Social support buffers young men's resilient coping to psychological distress

Aim

Social support and resilient coping can aid mental health. The aim of this study was to examine age effects of social support on men's resilient coping for psychological distress.

Methods

The sample consisted of 434 help-seeking Canadian men who completed standardized measures. Regression analyses tested a moderated moderation model, controlling for COVID-19 pandemic impact.

Results

Greater resilient coping was associated with lower psychological distress and this relationship was moderated by social support. Higher levels of social support had a significant positive effect on men's resilient coping for psychological distress. Findings indicated that younger men (18–24 years) were most positively buffered by social support.

Conclusions

Social support appears to be particularly important for young men's coping response to psychological distress. This is an important finding in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where social support networks have been challenged. Community-based and clinical programs and initiatives that proactively target young men's development of social connections and robust supportive networks, while bolstering their individual resilient coping skills, are likely to provide protections from psychological distress.     

Social networks and mental health among a farming population

Aims  The study investigated the associations between mental health and measures of community support, social support networks, sense of place, adversity, and perceived problems in a rural Australian population. There was a specific focus on farming communities due to previous qualitative research by the authors indicating distress by farmers in response to drought (Sartore et al. Aust Fam Phys 36(12), 990–993, 2007). Method  A survey was mailed to adults randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Roll and residing within four local government areas (LGAs) of varying remoteness in rural New South Wales (NSW). Survey measures included: support networks and community attachment; recent stressors (including drought-related stress); and measures of health and related functioning. The Kessler-10 provided an index of current psychological distress. Results  The sample (n = 449; response rate 24%) was predominantly female (58.4%) and 18.9% were farmers or farm workers. Moderate to very high psychological distress was reported for 20.7% of the sample. Half (56.1%) of all respondents, and specifically 71.8% of farmers or farm workers, reported high levels of perceived stress due to drought. Psychological distress was associated with recent adverse life events, increased alcohol use and functional impairment. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated an independent effect of the number of stressful life events including drought related stress, perceived social support (community and individual), alcohol use and physical functioning ability on levels of psychological distress. This model accounted for 43% of the variance in current levels of distress. Lower community support had a more marked impact on distress levels for non-farming than farming participants. Conclusions  This study has highlighted the association between unique rural community characteristics and rural stressors (such as drought) and measures of mental health, suggesting the important mediating role of social factors and community characteristics. The results illustrate the importance of addressing subgroup differences in the role of social capital in mental health.     

The Experience of Loneliness: Main and Interactive Effects of Interpersonal Stress,Social Support and Positive Affect

Chronic interpersonal stress is significantly related to psychological distress, loneliness being a critical mediating factor, so alleviating loneliness could reduce psychological distress even in the face of chronic interpersonal stress. It is plausible that positive affect and social support may moderate chronic interpersonal stress-loneliness, as well as having direct effects on loneliness. If so, health promotion interventions to raise positive affect and social support for people living with chronic interpersonal stress should be prioritised. In a community-based sample of 3733 Norwegian adults, direct and moderating effects of positive affect and social support were explored. Chronic inter personal stress, loneliness, positive affect and social support were significantly interrelated. Positive affect and social support did not substantially moderate the chronic interpersonal stress-loneliness relationship. Together, chronic interpersonal stress, positive affect and social support accounted for 41% of the variance in loneliness. Thus chronic interpersonal stress, positive affect and social support are strong predictors of loneliness. Interventions to increase positive affect and social support may decrease loneliness due to direct affects, but cannot be expected to moderate the chronic interpersonal stress-loneliness relationship.     

The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events

Maulik PK, Eaton WW, Bradshaw CP. The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events. Objective: This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Method: Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993–1996, of whom 1071 were re‐interviewed in 2004–2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Results: Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress‐buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. Conclusion: The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low.     

Social Support,Social Intimacy,and Cardiovascular Reactions to Acute Psychological Stress

Background  Exaggerated cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress are considered a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity. Social support may reduce such risk by attenuating cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Purpose  To examine the effects of three independent social support variables and their interaction on cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress. The variables were stranger or friend presence, active supportive or passive presence, and male or female presence. Methods  Cardiovascular reactions to mental arithmetic stress were measured in 112 healthy young women tested in one of eight distinct independent conditions: active supportive male friend; active supportive female friend; passive male friend; passive female friend; active supportive male stranger; active supportive female stranger, passive male stranger; and passive female stranger. Results  Support from a friend rather than a stranger was associated with attenuated blood pressure reactivity, but only when the supporter was a male friend. Support from a male stranger or female friend was associated with augmented blood pressure reactivity. Conclusions  This interaction between the intimacy and sex of the supporter on cardiovascular reactivity extends the findings of previous laboratory studies of social support and can, to an extent, be interpreted in terms of the Social Comparison Theory.     

Social support, ethnicity and mental health in adolescents

Objective In this study, we explored whether social support varied with ethnic group in young people, and if it explained ethnic differences in prevalence of psychological distress. Methods A representative sample of 2790 East London adolescents (11–14 years) completed a classroom-based self-report questionnaire for this cross sectional survey. Social support was assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ). Results High levels of social support were reported by most participants, with some variation by ethnic group and gender. Participants reporting low family and overall social support had an increased likelihood of psychological distress compared with those who reported high support. Low support from friends, family and overall was also associated with depressive symptoms. These relationships did not alter with adjustment for ethnic group. Conclusions This study identified an independent association between different sources of social support and mental health in a young, ethnically diverse sample. Differences in social support did not explain ethnic differences in psychological distress.     

Community Workers’ Social Support and Sleep Quality during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Moderated Mediation Model

To explore the relationship between social support and sleep quality of community workers in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (the COVID-19 infection epidemic), this research constructed a mediating effect model to explore the mediating psychological mechanism of social support influencing sleep quality of front-line community workers. A total of 500 front-line community workers in Wuhan were investigated. We used the perceived social support scale (PSSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the perceived stress scale (PSS), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) to measure social support, psychological resilience, perceived stress and sleep quality. Specifically, the higher the PSQI, the worse the sleep quality. Pearson correlation structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between these factors. The results showed that: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between social support, psychological resilience, and perceived stress of community workers and PSQI, that means, the higher the level of social support, psychological resilience, and perceived stress, the higher the sleep quality. (2) Social support positively predicted psychological resilience and perceived stress, and perceived stress negatively predicted PSQI. (3) Social support can affect sleep quality through the mediating role of psychological resilience and perceived stress, and the mediating role includes two paths: the single mediating role of perceived stress and the chain mediating role of psychological resilience-perceived stress. (4) Gender moderates the relationship between social support and perceived stress, and the influence of social support on perceived stress of women is higher than that of men. Gender moderates the relationship between psychological resilience and PSQI, and only women’s psychological resilience had a negatively predictive effect on PSQI, while men did not, which means that psychological resilience of female frontline community workers can positively predict sleep quality. This research reveals the relationship between social support and sleep quality and its mechanism and verifies that social support can indirectly affect physical health through psychological resilience and perceived stress. It provides reference suggestions and intervention guidance for improving the sleep quality of community workers.     

Social support,life events,and psychological distress among the Puerto Rican population in the Boston area of the United States

Objectives: The aim of this article is to investigate the role of social network support in ameliorating the psychological impact of life stressors that are prevalent for the older Puerto Rican population.

Method: Social support was measured through the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and psychological distress through the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale. We describe the life stressors (Norbeck Life Events) faced by Puerto Ricans and their implications for psychological distress. We present associations between depression, perceived stress, social support, and socio-demographic indicators. The role of social network support–emotional and instrumental–in buffering the effect of negative events is examined. Attention is given to the interacting effect of gender and the type of support.

Results: The analysis shows that dimensions of social support, particularly emotional support, are generally protective of psychological health. However, when delineating the moderating effects of gender, social support is beneficial for men, but manifestly less so for women. Emotional, tangible support and duration of social contacts show a moderate effect on the impact of life stressors on psychological distress which, however, is in a direction opposite to that proposed by the buffering hypothesis.

Discussion: Social ties are generally protective, but may also be contributing, particularly for women, to increased psychological distress in the face of stressful life events.     

Transitional Employment and Psychological Distress: a Longitudinal Study

Although it has been established that employed status is generally associated with better mental health than unemployed status, the psychological mechanisms that underlie the longitudinal association between employment status and psychological distress remain to be understood. Initial mental health, lower coping skills and social support, and more stressful events could potentially preselect certain vulnerable individuals to be at higher risk for unemployment or employment instability. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between employment status (including transitional employment status) and psychological distress, controlling for the effect of initial psychological distress, coping skills, social support, and stressful events. In 2009, residents from the epidemiological catchment area of south-west Montréal responded to a randomized household survey for adults. Follow-up surveys were conducted in 2011 and 2013 (n?=?1168). Psychological distress was measured using the K-10 scale. Employment status was not significantly associated with psychological distress over time, however there were significant differences between the groups with the continually employed reporting the lowest average levels of psychological distress over time. Controlling for coping skills, social support, stressful events and initial psychological distress changed the strengths of the association between transitional employment status and psychological distress at follow-up. A significant longitudinal association between continual unemployment and psychological distress was observed. Initial psychological distress was significantly associated with becoming unemployed. Results suggest initial psychological distress as a risk factor for becoming unemployed and that the negative psychological implications of employment transitions can be significantly reduced when conditions for coping are optimized.

     

Culture shock and social support

Background Culture shock is a form of psychological distress associated with migration. Social support has been identified as significantly related to the onset, course and outcome of many psychological disorders. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between culture shock and social support, in terms of size, diversity of the social network and quality of support received, in Greek students, in the UK. Method A total of 133 students completed 3 self-administered questionnaires: Culture Shock Questionnaire, Social Support Questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Results Gender and the quality of support received were found to be strongly associated with culture shock. Furthermore, culture shock was significantly positively related to the level of current dysphoria and diminished with time. Conclusion Social support is an important factor associated with the degree of culture shock and should be taken into consideration in order to protect against or help to overcome this kind of psychological distress experienced by migrants.     

Judicial stress: the roles of gender and social support

Because judges experience a myriad of occupational stressors, they are at risk of experiencing secondary trauma, burnout, negative mental/physical health, poor job performance and low job satisfaction. These experiences might not be uniform, however, as gender and social support might mitigate such stress-related outcomes. Judges from two states in the United States completed a variety of stress and subjective performance measures. Social support was related to less perceived stress, less burnout, and more job satisfaction, but only for males. This suggests that males and females might receive qualitatively different types of social support. Different types of social support could differ in their ability to buffer judges from these stress-related outcomes. Further, among judges with high social support, females scored higher than males on subjective job performance; the opposite pattern occurred for judges with low social support. Thus, a lack of social support appears to have a negative effect on performance self-appraisals but only for females. Results have implications for the psychological study of stress and for programs designed to reduce judges’ stress.     

Psychological Distress for African-American Adolescent Males: Exposure to Community Violence and Social Support as Factors

This study examined exposure to community violence and depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms within a non-random sample of low-income, African-American male adolescents. The moderating effect of social support on these relationships was also examined. Seventy-seven African-American adolescent males were recruited from an inner-city, Midwestern high school and surveyed on exposure to violence, depression, post-traumatic stress, and social support. Regression analyses revealed that exposure to violence was significantly associated with both depressive and PTSD symptoms. However, social support was not found to moderate the relationship between exposure to community violence and psychological distress. Implications for intervention are discussed.     

The Impact of Health Promotion Activities on the Physiological,Psychological, and Social Functions of Inpatients With Chronic Mental Illness

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of the participation of patients with chronic mental illness in health promotion activities on their physical, psychological, and social functions. MethodsThis study included inpatient with chronic mental illness from a hospital in Eastern Taiwan. According to the experimental research design, the selected subjects were randomly divided into a health promotion group and a control group, with 60 people in each group. The health promotion team conducts health promotion activities twice a week, each for approximately 50 minutes, over the course of eight weeks (16 times in total). The measurement instrument adopts the Adult Mental Health Scale (AMHS) scale. Five experts and scholars in related fields are invited to conduct expert validity. ResultsUsing independent sample t-tests to analyze the changes in the two groups after 8 weeks, the physical, psychological and social problems of the health promotion group were significantly improved compared with the control group.ConclusionHealth promotion activities can alleviate the physical illness, anxiety, irritability, depression, and social distress of chronic hospitalized mental patients, and can also increase their positive and optimistic mood. It can provide chronic mental health care institutions to plan patients’ physical activities or exercises.     

Exploring mediating factors in the association between parental psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment in adolescence

Abstract  

Parental psychopathology is associated with increased psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents. We examined, from a psychosocial perspective, the association between parental psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents and assessed the mediating role of psychosocial covariates. This is a cross-sectional survey and the setting include representative sample of Quebec adolescents in 1999. The participants of the study include 13- and 16-year-old children (N = 2,346) in the Social and Health Survey of Quebec Children and Adolescents. The main outcome measures are internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, substance use, and alcohol consumption. For statistical analysis, we used structural equation modeling to test for mediation. Internalizing and externalizing disorders were significantly associated with parental psychological distress, but not substance use or alcohol consumption. The higher the parental distress, the higher the risk of adolescent mental health disorders. The association between parental psychological distress and internalizing disorders was mediated by adolescent self-esteem, parental emotional support and extrafamilial social support. As for externalizing disorders, these variables only had an independent effect. In conclusion, A family’s well being is a necessary condition for psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Beyond the psychiatric approach, psychosocial considerations need to be taken into consideration to prevent negative mental health outcomes in children living in homes with distressed parents.     

The ties that bind: perceived social support,stress, and IBS in severely affected patients

Background This study assessed the association between social support and the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in a sample of severely affected IBS patients recruited to an NIH‐funded clinical trial. In addition, we examined if the effects of social support on IBS pain are mediated through the effects on stress. Methods Subjects were 105 Rome II diagnosed IBS patients (F = 85%) who completed seven questionnaires which were collected as part of a pretreatment baseline assessment. Key Results Partial correlations were conducted to clarify the relationships between social support and clinically relevant variables with baseline levels of psychopathology, holding constant number of comorbid medical diseases, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and education. Analyses indicated that social support was inversely related to IBS symptom severity. Social support was positively related with less severe pain. A similar pattern of data was found for perceived stress but not quality of life impairment. Regression analyses examined if the effects of social support on pain are mediated by stress. The effects of social support on bodily pain were mediated by stress such that the greater the social support the less stress and the less pain. This effect did not hold for symptom severity, quality of life, or psychological distress. Conclusions & Inferences This study links the perceived adequacy of social support to the global severity of symptoms of IBS and its cardinal symptom (pain). It also suggests that the mechanism by which social support alleviates pain is through a reduction in stress levels.     

Psychological distress and its correlates in older care-dependent persons living at home

Objectives: This study examined psychological distress in older people receiving home nursing care. The influence of risk factors and personal resources on their perceived psychological distress was also examined. Method: A linear regression analysis was applied in a cross-sectional sample of 214 patients aged 75 years and older. Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The independent variables were sex, education, age, living arrangement, household composition, reported illnesses, Barthel ADL Index, self-rated health, Subjective Health Complaints, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, Sense of Coherence and Revised Social Provision Scale.

Results: Of the 214 participants, 23 (10.7%) reported experiencing psychological distress using a cutoff point of 4 or more on a GHQ case score. Sense of coherence, education and subjective health complaints were the only factors that were significantly related to psychological distress in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: The general level of psychological distress was low. Low psychological distress was related to an inner strength conceptualized as sense of coherence. Commonly reported risk factors such as sex, household composition and perceived social support, and objective measures of somatic and mental health and bodily dysfunctions were not related to psychological distress. Suggested reasons for this are greater acceptance of bodily and functional shortcomings and of changes related to goal achievement in old age, according to the model of selective optimization with compensation.     

Discrimination and victimization as mediators between social support and psychological distress in autistic adults

BackgroundThe mental health of autistic adults is a critical concern. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of how access to professional and social support combines with the experience of discrimination and victimization to explain psychological distress in autistic adults.MethodA cross-sectional online survey was conducted to provide information on psychological distress (Kessler K6), characteristics of the personal social support network, utilization and access to social and professional support, diagnosis and health conditions, and socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Two-hundred and twenty-two (222) autistic adults from Quebec (Canada) completed the survey.ResultThe results indicate high rates of psychological distress (51%), significant unmet support needs and many barriers to accessing psychosocial and health services. Four independent serial multiple mediator models confirm that social support and experiences of discrimination and victimization statistically mediate the relationship between professional support and psychological distress.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the understanding of the role of social support in the development of mental health difficulties in autistic people. Several courses of action are proposed, such as the implementation of structural corrective measures for access to services (e.g., limiting waiting times), design of service settings to limit possible sources of hypersensitivity, diversification of appointment methods (telehealth), making general service providers aware of the specific realities and characteristics of autism, greater consideration of the social aspects that influence mental health, the development of peer support programs, and the adoption of a positive and non-ableist view of autism in training programs.     

Ceremonies of the whole

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to test whether social participation is associated with improvements in mood and well-being, and in particular to test whether social participation might moderate the chronic distress associated with high levels of neuroticism (N). METHOD: A rural Australian sample of 394 adults (54.3% female) completed questionnaires and participated in follow-up interviews. Social participation was indexed by community group membership, and operationalised for analysis in two forms: extent (number of group memberships) and presence (zero vs. one or more memberships). Mood was measured as Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) as rated on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and well-being was measured with Diener's Satisfaction with Life (SWL) questionnaire. Items from Goldberg's International Personality Item Pool were used to measure N. RESULTS: The extent of social participation was significantly associated with all three mood/well-being variables in bivariate analyses, and remained as a significant net predictor of PA and NA (beta = 0.11, P < 0.05, beta = -0.13, P < 0.05) when modeled with age, gender and income. In parallel, categorical social participation was found to be significantly associated with PA, NA and SWL in bivariate analyses and in multivariate analyses controlling for age, gender and income (beta = 0.11, P < 0.05, beta = -0.15, P < 0.01 and beta = 0.11, P < 0.05, respectively). The interaction term N*Social interaction was significantly correlated with NA in bivariate analyses involving both continuous (r = -0.14, P < 0.01) and categorical (r = -0.13, P < 0.01) measures of social participation, and in its continuous form remained a significant net predictor of NA after controlling for the main effects of N and Social participation (beta = -0.09, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings extend upon existing evidence that social participation tends to be positively associated with mental health by demonstrating the predicted effect across a comprehensive set of mood/well-being variables. Preliminary evidence was also obtained that social participation may serve as a moderator of the chronic distress associated with N. It is concluded that further research seeking to confirm the causal direction of the identified pathways is warranted.     

The influence of job stress,social support and health status on intermittent and chronic sleep disturbance: an 8-year longitudinal analysis

ObjectiveTo determine the role of health status and social support in the relationship between job stress and sleep disturbance, for both intermittent and chronic sleep disturbance.MethodsA total of 1946 mid-life adults completed three questionnaires spanning an 8-year time frame. Sleep disturbance was assessed at each time point, and participants were classified as experiencing intermittent, chronic or no sleep disturbance across this 8-year period. Independent variables included a range of job stress measures, social support, physical and mental health, and demographic characteristics.ResultsAfter controlling for physical and mental health, perceived lack of job marketability increased risk of intermittent sleep disturbance (odds ratio (OR) = 1.33, p = 0.012). No other job stress measures were associated with either intermittent or chronic sleep disturbance after adjusting for years of education, social support, and employment status. Poorer mental and physical health status, although significantly increasing odds for intermittent sleep disturbance, represented a significantly greater increase in the odds for chronic sleep disturbance over and above intermittent disturbance (OR = 0.96, p < 0.001 for both SF-12 mental and physical health).ConclusionThis population-based cohort study found little evidence that job stress had an independent effect on chronic or intermittent sleep disturbance independent of health, social support, and education. Risk profiles for intermittent and chronic sleep disturbance did not differ with regard to job stress; however, various demographic and social support factors were distinguishing factors. Health status, both physical and mental, also showed a significantly greater impact on chronic sleep disturbance than intermittent sleep disturbance. Karasek’s model of job strain had little value in predicting sleep disturbance outcomes.     

Maternal Mental Health after a Wildfire: Effects of Social Support in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Study

Objective:Following disasters, perinatal women are vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms. Little is known about protective factors. We hypothesized that peritraumatic stress would predict PTSD-like symptoms in pregnant and postpartum women and would be moderated by social support and resilience.Method:Women (n = 200) who experienced the 2016 Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo wildfire during or shortly before pregnancy completed the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI), Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised for current PTSD-like symptoms. They also completed scales of social support (Social Support Questionnaire-Short Form) and resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale).Results:Greater peritraumatic distress (r = 0.56) and dissociative experiences (r = 0.56) correlated with more severe PTSD-like symptoms. Greater social support satisfaction was associated with less severe post-traumatic stress symptoms but only when peritraumatic distress was below average; at more severe levels of PDI, this psychosocial variable was not protective.Conclusions:Maternal PTSD-like symptoms after a wildfire depend on peritraumatic distress and dissociation. Higher social support satisfaction buffers the association with peritraumatic distress, although not when peritraumatic reactions are severe. Early psychosocial interventions may protect perinatal women from PTSD-like symptoms after a wildfire.