Social Support

Analysis of social support in online forums for people living with HIV has been relying, for the most part, on self-report instrumentation and manual coding of data. Our study applies a fully automated data analysis method based on clustering and network embedding of the largest online support forum (POZ forum)for people living with HIV. Results show that there are three sub communities of members within the forum differing in terms of member engagement, topics discussed, and types of support exchanged. This paper analyses the similarities and differences among these communities as a way to identify members that comprise each community and how they exchange support. The result can be generalized to show current situation of HIV discussion online and how social supports change in different group of people related to HIV. Therefore, better social support plans can be applied to help HIV patients relief their pain.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between social support and psychological well-being on university students which are studying in the field of tourism. As for the data collection tool, The Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale developed by Zimet et al. (1988), The Psychological Well-Being Scale developed by Diener et al. (2010) and personal information form were used in the study. The data obtained from 338 tourism students studying at Hotel Management, Tourism and Travel Services and Cookery Programs at Akdeniz University Manavgat Vocational School. In the analysis of the data, reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and t test were used. As a result of the analysis, it was seen that there was a positive relationship between social support sub-dimensions "special person, friends, family" and psychological well-being. In addition, social support sub-dimensions which are influential on psychological well-being were family, friends and special person respectively. Besides, scores of social support subscales of female students were significantly higher than male students. The findings were discussed in the light of current literature and some suggestions were made.

This study was conducted in order to verify the role of social support and coping strategies as moderators of the relationship between perceived stress and the subjective well-being of transgender people, which is lower than cisgenders’ people. 355 people took part in this study (124 transgender people and 231 cisgender people) between age of 18 and 53. Subjective well-being has been operationalized using the Satisfaction With life Scale SWLS. Measurement of the perceived stress was made using the Perceived Stress Scale PSS-10. Coping strategies were examined using the Mini-COPE inventory. Additionally, two subscales of the Berlin Social Support Scales BSSS were used to measure received and perceived social support. Transgender people scored on the SWB scale significantly lower than cisgender people. Received and perceived social support did not turn out to be a significant moderators of the relationship between perceived stress and the subjective well-being. Only one of the coping strategies turned out to be an significant moderator of this relationship – venting of emotions.

This article explores the discourse on filial responsibility as it intersects with familial roles and power relationships as represented by women living in rural Japan. Using case studies, I consider some of the intergenerational and intragenerational issues that arise as Japanese women contemplate or attempt to cope with care of elder parents and consider the manner in which the concept of filial piety, or filial responsibility, is expressed and conceptualized in relation to these issues. I argue that many continue to think about elder care in ways that emphasize the responsibility of children to care for their parents, but that the discourse on filial piety is continually constructed and reconstructed as people provide and contest roles associated with elder care, both from the perspective of the child and from that of the parents. To explore these issues, I consider the cases of two women who were facing issues related to provision of care to elder parents and who structured thes...

Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, multipl skleroz (MS) hastalarında algılanan sosyal destek ile yaşam kalitesi arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Beş ilde (Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli ve Sivas) yürütülen araştırmada, araştırmanın çalışma grubu, Türkiye Multipl Skleroz Derneği ve yedi hastanenin nöroloji kliniğinde ulaşılan toplam 310 MS hastasından oluşmuştur. Araştırmanın verileri, Vickrey vd. (1995) tarafından geliştirilen Multipl Skleroz Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği (MSQOL-54) ve Zimet vd. (1988) tarafından geliştirilen Çok Boyutlu Algılanan Sosyal Destek Ölçeği (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support MSPSS) kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde korelasyon, bağımsız örneklem t testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA) kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre MS hastalarının algıladıkları sosyal destek ile yaşam kaliteleri arasında anlamlı ve pozitif yönde zayıf bir ilişki saptanmıştır (BFS için r=0,174, p<0,01; BMS için r=0,239, p<0,01). Evlilerin bekârlara göre algıladıkları sosyal destek düzeyleri anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek çıkmıştır. Kadınların erkeklere göre, çalışanların çalışmayanlara göre yaşam kaliteleri anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek bulunmuştur. MS hastalarında eğitim düzeyi ve gelir düzeyi arttıkça hem algılanan sosyal desteğin hem de yaşam kalitesinin arttığı bulunmuştur. İyi huylu MS ve tekrarlayıcı- iyileştirici MS tipine sahip hastaların ataklı- ilerleyici MS tipine sahip hastalara göre; üç ayda bir muayene olanların on iki ayda bir muayene olanlara göre anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek yaşam kalitesine sahip oldukları saptanmıştır. Anahtar kelimeler: Multipl skleroz, yaşam kalitesi, algılanan sosyal destek

Exclusive breastfeeding is a proven benefit for both mothers and infants and is, therefore, an important public health priority. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is regarded as one of the potential psychosocial risk factors that may negatively affect exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). This study aimed to explore the influence of psychosocial factors including IPV on EBF. Cross-sectional survey data was collected from October 2015 to January 2016 in Chandpur District of Bangladesh from 426 married women, aged 15-49 years, who had at least one child 6 months of age or younger. Multivariate logistic regression models were used in order to investigate whether women who experienced IPV after childbirth, as well as other risk factors such as postpartum depression (PPD) and childhood sexual abuse, were more likely to face difficulties with EBF compared with women who had not experienced these same risk factors. Whilst the initiation rate of breastfeeding was 99.3%, at the time of the woman&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s interview, the overall EBF rate had fallen to 43.7%. Based on the adjusted model, women who experienced physical IPV (AOR 0.17, 95% CI [0.07, 0.40]) and psychological IPV (AOR 0.51, 95% CI [0.26, 1.00]) after childbirth and women who reported childhood sexual abuse (AOR 0.32, 95% CI [0.13, 0.80]) and PPD (AOR 0.20, 95% CI [0.09, 0.44]) were significantly less likely to exclusively breastfeed their infants than those who had not reported these experiences. Moreover, women with an intended pregnancy and high social support exhibited a higher likelihood of EBF. Our results suggest that preventing or reducing the occurrence of physical IPV, PPD and childhood sexual abuse may improve the EBF duration. Support from family members can assist in this process.

... Correspondence Address: Martha McCaughey, 211 Living Learning Center, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA. ... Hausman pro-vides a compelling critique of the way the discourse of Stone Age mothering invokes nature as though whatever is natural is ...

Psychological distress has been considered a key component in the psychosocial functioning and functional disability of the elderly, but the determining factors of social functioning and psychological distress in the elderly people are not yet fully known. The aim of this study is to perform a gender analysis of the relevance of psychological distress and psychosocial factors in the social functioning of the elderly. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 589 men and 684 women from the general Spanish population aged between 65 and 94 years was conducted. All participants were evaluated through questionnaires and scales that assess psychological distress, social functioning, stress, coping styles, self-esteem and social support. Results: Women scored higher than men in psychological distress, chronic stress, emotional coping and instrumental social support, whereas men scored higher than women in self-esteem and rational coping. Psychological distress was significantly associated in women and men with worse social functioning, which was also lower in older people and in women with lower self-esteem. Psychological distress has a considerable impact on the social functioning of the elderly, and gender is a relevant factor in the psychological distress experienced and its predictors.

To assess whether social supports (proxies) can detect the presence of suicide ideation in a clinical sample of depressed adults 50 years of age or older, and to additionally assess the potential impact of depression symptom severity on patient-proxy concordance in reports of patient suicide ideation. Cross-sectional data were collected regarding Axis I diagnoses, severity of depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation in a clinical sample of 109 patients 50 years of age and older. Patients were administered study measures by trained interviewers. Patients&#39; social supports completed proxy measures of these same variables. We assessed concordance in self- and proxy-reported suicide ideation, employing global suicide ideation items derived from depression scales and more fine-grained suicide ideation items drawn from multi-item suicide ideation measures. We investigated patient-proxy concordance regarding the presence of patient suicide ideation. Patients who endorsed suicide ideati...

To assess whether social supports (proxies) can detect the presence of suicide ideation in a clinical sample of depressed adults 50 years of age or older, and to additionally assess the potential impact of depression symptom severity on patient-proxy concordance in reports of patient suicide ideation. Cross-sectional data were collected regarding Axis I diagnoses, severity of depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation in a clinical sample of 109 patients 50 years of age and older. Patients were administered study measures by trained interviewers. Patients&#39; social supports completed proxy measures of these same variables. We assessed concordance in self- and proxy-reported suicide ideation, employing global suicide ideation items derived from depression scales and more fine-grained suicide ideation items drawn from multi-item suicide ideation measures. We investigated patient-proxy concordance regarding the presence of patient suicide ideation. Patients who endorsed suicide ideati...

Developing science-based communication guidance and positive-themed messages for suicide prevention are important priorities. Drawing on social learning and elaboration likelihood models, we designed and tested two positive-focused presentations by high school peer leaders delivered in the context of a suicide prevention program (Sources of Strength). Thirty-six classrooms in four schools (N = 706 students) were randomized to (1) peer leader modeling of healthy coping, (2) peer leader modeling plus audience involvement to identify trusted adults, or (3) control condition. Students&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; attitudes and norms were assessed by immediate post-only assessments. Exposure to either presentation enhanced positive coping attitudes and perceptions of adult support. Students who reported suicide ideation in the past 12 months benefited more than nonsuicidal students. Beyond modeling alone, audience involvement modestly enhanced expectations of adult support, congruent with the elaboration likelihood model. Positive peer modeling is a promising alternative to communications focused on negative consequences and directives and may enhance social-interpersonal factors linked to reduced suicidal behaviors.

Wallach, L. N., Fuller, E. K., Shaffer, C. S., Lavioe, J. A. A. & Douglas, K. S. (2014, June). Predicting suicide and self-harm: Coping style, self-efficacy, and social support in civil psychiatric patients. Poster presented at the 75th Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

Amongst individuals with mental illness, rates of self-harm and suicide-related behavior (SRB) are higher compared to the general population. Studies have found that when dealing with distressing circumstances, people with psychiatric conditions often use less effective task-orientated strategies and more ineffective emotion-orientated coping. Poor coping skills have been found to be strongly related to increased suicide risk. Thus, the relationship between coping styles and the risk for self-harm and SRB may be of particular relevance to mental health populations and of relevance legally within civil commitment contexts.  In addition, research has shown social support and perceived self-efficacy to be protective factors against suicide and SRB, however there is a paucity of research on the moderating effects of social support on coping styles and efficacy vis-à-vis their relationship to self-harm and SRB in psychiatric samples. The present research investigated the relationship between coping styles, self-efficacy, and social support in predicting SRB and self-harm in a civil psychiatric sample (N = 150, 52% male) in Western Canada. In particular, this research investigated whether different coping styles better predict SRB and self-harm behavior, and if social support moderates the relationship between coping style or coping efficacy and SRB/self-harm. Results indicate that emotion-focused coping positively predicted SRB, and that task-focused coping and social support were significant protective factors against self-harm and SRB. Emotion-focused coping did not significantly predict self-harm.

Some health care institutions, including academic health centers, have adopted policies excluding smokers from employment. Claims advanced on behalf of these policies include financial savings from reduced health costs and absenteeism as well as advantages consonant with their message of healthy living. The authors suggest that the institutional savings from these policies are speculative and unproven. Also, in settings where large medical schools operate, it is likely to be the poor, including members of minority groups, who, under an employee smoker ban, will lose the opportunity to work for an employer that offers health insurance and other benefits. In response to the incentives created by such bans, some will quit smoking, but most will not. Thus, at the community level, employee smoker bans are more likely to be harmful than beneficial.Although private businesses may rightly choose not to hire smokers in the 19 states where such policies are legal, health care institutions, in...

Personal networks undergo change in response to major life course events. Individual, relational, and network characteristics that influence network instability in the absence of a significant life transition/crisis are less understood. We focus on those ties that transition from active to dormant. Because the shift to dormancy is often interpreted as a reduction in support or social capital, it is considered problematic. This study is based on longitudinal survey data of middle-class adults who did not undergo life changes. Even in this context of relative stability, support networks experience rates of dormancy similar to those observed during periods of major upheaval. Tie dormancy is unrelated to individual characteristics, network size and density, or homophily along dimensions other than sex. Frequency and medium of communication are particularly notable as factors that were not related to tie dormancy. Ties were less likely to become dormant if they were geographically or emotionally close, immediate kin or neighbors, highly supportive, the same sex, or more embedded in the network. These findings provide context for how support networks operate when not buffeted by exogenous forces. They provide a baseline for understanding the impact on networks of transitions, trauma, new media, and difficult life circumstances.

High incidence of psychosis and compulsory treatment within black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in the UK remain a concern. Psychosis has an impact on families and family involvement is important in predicting compulsory treatment. We therefore aimed to report the levels and predictors of caregiver burden in first-episode psychosis, in white British, and BME groups of carers, and investigate their relevance to compulsory treatment. A total of 124 caregivers were interviewed soon after the onset of psychosis using the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-28, the Experience of Caregiving Inventory, the Personal and Psychiatric History Schedule, and the MRC Sociodemographic Schedule. The overall level of distress as measured by GHQ-28 was high (mean 50, SD 11.4). Feelings of carer burden were also high (mean total negative score 72.5, SD 34.8), increased in men, and with carer age. Neither ethnicity nor social class nor social support was associated with distress or burden. Compulsory treatment was predicted by carer burden (as indicated by carer reports of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;problems with…