangible Support Research Articles

Longitudinal change and association between four types of social support and mental health among low-income U.S. veterans.

This study sought to examine how perceived social support changes over time for U.S. veterans and how social support relates to their mental health longitudinally. Data from a nationally representative sample of 783 low-income U.S. veterans in 2021-2023 were analyzed to examine changes and correlates of four different types of social support (Emotional/Informational Support, Tangible Support, Affectionate Support and Positive Social Interaction) over 1 year. Weighted logistic mixed models were conducted. The majority of veterans reported no change in their level of perceived social support, but about 18%-26% reported either an increase or decrease (about evenly split about increase/decrease) in their perceived level of one of the four types of social support. High levels of the four types of social support were associated with being married and a lower likelihood of screening positive for depression. Other differential associations were found between sociodemographic characteristics and some types of social support. These findings confirm the value of assessing perceived social support among veterans with low socioeconomic status who may have mental health issues.

Depression Among Resettled Karen Refugees in the United States: An Exploratory Pilot Study

Due to prolonged ethnic and religious persecution, the Karen have endured numerous traumatic experiences including systematic violence and mistreatment, resulting in long-term psychological sequelae. This study examines the prevalence of depression among Karen refugees from Burma ( N = 37) using a culturally grounded mental health screening tool within a primary health care community clinic in the southern United States. A total of 48.60% met the clinical cutoff for depression. The researchers identified three themes: (a) manifestations of depression, (b) depression linked to post-migration stressors, and (c) importance of support and education about depression. Family service organizations and resettlement agencies can assist Karen refugees by connecting them with social and tangible support, as well as providing education about depression. Future research should include Karen refugees from various parts of the United States to improve generalizability.

Segmentation-Based Detection for Luffa Seedling Grading Using the Seg-FL Model

This study addresses the issue of inaccurate and error-prone grading judgments in luffa plug seedlings. A new Seg-FL seedling segmentation model is proposed as an extension of the YOLOv5s-Seg model. The small leaves of early-stage luffa seedlings are liable to be mistaken for impurities in the plug trays. To address this issue, cross-scale connections and weighted feature fusion are introduced in order to integrate feature information from different levels, thereby improving the recognition and segmentation accuracy of seedlings or details by refining the PANet structure. To address the ambiguity of seedling edge information during segmentation, an efficient channel attention module is incorporated to enhance the network’s focus on seedling edge information and suppress irrelevant features, thus sharpening the model’s focus on luffa seedlings. By optimizing the CIoU loss function, the calculation of overlapping areas, center point distances, and aspect ratios between predicted and ground truth boxes is preserved, thereby accelerating the convergence process and reducing the computational resource requirements on edge devices. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model attains a mean average precision of 97.03% on a self-compiled luffa plug seedling dataset, representing a 6.23 percentage point improvement over the original YOLOv5s-Seg. Furthermore, compared to the YOLACT++, FCN, and Mask R-CNN segmentation models, the improved model displays increases in mAP@0.5 of 12.93%, 13.73%, and 10.53%, respectively, and improvements in precision of 15.73%, 16.93%, and 13.33%, respectively. This research not only validates the viability of the enhanced model for luffa seedling grading but also provides tangible technical support for the automation of grading in agricultural production.

Correlates of Emotional and Tangible Reciprocity in Adult Siblings of Individuals With Autism.

Sibling relationships often involve exchanges of emotional and tangible support. When one sibling has a disability, the nature of the reciprocity of such support may differ from sibling pairs wherein no disability is present. Specifically, when an individual has autism, the nature of emotional and tangible reciprocity is unclear given the potential for a supportive or caregiving role of the sibling without autism. In this study, 256 adult siblings of autistic individuals completed a national survey. Analyses included descriptive statistics describing the nature of reciprocity and hierarchical regressions to identify the correlates of emotional and tangible reciprocity. Overall, participants often reported not giving or receiving much tangible support to/from their autistic sibling while they often gave and, to some extent received, emotional support from their autistic sibling. When the autistic sibling had more asocial behaviors, participants were more likely to provide emotional support than receive it. When participants engaged in more caregiving, they both gave and received more emotional and tangible support. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Coping with Unknown Health Crisis via Social Media: A Content Analysis of Online Mutual Aid Group in the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The initial emergence of SARS-CoV-2 created uncertainty for humanity, driving people to seek assistance on social media. This study aims to understand the role of social media in coping with crises and to offer guidance for future uncertainties by examining the experiences of Wuhan during the early stages of the pandemic. Using quantitative content analysis, this study investigated 2207 Weibo posts tagged with "COVID-19 Mutual Aid" from individuals located in Wuhan during the early lockdown period from January 23, 2020, to March 23, 2020. At the start of pandemic, messages seeking tangible support were most common. A hurdle regression model showed that deeper self-disclosure led to more retransmission of help-seeking messages. The Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that health professionals and laypeople had different self-disclosure strategies. This study provides insight into the online social support exchange during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, highlighting the importance of self-disclosure on message retransmission, and the differences in self-disclosure strategies between health professionals and laypeople in online help-seeking.

Social Support and Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients: A Comparative Study with Healthy Controls

Background and Objectives: Hemodialysis patients face significant physical and psychological challenges, including diminished quality of life and reduced social support. This study aimed to assess the levels of social support and quality of life in hemodialysis patients and identify the sociodemographic and dialysis-related factors influencing these outcomes. Materials and Methods: This study included 115 hemodialysis patients and 107 healthy controls. Social support was measured using the Modified Social Support Survey (MSSS) and its abbreviated version (MSSS-5). Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Demographic variables (age, sex, education, marital status) and dialysis-related factors (session duration, Kt/V, vascular access type, and urea reduction ratio) were analyzed to determine their effects on social support and quality of life. Results: Hemodialysis patients reported significantly lower scores in the Physical Health and Psychological Health domains of the WHOQOL-BREF compared to healthy controls. Males on hemodialysis scored lower than the controls in the Physical Health, Psychological Health, and Environment domains of the WHOQOL-BREF and the Affectionate Support and Positive Social Interaction subscales of MSSS. Conversely, hemodialysis females reported higher scores for Tangible Support, Emotional/Informational Support, and Affectionate Support. Longer dialysis sessions negatively impacted the Social Relationships domain. Married hemodialysis patients had higher Emotional/Informational Support and Affectionate Support scores. Conclusions: Hemodialysis patients experience diminished physical and psychological quality of life, particularly males. Social support, especially emotional and informational support, is crucial for hemodialysis patients, with marital status playing a key role. Addressing these psychosocial factors may improve outcomes for hemodialysis patients.

Potential and Challenges of Ecotourism Development in West Sinjai District, Sinjai Regency

One of the great potentials in Terasa Village to become an ecotourism area is a culture that has its own characteristics, mutual cooperation that is still active, and has a tourist area of Laliako Waterfall. This area has attractiveness and uniqueness, such as biophysical potential and cultural potential. The beauty of the natural panorama, the diversity of flora, fauna and diverse ecosystems and the challenges of the terrain are often the main attraction, as well as the cultural diversity of the Terasa Village community. The government can further assist the development of ecotourism by providing both tangible (capital) and intangible (security, knowledge) support. This condition encourages local communities to manage their tourism potential. One of the developments is the Laliako Waterfall tourist attraction which can be an alternative to community visits on weekends, as well as local culture that is still well preserved as one of the cultural preservation by the Terasa Village community located in Pattiro Hamlet and Laha-laha Hamlet.

Public Theology as a Theology of Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Public Pastoral Care Contribution

The negative impacts of COVID-19, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, political unrest, and natural disasters in sub-Saharan Africa have caused widespread suffering. In light of these crises, many have questioned the relevance of theology in addressing such complex challenges. This article tackles critical questions such as: How can public theology effectively engage with the socio-political and economic issues facing sub-Saharan Africa? What role does public pastoral care play in fostering resilience within these communities? Can theology provide tangible support in the face of widespread suffering, and if so, how? The article argues that public theology offers a resilient framework to guide communities through these difficult times, particularly when integrated with public pastoral care. Public theology can provide hope, support, and a sense of purpose to those affected by engaging both spiritual and social dimensions. The article further explores how public pastoral care, as a practical expression of public theology, can address individuals’ and communities’ emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs. Ultimately, it demonstrates that public theology is relevant and essential in fostering resilience and promoting human flourishing in the face of adversity.

The role of self-efficacy and tangible support in managing depression in fibromyalgia: Expanding social support strategies

The role of self-efficacy and tangible support in managing depression in fibromyalgia: Expanding social support strategies

Inequalities in Transitions to Home Care: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

ObjectivesTo investigate inequalities in transitions to home care across a broad set of demographic and socioeconomic factors in Canadian middle-aged and older adults. DesignLongitudinal, retrospective cohort study. Setting and ParticipantsA total of 51,338 community-dwelling adults aged 45+ years, using national data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging across 3 timepoints from 2011 to 2021. MethodsWe analyzed transitions in home care use using multistate Markov models, with home care use and nonuse as transient states, and loss to follow-up as a terminal state. We calculated hazard ratios for transitions between states adjusting for factors related to home care need (ie, functional limitations, chronic conditions) within the following equity strata: income, education, immigration history, sex, gender, rurality, racial background, and tangible social support. ResultsAcross all timepoints, 5.4% of non–home care users transitioned to home care by the next timepoint and 33.2% of home care users continued to use home care at the next timepoint. Among non–home care users, identifying as a woman, female, White, completing higher levels of education, having higher income, and having less support available was associated with an increased likelihood of transitioning to home care use. Among home care users, higher income was also associated with a greater likelihood to discontinue using home care compared with lower income users. The association between income and home care use was stronger among female individuals. Conclusions and ImplicationsWe found meaningful differences in home care transitions across several equity strata. Individuals with higher income have greater ability to access to private care, creating inequity in access to home care services. Gendered factors such as income and social support have important associations with home care use. Home care planning and policy must address the unique barriers and disadvantages diverse populations face to ensure equitable use of home care and promote healthy aging.

A longitudinal study of perceived stress, tangible social support, and gender on Mexican American parental feeding practices.

This study examined the association between perceived stress and perceived tangible social support on parental feeding practices in a sample of Mexican American parents of young children. Tangible social support was examined as a potential moderator of perceived stress on parental feeding. Results by parent gender were also examined. A secondary analysis of data from a 2-year, longitudinal cohort study of parental feeding practices and child weight status was used. The sample consisted of (N = 495) Mexican American parents. Random effects models that accounted for the interdependence of couples were used to test hypotheses. Perceived stress was negatively associated with positive involvement, b = -0.07, SE = 0.03, 95% confidence interval [-0.12, -0.02], in both parent genders. Parent gender moderated the association between tangible social support and pressure to eat, F(1, 886) = 3.94, p = .048, with fathers reporting less pressure to eat behavior than mothers at high levels of support. Parent gender moderated the interaction between tangible social support and perceived stress on pressure to eat, F(1, 851) = 8.02, p = .005, such that for low-stress mothers, going from low to high tangible social support was associated with an increase in pressure to eat behavior. Also, for fathers with low tangible social support at baseline, going from low to high stress was associated with a decrease in pressure to eat. Perceived stress among Mexican American parents serves as a barrier to healthful feeding practices. However, both cultural and structural forces may influence pressure to eat behavior in this population. Implications for childhood health are examined. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Dimensions of Social Support in the Relationship Between Stigma and Mental Health: A Moderation Analysis.

HIV stigma remains a barrier to good health and understanding how social support may reduce the negative impact of stigma on health may help with designing stigma interventions. This study aims to understand how different types of social support may moderate or change the nature of the relationship between stigma and mental health. We recruited 327 participants to complete the People Living with HIV Stigma Index at baseline (t1) between August 2018 and September 2019 and at follow-up (t2) between February 2021 and October 2021. Separate moderation models were created with different types of social support (emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, positive social interaction) as moderators, baseline stigma (internalized, enacted, anticipated) as the antecedent, and mental health (t2) as the outcome. Emotional/informational support was a significant moderator for the relationship between enacted (b = -2.12, 95% CI: -3.73, -0.51), internalized (b = -1.72, 95% CI: -3.24, -0.20), and anticipated (b = -2.59, 95% CI: -4.59, -0.60) stigma at t1 and mental health at t2. Tangible support was a significant moderator for internalized stigma (b = -1.54, 95% CI: -2.74, -0.35). Lastly, positive social interaction was a significant moderator for internalized (b = -1.38, 95% CI: -2.71, -0.04) and anticipated stigma (b = -2.14, 95% CI: -3.93, -0.36). In general, the relationship between social support and better mental health was stronger for participants with low stigma. Intervention strategies aimed at both stigma reduction and boosting social supports with different functions may be important for improving the mental health of people living with HIV.

Supplemental Material for A Longitudinal Study of Perceived Stress, Tangible Social Support, and Gender on Mexican American Parental Feeding Practices

Supplemental Material for A Longitudinal Study of Perceived Stress, Tangible Social Support, and Gender on Mexican American Parental Feeding Practices

Determinants of Tangible Breastfeeding Support Among Health Workers: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Breastfeeding is crucial in providing infants with needed nutrition and immunity to foster their healthy growth and development; yet, optimal support from health workers is critical for it to be successful. To determine factors influencing tangible breastfeeding support among health workers in Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nigeria's six geopolitical zones between August 2022 and February 2023 among health workers (N = 2,922). Data were gathered through an interviewer-administered, validated questionnaire. Significant factors of tangible breastfeeding support were identified through multivariable logistic regression, and corresponding odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were reported. The mean age of the health workers was 28.6 (SD = 9.3) years. Just 45% (1,316) achieved optimal scores for tangible breastfeeding support. Only 31.4% (918) of lactation support providers/specialists practice tangible breastfeeding support and half (50.6%, 1,479) had a favorable attitude towards providing tangible breastfeeding support. About two-fifths (39.3%, 1,148) engaged caregivers in reviewing breast milk storage procedures, whereas, 54.6% (1,595) and 78.0% (2,279) of health workers assisted with breast pumps and breastfeeding attachment respectively. The odds of having optimal tangible breastfeeding support were higher for health workers aged 52 years or older compared to those aged under 20 years (aOR 1.88, 95% CI [1.13, 3.12]), a positive attitude (aOR 1.43, 95% CI [1.22, 1.69]), availability of a breastfeeding champion (aOR 1.47, 95% CI [1.21, 1.79]), 1.69]), provision of breast-pump videos (aOR; 2.33, 95% CI [1.85, 2.95]), and hand-expression videos (aOR; 1.41, 95% CI [1.02, 1.79]). (duplication). Health workers' tangible breastfeeding support in Nigeria is suboptimal and is driven by age, service level, attitude, availability of breastfeeding champions, and appropriate practice aids. Targeted interventions to improve health workers' attitudes, technical skills, provision of aids, and task shifting to non-specialists are needed for optimal tangible breastfeeding support.

Functional Social Support Subtypes Are Associated With Executive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Findings From the Baseline Comprehensive Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

We investigated whether functional social support-the degree to which one perceives support is available when needed-is associated with executive function, a key cognitive domain for everyday functioning and adaptation to change. Analyses (n = 23,491) utilized cross-sectional data from the Comprehensive cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a population-based study of community-dwelling adults aged 45-85years. Executive function was assessed by neurocognitive battery. Perceived social support was measured using the 19-item Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey. Logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic, health, and social covariates. Positive social interactions as well as affectionate and emotional/informational functional social support were positively associated with executive function. Social support plays an important role in cognitive health. Diversifying social programming beyond tangible social support to target other subtypes of support may help preserve executive function in middle-aged and older adults.

A systematic review of suicide risk management strategies in primary care settings.

Suicide is a major public health concern. Recently, suicide rates have increased among traditionally low-risk groups (e.g., white, middle-aged males). Suicide risk assessments and prevention strategies should be tailored to specific at-risk populations. This systematic review examines suicide risk detection and management in primary care, focusing on treatments to reduce suicide rates and improve prevention efforts. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Literature was collected and analyzed using Boolean operators with relevant keywords in databases (e.g., PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO) to identify randomized and non-randomized studies focusing on suicide risk factors and management strategies in primary care, published in the past 10 years. The risk of bias 2.0 and Newcastle Ottawa scale was used to assess risk of bias, and data from moderate-quality studies were synthesized. Thirteen moderate-quality studies were reviewed. Key findings include the need for assessing modifiable risk factors like substance use and mental health. General practitioner (GP) engagement post-suicide attempt (SA) improves outcomes and reduces repeat SAs. Effective strategies include comprehensive risk assessments, collaborative treatment, and enhanced GP support. Barriers to effective suicide prevention include insufficient information, judgmental communication, lack of positive therapeutic relationships, and inadequate holistic assessments. These findings highlight the need for tailored suicide prevention strategies in primary care. However, the evidence sample size is small with reduced statistical power that limits generalizability. The included studies were also regional examinations, which restrict their broader relevance. Significant risk factors, barriers, and effective strategies for suicide prevention were identified. For children aged 12 or younger, preexisting psychiatric, developmental, or behavioral disorders, impulsive behaviors, aggressiveness, and significant stressful life events within the family were critical. For adults, loneliness, gaps in depression treatment, and social factors are significant. Barriers to suicide prevention included insufficient information, judgmental communication, lack of positive therapeutic relationships, inadequate holistic risk assessments, lack of individualized care, insufficient tangible support and resources, inconsistent follow-up procedures, variability in risk assessment, poor communication, stigma, and negative attitudes. Effective methods include the Postvention Assisting Bereaved by Suicide training program, continued education, comprehensive clinical assessments, individualized care, and community-based interventions like the SUPRANET program. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024550904.

Resident and Fellow Perspectives on Family Planning and Building During Training

Physicians, especially surgeons, delay family building, and face age-related complications of pregnancy. To explore factors that are associated with family building decisions among residents and fellows and to understand their thoughts on accessing family building supports, workplace culture, and attitudes toward family planning. This qualitative study was conducted from May to August 2022 at postgraduate training sites across Ontario, Canada. Participants included 29 postgraduate learners. Purposive sampling from 80 eligible trainees was used to ensure diverse demographics, including sex, specialty, and institution. Semi-structured individual interviews lasting 30 to 90 minutes were conducted over a virtual platform. Participants were asked to share their thoughts and experiences on family planning in a medical career, family building goals, the role of mentorship, and knowledge of current family planning supports. Themes associated with residents' perception of family planning within the context of a medical career. Twenty-nine trainees, ages 25 to 37 years old (22 [75.9%] were female, 26 [89.7%] were heterosexual; median [range] age, 30 [25-37] years) from various institutions took part in this study. The participants included both 24 residents (82.8%) and 5 fellows (17.2%) and 8 (27.6%) were from surgical specialties, 3 (10.3%) from pediatrics and subspecialties, 4 (13.8%) from internal medicine and subspecialties, 2 (6.9%) from obstetrics and gynecology, 3 (10.3%) family medicine, 2 (6.9%) from anesthesia, and 7 (24.1%) other medical specialties. Four themes were identified: (1) tension between role as a physician and role as a parent; (2) impact of role models and mentorship on family planning choices; (3) family building is discouraged during training, especially in surgical specialties; and (4) need for tangible family planning supports in training. In this qualitative study of residents' and fellows' perspectives on family building, trainees did not perceive residency and fellowship programs as supportive for individuals who want to family build during training leading to personal and professional dissonance. Trainees identified that more tangible supports, transparent information, and mentorship may improve a trainees' feeling of support.

The Psychometric Properties of the Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire: Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version

Social support research in sports has attracted considerable attention in recent years. There are limited sport-specific support perception measurements to measure Turkish athletes' support perceptions. The present study was conducted to adapt the Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire developed by Freeman et al. (2011) into Turkish and examine the measurement's psychometric properties. A total of 300 athletes aged between 18-22 years were included in the study. The factor structure of the measurement was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. The obtained data revealed significant factor loadings and produced acceptable fit indices. Both internal consistency and composite reliability values were found to be high, thus supporting the validity and reliability of the measurement. The results show that the measurement retains its original structure consisting of 4 dimensions (esteem support, emotional support, information support, and tangible support) and 16 items, each containing four items. Accordingly, it was concluded that the Perceived Accessible Support in Sport Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish athletes.

Motivational GenAI chatbot for promoting SRL in problem solving: Data-driven design principles

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial in today‟s educational landscape, championing students' autonomy over their learning journey. Yet, SRL, especially in problem-solving, poses significant difficulties for students. This study innovatively bridges this gap with a set of design principles for a generative AI chatbot specifically shaped to promote students' SRL skills during problem-solving tasks. Leveraging insights from feedback collected from both educators and students involved in a blended SRL program, this research shines a light on the range of difficulties involves in SRL within problem solving context. It pinpoints three main difficulties: Inconsistencies in assessment and perception that create a gap between student self-evaluations and educator assessments; Cognitive strategies difficulties that hinder skill application; and beyond cognitive difficulties such as motivation and task self-management obstacles toward independent learning. Responding to these difficulties, the design principles of the proposed AI chatbot are focused on providing structured guidance, which includes explicit instruction in cognitive and motivational skills, offering personalized feedback based on the specific difficulties, and facilitating the assessment of these skills during task performance. This approach not only advances the theoretical framework of SRL but also translates these concepts into tangible support mechanisms, equipping educators with an innovative tool to enhance SRL. The chatbot stands as a testament to the power of generative AI in transforming educational practices, paving the way for learners to become more self-reliant and adept in navigating the complexities of the digital learning era.

The heartfelt communication model of the 'Gerakan Indonesia Membantu' in enhancing awareness among Indonesian students in China

This research aims to discover the latest philanthropic communication model employed by the Gerakan Indonesia Membantu (GIM) organization during their efforts to provide aid to Indonesian students in need in China. The spirit of providing tangible support to Indonesian students from lower-middle economic backgrounds, enabling them to continue their studies in China, inspired the formation of the GIM organization. In fulfilling its mission, GIM communicates with various parties so that Indonesian students in China can help one another, with the hope that all Indonesian students in the country can live decently and concentrate on completing their studies successfully This study evaluates and develops the efforts made by the GIM organization in providing assistance, awareness campaigns, and support to Indonesian students who need help to sustain their lives and complete their studies in China. The research adopts a qualitative approach with a phenomenological research type. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and documentation. The collected data were then processed and conclusions were drawn. The results of this study show that GIM's awareness activities are not only focused on fundraising but also on building public trust in fund management and fostering a sense of belonging among donors towards Indonesian students in need in China. Further explanations are detailed in nine key points discussed in the findings and discussion chapter of this paper. This paper can serve as a reference for social organization activists with humanitarian visions and missions in conducting fundraising activities. It also provides new insights for scholars studying organizational communication, particularly in relation to philanthropic activities.