Independence centrality as a moderator of the effects of spousal support on patient well-being and physical functioning.

Objective: In this study, we examined whether the benefits of spousal assistance for patient well-being and physical functioning depend on the fit between amount of assistance provided and the personal importance of completing activities independently. Methods: Individuals with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee were assessed for independence centrality, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy for managing pain, and physical functioning (N = 159 to 230). Spouses reported the amount of support provided with daily tasks. Results: As predicted, moderation analyses indicated that spousal support was associated with greater self-efficacy for managing pain in patients with low independence centrality, but was not associated with self-efficacy in patients with high independence centrality. Also consistent with our hypotheses, spousal support was associated with greater depressive symptoms and slower walk time in patients with high independence centrality, but there were no effects of spouse support on these outcomes for patients with low independence centrality. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the implications of miscarried spousal support for patient well-being and physical functioning, and they suggest a means of tailoring couple-oriented interventions for chronic illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuity of paternal social support and depressive symptoms among new mothers.

The present study examined trajectories of paternal support and maternal depressive symptoms over the first two years after the birth of a child. First-time mothers (N=582) were assessed 6 times during the first 24 months of their child's life. At each assessment they reported on a number of ways in which their child's father provided support, and at three of the assessments, their own depressive symptomatology was assessed. Latent growth curve models revealed that while higher support was related to lower depressive symptomatology, both paternal support and maternal depression tended to decrease over time. The relationships between paternal support and maternal depression are complex and suggest the importance of considering the multiple ways that parents influence one another over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of depressive symptom trajectories in mothers of preterm or low birth weight infants.

Predictors of maternal depression trajectories were examined longitudinally in families with an infant born preterm or at a low birth weight. A total of 181 mother–infant dyads enrolled in the study before the infant’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at 5 timepoints, and contextual variables and infant risks were assessed at NICU discharge. Hierarchical linear models revealed that mothers who experienced more risk factors reported more depressive symptoms just before their infant’s NICU discharge and showed less decline in depressive symptoms in the months immediately following the child’s birth. Although cumulative risks predicted depression trajectories, this effect appeared driven by maternal and family sociodemographic risks rather than infant risks. Addition of family support as a covariate in the multilevel models with a subsample of families revealed that social support and depression covaried across time. However, most of the findings regarding the association between risk and depression remained consistent, whereas the effects of maternal race and multiple birth were slightly attenuated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived social support, psychological adjustment, and functional ability in youths with physical disabilities.

Objective: To examine the relationship between perceived social support and psychological adjustment and functional ability in youths with physical disabilities. Participants: Thirty-seven youths with neuromuscular disease and 33 with spina bifida. Measures: Demographic and disability-related questions, Child Health Questionnaire, Functional Disability Inventory, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Results: Social support from family, but not from friends, was significantly associated with better psychological adjustment. Significant interactions emerged between family support and age, as well as between friend support and gross motor functioning, in the prediction of functional ability. Conclusions: Social support appears to play an important role in psychological adjustment and functional ability in this population, and the nature of this role may be moderated, to some extent, by age and gross motor functioning. Future research and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived social support from friends and family and psychosocial functioning in bisexual young adult college students.

In this study, the authors investigated the degree to which perceived social support was associated with depression, life satisfaction, and internalized binegativity in a sample of 210 bisexual young adult college students. Two types of social support (general and sexuality specific) and 2 sources of social support (family and friends) were examined. Participants were recruited from the electronic mailing lists of organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students on 32 university campuses, and data were gathered via an Internet survey. Results indicated that general social support was most predictive of depression and life satisfaction, whereas sexuality-specific support was most predictive of internalized binegativity. Both family support and friend support contributed to the prediction of each of the outcome variables. Although it was expected that the link between friend support and positive adjustment would be strongest at low levels of family support, none of the interactions between friend and family support was statistically significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mothers and fathers of young developmentally disabled and nondisabled boys: Adaptation and spousal support.

Assessed the extent to which the presence of a young developmentally disabled or nondisabled male child affected adaptation and family roles for both parents. Developmental child assessments, in-home ratings of parenting, and maternal and paternal self-assessments and interviews were included. Marital adjustment, disruptions in family life, and observed parenting of the child (but not depression) varied with disability status of child. Mothers in both groups reported more depressive symptoms and family disruptions than fathers. Fathers of disabled children assumed less responsibility than comparison fathers for child care, even in mother-employed families. Decreased father involvement in child care was specific to the disabled child, not to siblings, and was related to severity of the child's atypical behaviors. Expressive support from one's spouse was the best predictor of quality of parenting for both mothers and fathers of disabled and nondisabled sons. Disharmony between current and "appropriate" spousal support was a significant negative predictor of perceived and observed parental adaptation. The concept of harmonic responsiveness was proposed to explain how proffered support must be tuned to the perceived needs and expectations of one's spouse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social network relationships as sources of maternal support and well-being.

Explored the social networks available to mothers of infants, focusing on the contribution of specific relationships to maternal well-being. 43 mothers (aged 21–39 yrs) of 13-mo-old infants were asked to position individuals who were close to them in a network diagram and to indicate which of those individuals provided support. The mother's relationship with her husband and with the infant's maternal grandparents, mother's well-being in terms of affect and life satisfaction, and infant temperamental difficulty and infant–mother attachment security were assessed. Results reveal that mothers reported an average of 13 persons in their networks, but support was provided primarily by the husband, followed by the infant's maternal grandmother (particularly when there was more than 1 child), and 1 or 2 other family members and friends. Maternal affect and life satisfaction were related to infant difficulty and to support from and satisfaction with the spouse. Negative maternal affect was related to anxious/resistant attachment. Results affirm the importance of spousal support for mothers of infants in intact families. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spousal support and changes in distress over time in couples coping with cancer: The role of personal control.

This longitudinal study has examined the associations between perceived supportive and unsupportive spousal behavior and changes in distress in couples coping with cancer. We tested whether people relatively low in their sense of personal control were more responsive to spousal supportive and unsupportive behavior than were people relatively high in personal control. Patients with colorectal cancer and their partners (n = 70) completed questionnaires at two assessment points: 3 (at baseline) and 9 months (at follow-up) after the diagnosis. We assessed perceived spousal supportive (SSL) and unsupportive (SSL-N) behavior, sense of personal control (Pearlin & Schooler's Mastery), and depressive symptoms (CES-D) in both patients and partners. Multilevel analysis (MLwiN) was used to examine changes in distress over time in a dyadic context. Patients and partners who perceived more spousal support reported less distress over time, but this only applied to those relatively low in personal control. Moreover, partners who perceived more unsupportive spousal behavior reported more distress, again only if they were relatively low in personal control. Patients and partners relatively high in personal control reported relatively low levels of distress, regardless of spousal behavior. In conclusion, people relatively low in personal control may be more adversely affected by unsupportive behavior and benefit more from supportive behavior than people relatively high in personal control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child-care satisfaction: linkages to work attitudes, interrole conflict, and maternal separation anxiety

Analysis of a 20-item measure of child-care satisfaction (CCS) revealed 3 interpretable factors: Caregiver Communication, Dependability, and Attentiveness. These CCS factors were used, along with employer sensitivity to child-care needs and spousal support, in hierarchical multiple regressions to predict various measures of work attitudes and role strain. Replicated across 2 samples of employed women, the CCS factors demonstrated differential patterns of relationships in which Caregiver Attentiveness was associated with lower professional-self role conflict and higher levels of affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction, whereas Caregiver Communication was associated with lower levels of both professional-parent conflict and maternal separation anxiety. These findings support the position that CCS is central to the functioning of employed mothers in both work and family domains.     

Negative reactions to received spousal care: Predictors and consequences of miscarried support.

This study focused on the negative reactions of older women with osteoarthritis to the receipt of instrumental support (i.e., physical assistance) from their husbands and the effects of such negative reactions on the women's psychological well-being and self-care. Applying a person-environment fit model, the authors predicted that women's negative reactions to spousal support would be determined by the fit between this support and the personal centrality (importance) of being functionally independent. Consistent with this prediction, women who received high levels of support from the husband and for whom being functionally independent was not highly central reacted less negatively to this support. More negative reactions to spousal support were related to greater concurrent depressive symptomatology and fewer self-care behaviors. In addition, negative reactions were predictive of the women's increased depressive symptomatology and decreased life satisfaction. Findings illustrate a useful theoretical approach to the examination of support from family caregivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological resilience and dysfunction among hospitalized survivors of the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong: A latent class approach.

Objective: To examine trajectories of psychological functioning using latent class analysis on a sample of hospitalized survivors of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Hong Kong. Design: A longitudinal study of 997 survivors, recruited from among 1,331 individuals hospitalized for SARS, were interviewed at 6, 12, and 18 months after hospitalization. Main Outcome Measures: Psychological and physical functioning at each time point was measured using the 12-item Medical Outcome Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: Four latent classes were identified-chronic dysfunction, delayed dysfunction, recovery, and resilience. All groups had better physical health than the chronic group. Resilient and recovered individuals had greater social support and less SARS-related worry, and resilient individuals were more likely to be male. The resilient group also had greater social support than the delayed group and better physical functioning than the recovered group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that longitudinal outcome trajectories following a major health-threat event in an Asian sample bear close resemblance to prototypical trajectories observed in trauma studies using Western samples. Unique predictors of the trajectories included factors observed in previous studies, such as social support, as well as factors of particular relevance to a major disease outbreak, such as SARS-related worry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress buffering effects of daily spousal support on women's daily emotional and physical experiences in the context of breast cancer concerns.

Objective: This study examined whether the relationship between daily spousal support and daily psychological and physical outcomes varied as a function of level of breast cancer related concern (stress buffering model). Design: Ninety-five women with early stage breast cancer completed daily reports of emotional and physical experiences and satisfaction with spousal support for 30 days. Women also rated problems dealing with three types of cancer specific concerns: emotional, physical, and social. Main outcome measures: Women's positive and negative affect and cancer related pain and fatigue. Results: Multilevel analyses supported a stress buffering effect for social concerns and a reverse stress buffering effect for emotional and physical concerns. Conclusion: Daily spousal support appears to be an important contributor to the daily emotional and physical wellbeing of women with breast cancer. Contrary to the tenets of the stress buffering model, these data suggest that the buffering effect of spousal support is attenuated when breast cancer related emotional and physical concerns reach high levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Satisfaction with social support during crisis: Intimacy and self-esteem as critical determinants.

Satisfaction with social support was studied longitudinally in 113 17–40 yr old Israeli women following the outcome of both normal and medically complicated pregnancies (delivery by cesarean section, delivery of an infant weighing under 2 kg, or spontaneous abortion before the 3rd trimester). Ss were interviewed concerning the size of their social networks, the number of friends and family members in their networks, perceived intimacy with spouse, and perceived intimacy with at least 1 friend and 1 family member. Included in the interviews were measures of self-esteem, intimacy, social network structure, and satisfaction with support. Findings show that greater intimacy with spouse and with friends was related to greater satisfaction with support received during the crisis period. Intimate ties contributed to satisfaction with support independent of self-esteem, social network parameters, and type of pregnancy outcome. Social network parameters and pregnancy outcome were not related to satisfaction with support. Among Ss low in self-esteem, greater intimacy with family was related to lower satisfaction with support if the Ss lacked intimate ties with spouse or a friend. Clinical and social psychological theories regarding reaction to aid are discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Emotional first aid.

Reviews the book, Emotional first aid by Sean Haldane. When you have a friend who is experiencing emotional distress, Sean Haldane tells us in this book, you can make use of the principles of emotional first aid to unblock the emotion, allowing it a fuller, more direct expression, thereby alleviating the distress. For, according to Haldane, directly expressed emotions seldom cause trouble; it is blocked emotions that produce distress and damage. He believes that if one understands the way in which emotions are naturally expressed, one can frequently facilitate the proper expression of emotion by one's friend (or one's child), contributing in this way to the friend's (or the child's) more adaptive functioning. Haldane is a persuasive, charming writer. As I perused this book I had the impression that Haldane is a wise, compassionate, and skilful therapist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditions of sibling support in adolescence.

This study examined the nature and extent of adolescent siblings' supportive roles and the conditions under which siblings provide support to one another about familial and nonfamilial issues. Data were collected from 185 adolescent firstborn (M age?=?16 years) and secondborn (M age?=?13 years) sibling pairs. In home interviews, siblings reported on family experiences and psychosocial functioning during the past year. In a series of 7 evening telephone interviews, siblings reported on their shared daily activities. Findings suggested that both older and younger siblings view older siblings as sources of support about nonfamilial issues such as social and scholastic activities and that siblings assume equally supportive roles about familial issues. Further, the results suggested that family background characteristics, sibling relationship qualities, and adolescents' psychosocial functioning were linked to the nature and extent of sibling support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental relations between perceived social support and depressive symptoms through emerging adulthood: Blood is thicker than water.

Longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms, perceived support from family, and perceived support from friends were examined among 816 emerging adults (480 women; 59%). In the context of a larger longitudinal investigation on the predictors and course of depression, data were drawn from eight self-report questionnaire assessments that roughly spanned the third decade of life. An age-based scaling approach was used to model trajectories of depressive symptoms and perceived social support between the ages of 21 and 30. Associative models of the relations between depressive symptoms and perceived social support from family and friends were tested. Results indicated that depressive symptoms decreased and perceived social support increased during the study period. Associative models suggested that among women, higher initial levels of perceived support from family predicted slower decreases in depressive symptoms (b = .34, p     

Early experiences with family conflict: Implications for arguments with a close friend.

This study examined associations between children's early experiences in family disputes and their later management of conflicts with a close friend. Thirty-seven children were observed interacting with their mother and older sibling at 33 months and with a friend at 72 months. Children's early use of argument was not associated with their later behavior during disputes with a friend. However, argument used by the mother and sibling that considered the child's needs was positively associated with the child's later use of constructive argument and resolution techniques. The mother's use of argument that focused on her own needs was negatively related to these outcomes. These associations were independent of global characteristics of the mother-child and sibling relationships. Moreover, the mother's use of argument predicted the child's later conflict management independent of the child's early argument patterns, emotion understanding, and verbal fluency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting stress and social support of mothers who physically abuse their children in Hong Kong

Thirty-seven identified abusive mothers were matched on demographic and socioeconomic parameters with a known nonabusive comparison sample in order to examine the role of parenting stress and maternal social support. The mothers were assessed using a personal (demographic) questionnaire, the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and the Maternal Support Index (MSSI). Demographic data showed that the two groups were comparable on all variables except abusive mothers had significantly more children (p = .01). Abusive mothers showed significantly more stress on total PSI scores (p = .005), as well as in all three of the subjects: Child Domain (p = .007) Parent Domain (p = .02), and Life Stress (p = .016). Abusive mothers scored lower in all seven items on the MSSI. The difference was significant on the MSSI as a whole (p = .007) and on four subsets: number of people to count on in time of need (p = .02), perceived neighborhood support (p = .04), satisfaction with spousal relationship (p = .01), and degree of community involvement (p = .03). The greatest percentage (74.32%) of correct predictions of child abuse was achieved by combining the number of children, the Life Stress Scale and the MSSI. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Effects of spousal control and support on older adults' recovery from knee surgery.

The authors investigated associations between spousal control (influence) and support on the recovery outcomes for 70 men and women (mean age = 70) undergoing an increasingly common surgical treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Spouses' positive (motivating) and negative (pressuring) control and spouses' emotional (understanding) and problematic (dismissing) support were examined as predictors of patients' adherence and improvement in well-being. Positive control was associated with better adherence, but only among patients whose spouses provided little problematic support. In contrast, negative control strategies tended to elicit increases in negative affect. Overall, our findings revealed that the effectiveness of spousal control depended largely on the quality of support provided by the spouse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coparenting, mother-infant interaction, and infant-parent attachment relationships in two-parent families.

Coparenting behavior and the quality of mothers' parenting behavior were examined in relation to parents' perceptions of their child's attachment in 60 two-parent families with 11- to 15-month-old infants (30 boys and 30 girls). Parent-child attachment was assessed using the Attachment Q-Sort. Competitive coparenting was associated with mothers' and fathers' perception of a less secure parent-child attachment relationship, whereas maternal responsiveness was associated with mothers' perception of a more secure mother-child attachment relationship. Families with mothers who were more restrictive and those with parents who were more competitive were less likely to have mothers and fathers with similar perceptions of the quality of parent-child attachment relationships. Findings support the proposal that different levels of family functioning affect the quality of parent-child relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)