Social Support and Social Isolation Among Families With Children With Genetic Disorders

The social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic exerts lasing impacts on people’s mental health. However, whether and how people’s pre-existing positive social relationships can serve as stable reserves to alleviate people psychological distress following the disaster remains unknown. To address the question, the current study examined whether pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction would predict post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety through middle-pandemic perceived social support and/or gratitude using four-wave data in China (N = 222, 54.50% female, Mage = 31.53, SD = 8.17). Results showed that people’s COVID-19 anxiety decreased from the peak to the trough pandemic stage; perceived social support increased markedly from the pre-pandemic to the peak and remained stable afterwards, while relationship satisfaction remained unchanged throughout. Further, it was middle-pandemic perceived social support, but not gratitude, mediated the association between pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction and post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety, indicating perceived social support played a more crucial role than gratitude in this process. Last, it is suggested to distinguish perceived social support from gratitude as two different components of social interactions.

Download Full-text

Social Isolation, Social Support, and Loneliness and Their Relationship with Cognitive Health and Dementia

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry ◽

10.1002/gps.5644 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Johanna Joyce ◽

Joanne Ryan ◽

Alice Owen ◽

Jessie Hu ◽

Joanna McHugh Power ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Cognitive Health

Download Full-text

Improvement of the targeted social support of low-income families with children: Vologda Pilot Project

POPULATION ◽

10.19181/1561-7785-2019-00008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 106-121

Author(s):

Vyacheslav Bobkov

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Low Income ◽

Social Assistance ◽

Minimum Income ◽

Lump Sum ◽

Subsistence Minimum ◽

Regional Budget ◽

Low Income Families ◽

Families With Children ◽

Guaranteed Minimum Income

The article deals with the theoretical, methodical and practical principles of forming a new model of targeted social support of low-income families with children on the basis of guaranteed minimum income. Approbation of the new approaches to targeted social support of low-income families with children was implemented in Vologda oblast. The target representative sample was 70 families. It has been found out that after the targeted social support under the current legislation (lump-sum payments excluded), basic income in these families averaged 35.3 per cent of the differentiated equivalent subsistence minimum, thus being evidence of the inefficient state social assistance. The author has substantiated introducing additional monthly targeted social payments to parents besides the set regular payments (additional family poverty benefit) that will enable families to improve their economic sustainability. He substantiated a number of threshold values of the guaranteed minimum income that would ensure current consumption ranging from the cost food basket up to the size of the differentiated equivalent living standards of families, depending on the financial capacity of the regional budget. The guaranteed minimum income of low-income families with children averaged 54.6 per cent of the regional differentiated equivalent subsistence minimum. There have been developed methodical recommendations for identifying untapped socio-economic potential of families as a source of raising income from employment, as well as criteria for removal of families from the recipients of targeted social assistance in the form of cash benefits. Proposals on correcting the current legislation on the state social support have been formulated.

Download Full-text

Head-to-Head Comparison of Social Network Assessments in Stroke Survivors

The Neurohospitalist ◽

10.1177/1941874420945889 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 18-24

Author(s):

Morgan Prust ◽

Abby Halm ◽

Simona Nedelcu ◽

Amber Nieves ◽

Amar Dhand

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Network Structure ◽

Network Size ◽

Personal Network ◽

Mapping Tool ◽

Social Network Structure ◽

Network Mapping

Background and Purpose: Social networks influence human health and disease through direct biological and indirect psychosocial mechanisms. They have particular importance in neurologic disease because of support, information, and healthy behavior adoption that circulate in networks. Investigations into social networks as determinants of disease risk and health outcomes have historically relied on summary indices of social support, such as the Lubben Social Network Scale–Revised (LSNS-R) or the Stroke Social Network Scale (SSNS). We compared these 2 survey tools to personal network (PERSNET) mapping tool, a novel social network survey that facilitates detailed mapping of social network structure, extraction of quantitative network structural parameters, and characterization of the demographic and health parameters of each network member. Methods: In a cohort of inpatient and outpatient stroke survivors, we administered LSNS-R, SSNS, and PERSNET in a randomized order to each patient. We used logistic regression to generate correlation matrices between LSNS-R scores, SSNS scores, and PERSNET’s network structure (eg, size and density) and composition metrics (eg, percent kin in network). We also examined the relationship between LSNS-R-derived risk of social isolation with PERSNET-derived network size. Results: We analyzed survey responses for 67 participants and found a significant correlation between LSNS-R, SSNS, and PERSNET-derived indices of network structure. We found no correlation between LSNS-R, SSNS, and PERSNET-derived metrics of network composition. Personal network mapping tool structural and compositional variables were also internally correlated. Social isolation defined by LSNS-R corresponded to a network size of <5. Conclusions: Personal network mapping tool is a valid index of social network structure, with a significant correlation to validated indices of perceived social support. Personal network mapping tool also captures a novel range of health behavioral data that have not been well characterized by previous network surveys. Therefore, PERSNET offers a comprehensive social network assessment with visualization capabilities that quantifies the social environment in a valid and unique manner.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Family and Friends Social Support on Latino/a First-Generation College Students’ Perceived Stress, Depression, and Social Isolation

Journal of Hispanic Higher Education ◽

10.1177/1538192720964922 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 153819272096492

Author(s):

Tara Suwinyattichaiporn ◽

Zac D. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Isolation ◽

First Generation ◽

First Generation College Students ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Family Social Support ◽

Study Results ◽

First Generation College ◽

The Impact

This study highlights Latino/a first-generation students by investigating the associations of stress, depression, and social isolation with family and friend social support in their college experiences. Using random sampling, nine-hundred and seven ( N = 907) Latino/a first-generation students participated in this study. Results indicated family social support is negatively associated with stress and depression, social support from friends is negatively associated with social isolation, and family social support is a moderator of stress and depression.

Download Full-text

SOCIAL ISOLATION AND FALLS RISK AMONG COMMUNITY DWELLING OLDER ADULTS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF DEPRESSION

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1078 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S293-S293

Author(s):

Jeffrey Burr ◽

Lien Quach

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Falls Risk ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

Perceived Social Isolation

Abstract Relatively little is known about the relationship between social isolation and the risk of falls among older adults. Yet, a considerable amount of research demonstrates that lack of sufficient social relationships, broadly defined, represents a modifiable risk factor for many indicators of well-being in later life. This study examines the association between two types of social isolation and the risk of falls. The study also examines whether depression mediates the association between social isolation and risk of falls. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2012) were collected from community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older (N=8,464). The outcome variable was number of falls self-reported over the observation period. Independent variables included perceived isolation (feeling lonely, perceptions of social support), social disconnectedness (e.g., having no friends or relatives living nearby, living alone), and number of depressive symptoms. Results from regression models indicated that social disconnectedness was associated with a 5% increase in the risk of falls (IRR=1.05, 95% CI=1.01-1.09). Perceived social support was associated with a 21% increase in the risk of falls; when examined together, perceived social support and loneliness were associated with a combined 37% increase in falls risk. Depression was associated with a 47% increase in falls. Depression mediated the association between perceived isolation and falls. Further, perceived isolation mediated the association between social disconnectedness and falls. Reducing perceived social isolation and social disconnectedness may be an avenue for designing interventions to reduce the risk of falls, especially for older adults with depression.

Download Full-text

Alone on the Inside: The Impact of Social Isolation and Helping Others on AOD Use and Criminal Activity

Youth & Society ◽

10.1177/0044118x15617400 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 529-550 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Byron R. Johnson ◽

Maria E. Pagano ◽

Matthew T. Lee ◽

Stephen G. Post

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Juvenile Offenders ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Violent Crime ◽

Alcoholics Anonymous ◽

Addiction Treatment ◽

Negative Binomial ◽

Criminal Activity ◽

Post Treatment ◽

The Impact

Because addiction is a socially isolating disease, social support for recovery is an important element of treatment planning. This study examines the relationship between social isolation, giving and receiving social support in Alcoholics Anonymous during treatment, and post-treatment outcomes among juvenile offenders court-referred to addiction treatment. Adolescents ( N = 195) aged 14 to 18 years were prospectively assessed at treatment admission, treatment discharge, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment discharge. The influence of social isolation variables on relapse and severe criminal activity in the 12-months post-treatment was examined using negative binomial logistic regressions and event history methods. Juveniles entering treatment with social estrangement were significantly more likely to relapse, be incarcerated, and commit a violent crime in the 12-months post-treatment. Giving help to others in Alcoholics Anonymous during treatment significantly reduced the risk of relapse, incarceration, and violent crime in the 12-months post-treatment whereas receiving help did not.

Download Full-text