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Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences & Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 22806

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Rosario Fernández-Peña

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Guest Editor

Department of Nursing, SALBIS Research Group, Nursing Research Group IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, 39008 Santander, Spain
Interests: social support; nursing;

Prof. Marí Carmen Portillo

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton,Highfield Campus, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, United Kingdom
Interests: long term conditions; social support;

Prof. José Luís Molina

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Guest Editor

Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: social networks; social support; transnational relations, migration and ethnicity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, the increase in life expectancy, improvements in public health and health care and the adoption of certain lifestyles have led to a dramatic increase in long term conditions. As an attempt to focus on the person and not the condition, health and social care systems have reoriented towards person-centered approaches, highlighting the importance of the individual's social environment as a key source of support and care.

The literature on social support has experienced increasing interest during the recent decades, both theoretically and empirically. Therefore, this special issue focuses on the study of social support and social networks for individuals with long term conditions and their caregivers, and seeks papers on new research aimed at (a) increasing knowledge about the role of social support and social networks in the health of individuals living with long term conditions, and (b) proposing models of care that have been or could be successful and sustainable.

From a design point of view we shall consider quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods and literature reviews in relation to the topic.

Prof. Rosario Fernández-Peña
Prof. Marí Carmen Portillo
Prof. José Luís Molina
Guest Editors

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Keywords

social support
community health networks
chronic disease
community networks social care
social networks
social network analysis
long term conditions
caregivers

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Precarious Employment and Chronic Stress: Do Social Support Networks Matter?

by Francesc Belvis, Mireia Bolíbar, Joan Benach and Mireia Julià

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031909 - 8 Feb 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3578

Abstract

Precarious employment has been identified as a potentially damaging stressor. Conversely, social support networks have a well-known protective effect on health and well-being. The ways in which precariousness and social support may interact have scarcely been studied with respect to either perceived stress or objective stress biomarkers. This research aims to fill this gap by means of a cross-sectional study based on a non-probability quota sample of 250 workers aged 25–60 in Barcelona, Spain. Fieldwork was carried out between May 2019 and January 2020. Employment precariousness, perceived social support and stress levels were measured by means of scales, while individual steroid profiles capturing the chronic stress suffered over a period of a month were obtained from hair samples using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology. As for perceived stress, analysis indicates that a reverse buffering effect exists (interaction B = 0.22, p = 0.014). Steroid biomarkers are unrelated to social support, while association with precariousness is weak and only reaches significance at p < 0.05 in the case of women and 20ß dihydrocortisone metabolites. These results suggest that social support can have negative effects on the relationship between perceived health and an emerging stressful condition like precariousness, while its association with physiological measures of stress remains uncertain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

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15 pages, 771 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of a Peer Social Support Network from the Perspective of Women with Fibromyalgia: A Qualitative Study

by Glòria Reig-Garcia, Cristina Bosch-Farré, Rosa Suñer-Soler, Dolors Juvinyà-Canal, Núria Pla-Vila, Rosa Noell-Boix, Esther Boix-Roqueta and Susana Mantas-Jiménez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12801; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312801 - 4 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2907

Abstract

Background: Fibromyalgia is a chronic and complex disease whose management by patients requires a high level of commitment. Patient empowerment therefore represents an important milestone in chronic disease treatment and control. We explored the impact of a peer social support network from the perspective of women with fibromyalgia. Methods: A generic qualitative design was proposed for the study, for which women who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia were purposefully selected. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the collected data were thematically analysed. Results: Three key themes emerged regarding the peer social support network: (1) empowerment (facilitating acceptance of the diagnosis and acting as a source of information); (2) effects on well-being and quality of life (attenuated the stigma, improved physical well-being, provided emotional support and was a socialization medium); and (3), valuable aspects (transmitted feelings of being understood and listened to and increased personal feelings of satisfaction). Conclusions: A peer social support network for women with fibromyalgia exerts positive effects on their physical, mental, and social well-being and empowers them to better manage their disease. Healthcare for women with fibromyalgia should include strategies that connect them through peer social support networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

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21 pages, 1838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Personal Support Networks of Young People with Mild Intellectual Disabilities during the Transition to Adult Life

by Judit Fullana, Gemma Díaz-Garolera, Carolina Puyaltó, Ana Rey and Rosario Fernández-Peña

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11810; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211810 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2434

Abstract

Social support networks occupy a priority position requiring attention in the processes of social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, during their transition to adult life. The objective of the study was to analyze social support from a relational approach through Personal Network Analysis. A total of 41 young people with mild intellectual disabilities participated in the study, in two groups differentiated according to their educational stage, either compulsory secondary education or post-compulsory training. Descriptive and comparative results are presented based on the variables of structure, composition, and functional content in the social support of their personal networks. The results show that both groups have restricted personal networks, made up of members of the family and the educational environment who constitute the main providers of support. When moving towards adult life, the change in social contacts in other educational, geographical, and relational settings may mean a change in the provision of support received in previous life stages. Developing social and educational actions to support these people in the development and maintenance of social relationships is essential to their access to support resources that will affect their social inclusion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

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15 pages, 2861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Caregiver Personal Support Networks: Gender Differences and Effects on Health (CUIDAR-SE Study)

by María Nieves Rodríguez-Madrid, María del Río-Lozano, Rosario Fernández-Peña and María del Mar García-Calvente

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11723; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111723 - 8 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3076

Abstract

Technological changes have led to important advances in medical diagnoses and treatments that prolong the informal care process. Support from the personal network of informal caregivers is an undervalued resource and the changes that have occurred over time are unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in personal network support among informal caregivers and to examine the effect of these changes on self-perceived caregiver health, with a focus on differences between men and women and caregivers with high and low levels of burden We also investigated caregiver perceptions and explanations of changes to their support network (losses and additions and no change). Using a mixed-methods approach, data were obtained from 32 caregivers that were intentionally selected in Spain, who were interviewed twice with a one-year interval. In the quantitative phase, personal networks analysis was performed with Egonet software, which obtained data on the composition and functional content in social support from 1600 personal relationships (25 alters for each ego in the two waves). In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted in the two waves with a guide in order to explore the changes in informal support resources over time. The selected men with high levels of burden pointed out a loss of network support with more discouraging reports compared with the low-burden male caregivers. Furthermore, the selected women with low burden levels mentioned losses too; however, their reports were more positive. Women reported improved health, especially those with low burden scores in the first wave and those who did not lose support. Caregivers with a high initial burden and who lost support reported worse health, particularly men and women with a strong sense of duty toward care. Social support from personal networks is important for caregiver health and its effects are influenced by gender roles. Our findings could help by improving the relational and social capital of informal caregivers and adapting them to the new needs of formal home care systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

19 pages, 3308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relational Vulnerability of People Experiencing Multiple Exclusion Homelessness (MEH) in Spain

by Hugo Valenzuela-Garcia, José Luis Molina, Miranda J. Lubbers and Jorge Grau

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10275; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910275 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2241

Abstract

This paper draws on research analyzing the emotional and relational impacts of poverty and exclusion on charities’ clients in Spain since the 2008–2009 economic crisis, including people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness (MEH). The study adopts a mixed-methods approach in which twenty in-depth cases were collected in different geographical locations, including twelve cases experiencing MEH. Unlike other disadvantaged groups, those affected by MEH suffer material shortages, traumatic experiences, psychological disorders, physical illnesses, and a high degree of relational vulnerability, as reflected in the structure and composition of their personal networks, which tend to be smaller in size, with just a few weak and temporary contacts, and with care professionals playing an important role. These charity users often need long-term socio-sanitary care, which challenges public and private health-care systems. Therefore, our contribution to this Special Issue is directed toward improving understanding of the relational characteristics of severely excluded people, how social support affects their personal networks, and the challenges this assistance poses to care services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

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15 pages, 340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“It’s What I Have, It’s Not Who I Am”: A Qualitative Study of Social Support in Education/Employment Settings and Transition Readiness of Young Adults with End-Stage Renal Disease

by Sophie Rupp, Cynthia Fair, Hannah Korycinski and Maria Ferris

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(12), 6596; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126596 - 19 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2484

Abstract

This study investigated the role of social support in self-management within education/employment settings for young adults (YA) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as well as barriers and facilitators to social support formation. Nineteen YA with ESRD (mean age 24 years, 10 males, 9 African American) recruited from a pediatric nephrology clinic in the Southeast United States completed in-person semi-structured interviews. The grounded theory was used to analyze transcribed interviews to identify emergent themes. Absences hindered participants’ school/work attendance and performance. Social support was necessary for illness management and success in academic/vocational settings. Facilitators to establishing support included self-awareness and view of disclosure as a way to access accommodations. Barriers included fear of judgment, job loss, and the belief that the condition was too personal to disclose. Educators and employers must acknowledge the needs of YA with ESRD to promote development and educational/vocational success. Fear of disclosure and poor disease self-management interferes with accessing social support. Communication skills and autonomy in patients’ medical and personal lives can promote success in education and employment settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

14 pages, 1254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Support and Health Services Use in People Aged over 65 Years Migrating within China: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Chengxu Long, Ruoxi Wang, Da Feng, Lu Ji, Zhanchun Feng and Shangfeng Tang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(13), 4651; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134651 - 28 Jun 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2731

Abstract

Background: Due to the household registration system, Chinese elderly migrants have insufficient access to health services and social support. Thus, this study examined the use of health services, the access to social support, and the interaction among the elderly migrating within China. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey in 2015, adopting probability proportionate to size as the sampling strategy. Structural equation modeling and mediating effect tests were employed to explore the associations. Results: Approximately 45.9% of elderly migrants did not seek health services when needed. The use of outpatient and inpatient services was more common than free essential public health services. The use of health services was negatively associated with migrating duration and migrating for offspring, while it was positively associated with outer social support. The mediating effects of outer social support were discovered on the relationships between the use of health services and independent variables such as migrating duration and migrating for offspring, respectively. Conclusion: Elderly migrants with a longer migrating duration or migrated for offspring seem to obtain less outer social support, resulting in a decreased use of health services. Outer social support was suggested as a key effort to improve the equalization of health services in Chinese elderly migrants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Support and Social Networks in Long-Term Conditions)

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