Mediating effects of social support on firefighters' sense of community and perceptions of care

This study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community, social‐support networks, and care‐giver stress and satisfaction among firefighters. No significant gender differences were obtained, but zero‐order correlates demonstrated significant relationships among all four variables. In examining the mediating effects of social‐support satisfaction, partial mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver satisfaction was determined, as well as full mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver stress. Therefore, firefighters who are satisfied with the support they receive may experience less stress with their care giving than those who experience low levels of support satisfaction. Future studies should assess these relationships more extensively in other areas of civic responsibility among public‐service employees to delineate effective support avenues. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 121–126, 2004.     

Sense of community,meaning in life,and satisfaction with life among Ultra-Orthodox Jews: A mediation model

The Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, characterized by close-knit ties and strong community values, has been particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, both epidemiologically and socially. Accordingly, the current study examined whether the connection between the sense of community and life satisfaction in this population is mediated by meaning in life (MIL). Three hundred and fifty-eight Ultra-Orthodox participants (age range: 30−70; M = 49.50, SD = 10.24) filled out scales assessing MIL, sense of community, and satisfaction with life (SWL), as well as sociodemographic and COVID-19-related scales. Sense of community was linked with increased MIL and life satisfaction. Moreover, the connection between sense of community and life satisfaction was mediated by MIL. This study highlights the roles of sense of community and MIL for Ultra-Orthodox individuals and emphasizes the importance of both concepts for maintaining SWL during COVID-19. Practical implications for Ultra-Orthodox communities are suggested.     

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Sense of community may play an important role in the undergraduate transfer student experience by encouraging academic and social success. This cross‐sectional study assessed sense of community in the transfer experiences of 53 students majoring in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) subjects. Sense of community, participation, and GPA were analyzed using moderated regression analysis, t tests, and cross‐tabulations. Results suggest that students who reported high participation in STEM activities and strong sense of community performed better academically than students who reported high participation and low sense of community. Further, results highlight discrepancies between students’ actual and ideal sense of community (particularly for female and non‐White students), as well as greater importance placed upon sense of community at the post‐transfer institution compared to the pre‐transfer institution. This study suggests the need to examine sense of community in the transfer process. Results have implications for higher education literatures and for research and practice aimed at helping individuals engage with environments.     

Relating psychological sense of community to social climate characteristics

The relationship between psychological sense of community and social climate factors was investigated within the context of a university residence community using the Sense of Community Index (SCI) and the University Residence Environment Scale (URES). Multiple regression results indicated that 54% of the variance of SCI scores was attributable to a combination of the involvement, academic achievement, and support characteristics of the residence's social climate. This suggests that perceived psychological sense of community is associated with perceptions of environmental performance demands as well as with interpersonal networks and support.     

PREDICTORS OF THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTEGRATION OF HOMELESS ADULTS WITH PROBLEMATIC SUBSTANCE USE

This study examined predictors of physical and psychological integration in homeless adults with problematic substance use. Homeless adults with problematic substance use (n = 115) in Ottawa, Canada, completed questionnaires regarding their demographics (age, gender, Aboriginal ethnicity), health and social functioning (physical health, mental health, alcohol use problems, drug use problems, social skills), environmental factors (satisfaction with personal safety, social support), physical integration, and psychological integration. Participants reported low physical integration (i.e., participation in activities in the community) and did not feel strongly psychologically integrated (i.e., sense of belonging). The final models accounted for 36% and 19% of the variance in physical and psychological integration, respectively. Higher levels of social skills and social support were associated with greater physical integration. Higher levels of mental health functioning and satisfaction with safety were related to greater psychological integration. Implications of the findings for community support services are discussed.     

A study of psychological sense of community as a mediator between supportive social systems,school belongingness,and outcome behaviors among urban high school students of color

Psychological sense of community (SOC) has been examined minimally among the youth of color, and as a mediating variable, as well as construct implicated in promoting wellness. Using data from a sample of 401 students of color (M _age = 16.55, standard deviation = 1.31; 54.7% female; 57% Hispanic/Latina[o]) from an underserved northeastern US urban community, we examined the mediating relationship of psychological SOC between social support, participation in youth‐based community programs, and outcomes including school belongingness, risk behaviors such as substance use and violent behavior, and psychological symptoms, including depression. Results indicated that access to social supports and youth‐based community programs was negatively associated with risk behaviors and experiencing depressive symptoms, through both psychological SOC and school belongingness. Implications include the need for community‐based activities for youth that not only foster support but encourage a positive psychological SOC and in‐turn offset negative developmental trajectories and risk behaviors.     

Sense of community referred to the whole town: Its relations with neighboring,loneliness, life satisfaction,and area of residence

The aim was to explore the relationships between sense of community and various factors with respect to a fairly broad area (town, city, or large quarter of a metropolis). Degree of neighboring, life satisfaction, loneliness, and area of residence were also considered. Subjects included 630 men and women, aged 20‐65 years, with different educational levels. They were individually administered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Italian Sense of Community Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the University of California Loneliness Scale, and a Neighborhood Relations Scale. The subjects all live in Central Italy. They were divided into six groups as follows: one group living in a quarter of Rome, three groups living in three different areas of Grottaferrata (a hill town near Rome) and two groups living in two areas of Spoleto (the historical center and a working class suburb), a town in the Umbria region. Multiple regression analysis revealed the following: Neighborhood relations are stronger for women, for members of large families, for those with less education, for those living in the community for many years and for members of groups or associations. The strongest predictor of sense of community is neighborhood relations, although years of residence, being married, group participation, and area of residence are also significant factors. Sense of community is related to life satisfaction and loneliness in both the large and small town and in the city. Moreover, although sense of community is strongly associated with area of residence in Spoleto, this is not true for Grottaferrata. Overall, the results confirm the usefulness of conceptualizing the sense of community construct separately }}}{{{� Journal of Community Psychology, January 2001 }}}{{{from degree of neighboring. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

THE REVOLUTION,NEW EGYPT,AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY

We examine the relationship between psychological sense of community (PSOC) after the 25^th of January Egyptian revolution and personal attitude, personal involvement, family influence, and friend involvement in civic activities as reported by a group of self‐selected Egyptian college students (N = 100). From April to May 2011, data were collected using a web‐based survey designed specifically for the study and the Sense of Community Index 2. We hypothesized that the student's (a) personal attitude, (b) personal involvement, (c) family influence, and (d) friend involvement would relate to level of PSOC at a specific point in time. To test our hypotheses, a multiple regression was employed to examine the relationship between the predictor variables and PSOC, with age, sex, household size, and religious activity included as covariates. The findings revealed a positive relationship between sense of community and family influence. Specifically, students who reported more family influence in civic activities also reported higher levels of PSOC. By way of conclusion, we discuss study limitations and opportunities for future research.     

Sense of community and its relevance to adolescents of all ages

In this study, 234 white female and male 13 to 18 year olds were interviewed in informal social settings. They completed questionnaires regarding their neighborhood and school psychological sense of community (Sense of Community Index), experiences of social support (Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviours) and loneliness (Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), and rated statements assessing subjective well-being. Multiple regression and correlation analyses indicated that social support and sense of community were distinctive aspects of the adolescent's community context. Neighborhood sense of community, followed by non-directive guidance, support, and age, predicted adolescent loneliness. Sense of community was the primary correlate with subjective evaluations of well-being. Sense of community scores for neighborhood and school settings were significantly lower for older adolescents. Findings are discussed in terms of developmental research implications and the importance of sense community in prevention programs to facilitate adolescent development. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The relation between coping,social support and psychological and somatic symptoms among torture survivors in Nepal

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relation between coping, social support, and psychological and somatic symptoms among survivors of torture living outside the West. METHOD: In a population-based dataset of 315 tortured Bhutanese refugees, univariate and multivariate relationships between coping and social support and symptoms were estimated. These relationships were verified in a second sample of 57 help-seeking Nepalese torture survivors. RESULTS: A relationship was observed between the total number of coping strategies used and anxiety and depression. Negative coping, in contrast to positive coping, was related to all symptom outcome measures. Received social support was stronger related to symptoms than perceived social support. The findings from the first sample were replicated in the second sample. CONCLUSION: We found hypothesized relationships between coping, social support, and psychological and somatic symptoms among survivors of torture living in Nepal. The findings from this study confirm the importance of understanding specific types of coping and social support to develop intervention programmes for torture survivors in Non-western settings.     

CLASSROOM SENSE OF COMMUNITY SCALE: VALIDATION OF A SELF‐REPORT MEASURE FOR ADOLESCENTS

We examined the structure, reliability, construct validity, and gender invariance of the Classroom Sense of Community Scale (SoC‐C), a self‐report questionnaire measuring students’ classroom sense of community. The SoC‐C was administered to 390 Italian students (58.6% female) aged 13–20 years. Explorative and confirmatory factor analyses established a 5‐factor solution (sense of belonging and emotional connection with peers, satisfaction of needs and opportunities for involvement, support and emotional connection in the community, support by peers, and opportunities for influence) and a latent factor comprising the 5 dimensions of classroom sense of community. Results revealed a high internal reliability and that the structure of the scale was the same for both males and females. The SoC‐C and its subscales correlated positively with corresponding measures, such as psychosocial well‐being, perceived justice, and collective efficacy, showing convergent validity.     

Sense of community and depressive symptoms among older earthquake survivors following the 2008 earthquake in Chengdu China

This study examined the impact of an earthquake as well as the role of sense of community as a protective factor against depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults who survived an 8.0 magnitude earthquake in 2008. A household survey of a random sample was conducted 3 months after the earthquake and 298 older earthquake survivors participated in it. The results showed that earthquake‐associated distress had a direct effect on depression controlling for coping, informal support, and sense of community. The results also showed that the effect of earthquake‐associated distress is contingent upon the level of sense of community. The findings highlighted the role of individuals' sense of community as a protective factor against traumatic experiences and suggested that attempts to build trust and form a sense of belonging to the new community among older earthquake survivors would help them reduce distress and facilitate a smooth recovery. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

SENSE OF COHESION AMONG COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS ENGAGING IN VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

The present article attempts to shed light on the direct and indirect contribution of personal resources and community indices to Sense of Cohesion among activists engaging in community volunteer work. The sample comprised 481 activists. Based on social systems theory, three levels of variables were examined: (1) inputs, which included personal resources (self‐esteem, sense of mastery, and sense of coherence); (2) throughputs, which included community indices (organizational commitment, leadership competence, and representation); and (3) outputs, i.e., change in the community which enhances community cohesion. Path analysis revealed interesting results: organizational commitment, representation, and leadership competence fully mediated between self‐esteem and community cohesion; and sense of coherence had a direct positive association with organizational commitment. Moreover, sense of mastery and sense of coherence contributed directly to community cohesion. The Discussion presents an analysis of these findings.     

A ‘GOOD SPACE’ CANNOT LAST FOREVER: PERCEIVED MECHANISMS EXPLAINING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A HEALTH‐PROMOTING RESOURCE FOR CAREGIVERS IN HIV‐ENDEMIC SOUTH AFRICA

Despite a large body of evidence on the general “health‐promoting” effects of social support, a lot less is understood about the processes mediating these effects. This analysis aimed to explore perceived mechanisms explaining the direct relationship between more social support and better mental health observed in a previous survey of primary caregivers of children living in an HIV‐endemic, poor, urban community in South Africa (n = 1198). We conducted in‐depth qualitative interviews with 24 caregivers who had participated in the survey. Findings of the thematic analysis point to psychological and behavioral processes, including factors associated with resilience; positive social control; perceived support availability; personal development and knowledge; and the maintenance of personal relationships to secure support for stressful times. Future research should explore the longer term benefits of human and social capital, deriving from social relations, for resilience and health, and how these may be shaped by cultural norms and worldviews.     

Helping the soul: the relationship between connectivity and well‐being within a church community

Although previous research attests to the importance of psychological sense of community (PSOC) to individuals' well‐being, little research has examined this relationship for the four proposed dimensions of PSOC: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection (McMillan & Chavis, 1986). Further, little research has explored multiple aspects of community connectivity in the one study. The current research investigated the relationship between participants' (N=127) religiosity, PSOC, social support, and identification within a church community context and their well‐being. Results indicated that the PSOC dimensions of shared emotional connection and influence were particularly important in the prediction of well‐being in this context. Further, individuals' perception of social support mediated the relationship between PSOC and well‐being and the strength of individuals' identification as a church member enhanced the relationships of both PSOC and religiosity with well‐being. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An exploration of posttraumatic growth,loneliness, depression,resilience, and social capital among survivors of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among posttraumatic growth (PTG), loneliness, depression, psychological resilience, and social capital among survivors of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. The survey was administered to a spatially stratified, random sample of households in the three coastal counties of Mississippi. A total of 216 participants were included in this study who lived in close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico coastline during both disasters. Results from structural equation modeling analyses indicated that there was a significant and inverse relationship between PTG and loneliness. Conversely, a direct relationship was not found between PTG and depressive symptoms; instead, the results revealed an indirect relationship between PTG and depressive symptoms through loneliness. Social capital was related to loneliness only indirectly through PTG, while psychological resilience was related to loneliness both directly and indirectly through PTG. Understanding the relationships among these factors, particularly the importance of PTG, can provide insight into the long‐term adaptation among those who have survived multiple disasters. Further, these findings may lead to nuanced methods for behavioral health practitioners in assessing and treating individuals with symptoms of depression in disaster‐prone communities.     

QUALITY OF LIFE AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY. A STUDY ON HEALTH AND PLACE OF RESIDENCE

The aim of the study is to assess the predictive role of the affective link with the place of residence (place attachment) and the perception of one's own community of residence (sense of community) on health and quality of life. Other variables were considered: size of place of residence, income, level of education, marital status, age, and gender. Participants included 344 adult subjects living in Piedmont, Italy. The instruments used were the Italian Sense of Community Scale, the Residential Attachment Scale, and the Italian version of the WHOQOL‐BREF questionnaire. Data showed that (a) quality of life is affected by sense of community, but not by place attachment, and (b) living in a small town enhances the environmental, psychological, and relational quality of life.     

Surviving childhood cancer, social support, and parents' psychological adjustment.

Assessed whether the continuing emotional strain of parenting a child cancer survivor is associated with elevated levels of psychological distress (depression and anxiety) in parents. The role of social support in moderating this relationship was also evaluated. When parents of cancer survivors (63 mothers and 49 fathers) were compared to a matched sample of parents (64 mothers and 62 fathers) with healthy children there were no differences in levels of depression or anxiety overall but among parents experiencing low levels of social support, parents of cancer survivors were more depressed and anxious than parents of healthy children. Perceived social support has a significant inverse relationship with psychological distress for both parents but seems to be more important for mothers. The elevated risk for psychological distress noted for those experiencing low levels of support appears to be more generalized for fathers than mothers.     

大学生生活事件、心理一致感和抑郁的关系

目的探索大学生生活事件、心理一致感和抑郁三者之间的关系。方法运用青少年生活事件量表(ALEQ)、心理一致感量表(SOCS)和流调中心用抑郁量表(CES-D)对303名大学生进行施测。结果①生活事件,心理一致感和抑郁得分的年级差异显著(F=11.83,8.39,6.63;P<0.001);心理一致感得分的性别差异也显著(t=3.39,P<0.01);②生活事件、心理一致感和抑郁两两之间均存在显著相关(P<0.001);③生活事件与心理一致感均可以显著预测大学生的抑郁水平(P<0.001);④心理一致感在生活事件和抑郁之间起着部分中介作用,中介效应的比例为12.41%。结论生活事件和心理一致感对大学生抑郁水平有预测作用,心理一致感可以缓冲生活事件所导致的抑郁情绪的不良影响。     

Validation of A brief sense of community scale: Confirmation of the principal theory of sense of community

First‐order and second‐order models of sense of community (SOC) were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of data gathered from a random sample of community residents (n=293) located in the midwestern United States. An 8‐item Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) was developed to represent the SOC dimensions of needs fulfillment, group membership, influence, and shared emotional connection. The CFA results for the BSCS supported both the scale's hypothesized first‐order and second‐order factor structure. The overall BSCS scale and its subscales were also found to be correlated as expected with community participation, psychological empowerment, mental health, and depression. Findings provide empirical support for the BSCS and its underlying multidimensional theory of SOC. Implications of the study are described and directions for future research discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.