scholarly journals Teleconferencing as a Source of Social Support for Older Spousal Caregivers

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 381-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Edel McHugh ◽  
Joseph P. Wherton ◽  
David K. Prendergast ◽  
Brian A. Lawlor
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Spousal Caregivers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
User Friendly

Teleconferencing is increasingly being used as a medium of delivering social support for dementia caregivers. Further direction is required from pilot studies before the optimal clinical service can be delivered. Following a 6-week pilot support group for spousal caregivers, delivered via teleconferencing software, we interviewed 8 participants for their feedback. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory analysis. Themes of “group processes” and “barriers,” containing subcategories of “functions of the group,” “responsibilities of facilitators,” and “barriers to communication” were discussed. According to caregivers, successful teleconferencing support groups should acknowledge the caregiver as the dementia expert, allow participants to meet before the deployment of the support group, provide active facilitation and leadership via the researcher, employ user-friendly technologies, and facilitate for the group to self-maintain following the pilot deployment period. These issues should be taken into consideration when designing future teleconferencing applications for caregivers.

scholarly journals An Online Support Group Intervention for Adolescents Living with HIV in Nigeria: A Pre-Post Test Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Dulli ◽  
Kathleen Ridgeway ◽  
Catherine Packer ◽  
Kate F Plourde ◽  
Tolulope Mumuni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hiv Knowledge ◽  
Test Study ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIVs) enrolled in HIV treatment services experience greater loss to follow-up and suboptimal adherence than other age groups. HIV-related stigma, disclosure-related issues, lack of social support, and limited HIV knowledge impede adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and retention in HIV services. The 90-90-90 goals for ALHIVs will only be met through strategies targeted to meet their specific needs. OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a social media-based intervention to improve HIV knowledge, social support, ART adherence, and retention among ALHIV aged 15-19 years on ART in Nigeria. METHODS We conducted a single-group pre-post test study from June 2017 to January 2018. We adapted an existing support group curriculum and delivered it through trained facilitators in 5 support groups by using Facebook groups. This pilot intervention included five 1-week sessions. We conducted structured interviews with participants before and after the intervention, extracted clinical data, and documented intervention implementation and participation. In-depth interviews were conducted with a subset of participants at study completion. Quantitative data from structured interviews and group participation data were summarized descriptively, and qualitative data were coded and summarized. RESULTS A total of 41 ALHIV enrolled in the study. At baseline, 93% of participants reported existing phone access; 65% used the internet, and 64% were Facebook users. In addition, 37 participants completed the 5-session intervention, 32 actively posted comments in at least one session online, and at least half commented in each of the 5 sessions. Facilitators delivered most sessions as intended and on-time. Participants were enthusiastic about the intervention. Aspects of the intervention liked most by participants included interacting with other ALHIVs; learning about HIV; and sharing questions, experiences, and fears. The key recommendations were to include larger support groups and encourage more group interaction. Specific recommendations on various intervention components were made to improve the intervention. CONCLUSIONS This novel intervention was feasible to implement in a predominantly suburban and rural Nigerian setting. Social media may be leveraged to provide much-needed information and social support on platforms accessible and familiar to many people, even in resource-constrained communities. Our findings have been incorporated into the intervention, and an outcome study is underway. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03076996; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03076996 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73oCCEBBC).

A Structured Support Group for Midlife and Older Adults with Vision Loss

1994 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.J. McCulloh ◽  
I. Crawford ◽  
J.D. Resnick
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Vision Loss

This article describes an eight-week structured social support group for midlife and older adults who are adventitiously visually impaired. The group objectives, topics covered, and issues encountered are presented, along with recommendations for developing future support groups for this population.

Reasons for attending support groups and organizational preferences: A replication study using the North American Scleroderma Support Group Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Pépin ◽  
Linda Kwakkenbos ◽  
Marie-Eve Carrier ◽  
Sandra Peláez ◽  
Ghassan El-Baalbaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Systemic Sclerosis ◽  
North America ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Peer-facilitated support groups are an important source for receiving disease-related information and support for people with systemic sclerosis (or scleroderma). A recent survey explored reasons for attending systemic sclerosis support groups in Europe and Australia and used exploratory factor analysis to group reasons for attendance into three main themes: (1) interpersonal and social support, (2) disease treatment and symptom management strategies, and (3) other aspects of living with systemic sclerosis. The objective of the present study was to replicate this study in a sample of patients from North America using confirmatory factor analysis. A 30-item survey was used to assess reasons for attendance and organizational preferences among systemic sclerosis patients in Canada and the United States. In total, 171 members completed the survey. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the three-factor model showed good fit to the data (χ2(399) = 646.0, p < 0.001, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.97, comparative fit index = 0.97, root mean square error approximation = 0.06). On average, respondents rated 22 (73%) of 30 items as “important” or “very important” reasons for attending support groups. Among organizational preferences, respondents emphasized the importance of the ability to share feelings and concerns, as well as educational aspects. Findings of our study suggest that reasons for attending support groups are similar for patients from Europe, Australia, and North America and that support groups should facilitate social support as well as disease education. These results inform the development of training programs for current and future systemic sclerosis support group leaders across the globe.

scholarly journals An evaluation of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions for people with dementia and a concomitant support group for their carers

Dementia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 985-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Bailey ◽  
Paul Kingston ◽  
Simon Alford ◽  
Louise Taylor ◽  
Edward Tolhurst
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

This research aimed to ascertain the impact of a pragmatic Cognitive Stimulation Therapy course of 10 sessions on the cognitive function of people living with dementia and whether attending a concomitant carers support group was beneficial to carers. A mixed method quasi-experimental approach was adopted; data were collected pre- and post-intervention. The quantitative arm utilised three validated questionnaires rated by the carers. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with carers regarding their perceptions of the impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and the carers support group. Quantitative data analysis found no statistically significant differences within or between groups. The qualitative data demonstrated that carers perceived Cognitive Stimulation Therapy had some benefits for the people living with dementia, especially social benefits. Carers also perceived that attending the carers support group was beneficial for them in terms of gaining a better understanding of dementia, developing coping skills and having peer support. The study was limited in scale and further research with a larger sample, using direct measures of the impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy with people living with dementia and supplementary research exploring which characteristic of carers support groups are effective would be worthwhile.

Leveraging Facebook as a Peer-Support Group for Students

2014 ◽  
pp. 195-212
Author(s):  
Joni Salminen
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Technology Barriers ◽  
Peer Support Group ◽  
Teacher Needs ◽  
User Friendly

This chapter reports the use of Facebook in a Digital Marketing course in a Finnish university as a peer-support group for a course consisting of 80 marketing students. It identifies seven types of student-/teacher-generated content: (1) course-related posts, (2) substance-related posts, (3) course feedback, (4) course recommendations, (5) event posts, (6) job posts, and (7) business-related posts. It also discusses educators’ problems of using social media as a course support. For example, there is a risk of artificial communication if participation is required but motivation for posting is purely extrinsic. Commercial social networks may be useful in education because they are user-friendly, easy to adopt, and involve less friction than systems isolated from students’ day-to-day usage of the Internet. Peer support frees teachers’ time, but it needs to be devised correctly for students to participate. In practice, the teacher needs to invest time and effort in providing interesting content and guidance. More than technology, barriers of peer support relate to social issues and expertise – the students must differ in their substantive knowledge so that peer support is possible, and students must feel comfortable to ask for and provide help. Interestingly, the drop out of students in the group can be kept low even after the course by posting interesting content. In this sense, the group may demonstrate stronger ties than peer support groups that dissolve after the course.

scholarly journals Participating in a support group: experience lived by women with breast cancer

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleoneide Paulo Oliveira Pinheiro ◽  
Raimunda Magalhães da Silva ◽  
Marli Villela Mamede ◽  
Ana Fátima Carvalho Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Carcinoma ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The City ◽  
Group Experience ◽  
Differentiated Care

The goal of the study was to understand the meaning of support groups in the life of women with breast cancer. It is a qualitative study with 30 mastectomized women who belonged to six support groups in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará. Data were collected with semi-structured interviews, organized and analyzed based on the interactionism concept. The results characterized the support groups as a mechanism to cope with the situation and to overcome the suffering derived from the diagnosis and treatment of the breast carcinoma. The socialization of the experiences facilitated the search for assistance in the support groups, since sharing the problems with mastectomized women was a way to preserve a high self-esteem, have faith and overcome some difficulties. Participating in the group provided well-being and a differentiated care, since it was considered a way to know, accept and understand the disease and its cure, facilitating the socialization of ideas.

scholarly journals GIVE A PIECE OF YOUR MIND: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF A FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP FOR DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S850-S850
Author(s):  
Jenny A Lagervall ◽  
Madeline R Lag ◽  
Sophie Brickman ◽  
Rebecca E Ingram ◽  
Leilani Feliciano
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Online Support ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Emotional Tone ◽  
Grief Reactions

Abstract The online environment offers individuals a means of obtaining information, support, and social connection. Older adults are growing users of the internet1. Online support groups (e.g., Facebook groups) have been found to provide health-related information and encourage mental well-being2. They may be particularly advantageous for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with dementia, as it is difficult to leave loved ones with dementia alone. However, the mechanisms by which online support groups engage caregivers, and the content of support, have yet to be explored. In the current study, content from 100 posts from a private Facebook caregiver support group were evaluated for gender of post author, relationship to the person receiving care, distress, emotional tone, grief reaction, caregiver burden, and coping strategy. Results indicated that caregiver distress was associated with the presence of grief reactions, negative emotional tone, and higher caregiver burden. Utilizing venting as a coping strategy was associated with higher caregiver burden, similar to what is observed in a traditional in-person support group. Online communication for caregivers may provide an indication of caregivers’ psychological well-being, as specific coping strategies and grief reactions indicated higher levels of caregiver burden and distress. Research on interventions for dementia caregivers may benefit from a focus on online social support as a means of accessing caregivers and treatment delivery.

scholarly journals Facilitators and Barriers Return to Work in Working People with Serious Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Maddineshat ◽  
Efat Sadeghian ◽  
Ali Ghaleiha ◽  
Mitra Khalafbeigi ◽  
Fatemeh Cheraghi
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Working People ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

Abstract Background: Many factors affect return to work (RTW) in employees and workers (hereinafter referred to as working people) with serious mental illness (SMI). Identifying these factors can prevent long-term sick leave absence and work disability. Aim: The current study was conducted to identify facilitators and barriers RTW in working people with SMI admitted to a psychiatric hospital and clinic affiliated with the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2020 on 27 participants with SMI, families, supervisors, managers, and mental health team members. The participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews. A total of 40 interviews were conducted face-to-face and fallow-up by the telephone. The interviews were based on a conventional content analysis approach.Results: Two main themes emerged, including social support and RTW's challenges. Social support consisted of four main categories: emotional support, information support, instrumental support, and supervisor's flexibility. RTW's challenges consisted of two main categories: personal obstacles and general issues.Conclusion: We found that two facilitator and barrier factors including social support and RTW's challenges affected the RTW process in working people with SMI. Identifying facilitator and barrier factors gives us comprehensive information to use in RTW programs and developing policies RTW in working people with SMI.

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Impact of the First Love Yourself (FLY) Women’s Support Group

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Valerie Blackmon ◽  
Chalenna Cassell ◽  
Cathy Gilbert McElderry ◽  
Olawunmi Obisesan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

Research has shown that social support groups not only have significant effects on the physical and mental health of individuals, but can also be used as predictors of health outcomes. It is, therefore, important that social workers and other public health professionals are aware of the social support groups that exist in communities so as to find ways to utilize these to meet health needs. The study aims to explore the First Love Yourself (FLY) group, an empowerment-based support group specifically designed to meet the needs of Healthy Start consumers, parents and consortium members. A qualitative analysis of the data gathered from this focus group study yielded several key themes. While participants described finding other community resources helpful, they reported having no other outlet for confidential self-expression and connection to peers other than the FLY group. Group members also reported having improved self-esteem, relationships with their children, partners, and family, and ability to cope as a result of participation in the group. Participants further described gaining knowledge and learning skills that were helpful. This included learning parenting, communication, stress and anger management, budgeting, goal-setting and coping skills and techniques. Finally, qualitative analysis of the data gained from the focus group with participants and the group leader revealed the presence of all 11 curative factors described by Yalom (2005). The primary areas for improvement noted by the group and its leader were related to the frequency of group meetings. Both audiences indicated that additional sessions would be beneficial.

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