Weak ties matter: Social network dynamics of mobile media multiplexity and their impact on the social support and psychological well-being experienced by migrant workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 205015792110011
Author(s):  
Piper Liping Liu ◽  
Tien Ee Dominic Yeo

This study investigates the contextual and relational characteristics that underlie people’s information and communication technology (ICT) use and the implications for their well-being. We contextualize this investigation according to migrants, because they are faced with disruptions to their personal networks in the migration process that may attenuate the availability of social support and negatively affect their mental health. Migrants tend to be proficient in using mobile ICT to connect with different social ties to fulfill their needs, which potentially makes a difference to their psychological well-being. Through a survey of 504 internal migrant workers in China, we examined the social network factors that underlie multiple mobile ICT use and the attendant influences on social support and psychological well-being. Redressing the overemphasis on the importance of strong ties in extant literature, this study highlights the salience of mobile media multiplexity (i.e., the use of multiple mobile communication channels for social interactions) in weak tie communication and the greater contribution of weak ties toward social support and psychological well-being than strong ties. Our findings suggest that mobile-mediated communicative relationships with newer and more distanced social connections outside their immediate circles enhance the well-being of migrants. We contend that media multiplexity vis-à-vis weak ties underscores the reconfiguration of migrants’ communicative relationships following the separation from original ties and facilitates rewarding interactions with new ties.

Author(s):  
Andréa Neiva da Silva ◽  
Carla Ribeiro Guedes ◽  
Cláudia Du Bocage Santos-Pinto ◽  
Elaine Silva Miranda ◽  
Larissa Machado Ferreira ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted on academic routine because of the social distancing measures. This study examined the relationships of sociodemographic characteristics, social distancing aspects and psychosocial factors on psychosocial well-being among undergraduate students during the social distancing period due to COVID-19. A web-based survey was conducted of undergraduate students at a public university in Brazil (n = 620). Demographics, socioeconomic status (SES), social distancing factors, negative affectivity (DASS-21), sense of coherence (SOC-13), social support and psychosocial well-being (GHQ-12) were measured. The direct and indirect links between was variables was tested using structural equation modelling. The estimated model showed that greater social support, higher sense of coherence and lower negative affectivity were directly associated with better psychological well-being. Female gender, higher SES, not working during the social distancing period and availability of online modules were indirectly associated with psychological well-being through psychosocial factors. Working during the social distancing period and availability of online modules mediated the link of age, gender, SES with psychological well-being. Our findings suggest the need to provide psychological support, online teaching and financial aid to undergraduate students during the social distancing period due to COVID-19 pandemic to improve their psychological well-being.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (60) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Barbosa Romera Leme ◽  
Zilda Aparecida Pereira Del Prette ◽  
Susana Coimbra

There is no consensus in the literature regarding the influence of family configuration on the psychological well-being of adolescents. Based on the perception of adolescents, this study evaluates the influence of family configuration, social skills and social support appraisals as potential predictors of adolescent psychological well-being. The participants were 454 adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years from nuclear, separated and remarried families. The adolescents were students in the first and second years of public high school. The data were collectively obtained in the classroom using the Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents, the Social Support Appraisal Scale and the Psychological Well-being Scale. The results indicated that family configuration is not associated with the psychological well-being of adolescents. The social skills of empathy, self-control, civility, social resourcefulness and affective approach as well as the social support appraisals from friends and family were the best predictors of adolescent psychological well-being. The implications of the results are discussed with respect to future research and interventions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-120
Author(s):  
Indri Kemala Nasution ◽  
Debby Anggraini Daulay ◽  
Ade Rahmawati Siregar ◽  
Rahmi Putri Rangkuti ◽  
Rahma Yurliani ◽  
...  

Chronic illness is a disorder/ disability due to medical conditions that are present continuously for 3 months or more which may affect the functioning of a child's life (Fritz & McQuaid in Wenar & Kerig, 2005). The effects of chronic illness and long-term treatment lead to individual psychological problems for children, such as feeling sad, withdrawing and other emotional problems. Poor psychological well-being conditions often exacerbate chronic childhood illness. Children become lazy to take medication and not obedient in doing treatment. The purpose of this devotion is to improve psychological well-being of children with chronic illness through social support interventions. This program will be carried out with a cadre of 3 partners who are nurses from  Haji Adam Malik hospital. The nurses will be trained, so they can provide the social support for children during hospitalization to improve the psychological wellbeing of the children. After the training, social support interventions implementation module will be tested to 20 chronic illness children in Haji Adam Malik hospital with the nurse as a facilitator. While the team from Psychology Faculty will supervise the implementation and provide feedback.


2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Sánchez Moreno

Psychological models of mental disorders play an important role in the explanation of psychological deterioration. Researchers from this area usually study several cognitive and behavioral variables to account for the onset and maintenance of depression. However, many authors have detected the need to include a “social dimension” in the explanation of deterioration. In this sense, social support has become a crucial aspect in the study of mental health, and the psychological literature on this topic has generated an intense debate about several facets of the positive impact of social networks on psychological well-being. In this article, the author defends that this increasing centrality of the concept has been accompanied by a psychological reductionism that is making the role of “social aspects” to explain psychological well-being more problematic. Implications of this reductionism are discussed, and an alternative proposal is made to overcome some theoretical and empirical problems related to social support research.


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