No abstract

Two aspects of social support, availability and adequacy, were assessed for 729 severely mentally ill adults enrolled in seven state-supported Community Support Services (CSS) programs as part of repeated questionnaire surveys nine months apart. Perceived quality of life interviews with the clients were also conducted at both times. These interviews included the Bradburn Positive and Negative Affect Scales and the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale (SLDS). Availability of social support was significantly correlated with positive affect over time, but not with negative affect at either point. Inadequacy of social support was significantly related to negative affect at both assessments. Both availability and adequacy of social support were significantly related to the SLDS at each time. Change in satisfaction with life domains was found to be related to both availability and, to a lesser degree, with adequacy of social support.

A cohort of 729 chronically mentally ill patients receiving community support services (CSS) were followed over a nine-month period. Receiving needed community support services was shown to predict change in client functioning as measured by the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) even after the initial values on the GAS, as well as demographic, psychiatric, residential and medication maintenance variables were considered. Adequacy of social support from family, friends and others also contributed to predicting change in global functioning of the CSS patients.

A sample of 437 patients completed self-report measures of quality of life and social support while they were being evaluated for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at The Johns Hopkins Oncology Center. Generally, the candidates showed reasonably high levels of quality of life (QOL) on the Satisfaction with Life Domains Scale (SLDS), their present ranking on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Ladder of Life, and their scores on the Bradburn Positive Affect Scale. The level of QOL of these candidates for transplant was significantly related to their level of social support. Both availability and adequacy of social support for these transplant candidates were found to be significantly related to QOL as measured by the SLDS. Availability of social support as measured by patient membership in religious and other organizations was significantly related to Positive Affect but not Negative Affect. The Family APGAR and Relational Support Scales measures of social support were significantly correlated with both Positive and Negative Affect.

No abstract