Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A New Mother’S Cry: Analyzing Traditional Social Support Versus Online Social Support In Relation To The Postpartum Crisis, Emily Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study examines the gap that remains involving the transition from traditional to online social support that many mothers have participated in and how this change in communication methods during postpartum recovery may contribute to mental health disorders. This qualitative study aims to examine the differences in lived experiences among mothers regarding in-person and online forms of social support and how these experiences may impact a new mother’s mental well-being. Based on previous research, the present study hypothesizes that a more significant amount of online social support compared to in-person support will result in a detriment to a new …

Learning From Women Veterans Who Navigate Invisible Injuries, Caregiving, And Reintegration Challenges, Nicholas A. Rattray, Diana Natividad, Katrina Spontak, Marina Kukla, Ai Nghia L. Do, Leah Danson, Richard M. Frankel, Gala True

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: As women comprise a greater proportion of military service members, there is growing recognition of how their experiences in the early phase of military to civilian transitions have an important influence on their health and reintegration outcomes. Qualitative accounts of women veterans can inform programs that support transitioning service members. Objectives: We examined narratives of civilian reintegration among women veterans to understand their experiences of adjusting to community life while coping with mental health challenges. Methods/Participants: We interviewed 16 post-911 era women who were within 5 years of separating from military service and developed a case study based on …

The Power Of The “Like”: A Quantitative Study On The Facebook Emoji As Social Support, Lina Rawlings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aimed to evaluate how receiving a Facebook “like” correlates to the perception of social support and how much this correlation is moderated by the age and gender of the users. The social information processing theory guided the study, providing a framework to explain how communicators adapt to the restriction of nonverbal cues by creating surrogates to maintain interpersonal relationships in computer-mediated communication circumstances. For the central research question, findings revealed that receiving a Facebook “like” positively correlates with perceptions of social support from Facebook friends and family. While no significant correlation was found between the gender of …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Making Experiences Of Christian Women Who Had An Abortion, Anne E. Stocker

Dissertations

Whether or not a woman should have an abortion is a hotly debated topic, and little information is known about how women make sense of their abortion experiences. Even less is known about how women make sense of abortion experiences in the context of their religious or spiritual belief system. This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of how women who have had an abortion make meaning of their abortion experience in the context of their Christian identity. This phenomenon was explored via research questions related to a woman’s experience of having both an abortion history and a Christian identity, how …

How Does Parents’ Social Support Impact Children’S Health Practice? Examining A Mediating Role Of Health Knowledge, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Family environmental factors play a vital role in shaping children’s health practices (e.g., obesity prevention). It is still unclear how parents’ social support affects children’s obesity-related health practices. The present study argues that whether parents’ social support positively associates with children’s obesity-related health practice depends on if it could promote parents’ obesity-related health knowledge. Thus, we hypothesize that health knowledge mediates the relationship between parents’ social support and children’s health practice regarding weight management. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we conducted a questionnaire survey and collected a nationally representative sample of 1488 household responses in Singapore. The survey included …

Sociocultural And Familial Factors Associated With Symptom Experience At Midlife Among Women In Nagaland, India, Peteneinuo Rulu

Doctoral Dissertations

This cross-sectional study examines the sociocultural and familial factors that are associated with symptom experience at midlife among women in Nagaland. More specifically, the study examines the factors associated with symptoms at midlife, the relationship between symptoms at midlife, household stressors, ethnopolitical problems, and various measures of stress, and the buffering effects of social support against the negative effects of stress on symptoms at midlife. Data from 151 women aged 40-55 were collected from 4 regions in Nagaland, India. The most common symptoms reported during the past two weeks were headaches (72%), tiredness or lack of energy (67.5%), and hot …

Editorial: Resilience, Quality Of Life And Psychosocial Outcomes Of Cancer Patients And Their Caregivers, Nida Zahid, Nargis Asad, Ashraf El-Metwally

Department of Surgery

No abstract provided.

مستوى الدعم الاجتماعي لدى طلبة مساقات الجمباز في كلية التربية الرياضية في جامعة اليرموك, Ghada Mohammed Khasawneh, Khaled Mahmoud Alzyoud, Ameera Mohammad Magableh

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education (مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية (للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدفت الدراسة التعرف إلى مستوى الدعم الاجتماعي لدى طلبة مساقات الجمباز في كلية التربية الرياضية في جامعة اليرموك، اعتمدت الدراسة على الأسلوب الوصفي المسحي، وتم تطبيق الاستبانة على عينة عشوائية بلغت (80) طالباً وطالبة من طلبة مساقات الجمباز مستوى (تعليم وتدريب1+2). أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن مستوى المساندة الاجتماعية لدى طلبة كلية التربية الرياضية جاء مرتفعاً، حيث أن المتوسطات الحسابية لجميع مجالات مقياس المساندة الاجتماعية جاءت بدرجة تقييم مرتفعة، حيث جاء بالمرتبة الأولى مجال المساندة من قبل الزملاء، وبالمرتبة الثانية مجال "المساندة من مدرسين مساقات الجمباز، وبالمرتبة الثالثة والأخيرة جاء مجال "المساندة من الأسرة، وكشفت الدراسة عدم وجود فروق إحصائية في …

Too Much Fun: A Collaborative Autoethnography Detailing The Significance Of Friendship Between Women Of Color In A School Psychology Graduate Program, Arayana A. Harris

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Using collaborative autoethnography (CAE), the presented thesis explores the friendship of four women of color attending a school psychology graduate program. Friendship is presented as a protective factor with particular relevancy for women of color, and for racially- and ethnically-minoritized (REM) students attending graduate school. Researcher-participants utilized a concurrent approach to CAE, and data collection methods included journal entries and recorded conversations between researcher-participants. Relevant themes identified using emergent thematic coding included the meaningful characteristics of friendship, as identified by researcher-participants, as well as skills and actions identified as being influenced by friendship. Key ideas discussed include the meaningfulness of …

Grief, Depression, And Well-Being: The Role Of Social Support And Psychological Inflexibility, Ashley Wicochea

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Grief/bereavement is a normal emotional process that individuals experience upon the death of a loved one. Complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder results when grief becomes prolonged and associated with impairment in functioning (Howarth, 2011; Al-Gamal et al., 2018). Previous research has found a positive relationship between prolonged grief and depression. Moreover, research has found that the relationship between grief and depression was strongest under conditions of low peer support (Al-Gamal et al., 2018). Previous research on psychological inflexibility has found a positive relationship with grief and psychological distress, and a negative relationship with psychological well-being (Howell & Demuynck, 2021). …

Can I Count On You? Social Support, Depression And Suicide Risk, Christiana Silva, Christopher Mcgovern, Stephanie Gomez, Eleanor Beale, James Overholser

Student Scholarship

Objectives: Interpersonal factors play an important role in the etiology and treatment of depression. Social support derives from compassionate words and helpful actions provided by family, friends or a significant other. The present study was designed to examine various sources of social support as they relate to the severity of depressive symptoms, hopelessness and suicide risk in adult psychiatric outpatients. Method: Participants were recruited through mental health clinics at a veteran's affairs medical centre. A total of 96 depressed patients were assessed using a diagnostic interview and self-report measures of depression severity, hopelessness and social support. Among these depressed adults, …

The Psychological Impact Of Adolescent Violence Exposure: The Roles Of Coping And Social Support, Kelsey Gnade Coulthard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research demonstrates that children and adolescents experience a wide range of exposure to violence with rates ranging from 20% and 50% (Finkelhor & Dziuba-Leatherman, 1994; Finkelhor et al., 2005; Zimmerman & Posick, 2016). Violence exposure has been associated with several negative outcomes including biological, psychological, family-based, and academic problems. Further, studies have examined potential protective factors that may buffer against these consequences, with inconsistent results surrounding the roles of coping and social support. However, many of these studies use either an overly generalized definition of both violence exposure and/or social support or use very specific type of violence within a …

Experiencing Romantic Loss In College: The Role Of Social Support On Mental Health, Keirstin Harkleroad

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The loss of a romantic partner can be a significant life event in one’s life. Breakups vary in intensity and length, but any strong enough bond being broken creates a life event. Pearlin's Stress Process model posits that in the face of a life event, such as the loss of a romantic partner, social-psychological resources can buffer the adverse effects of stressors on mental health. This study focuses on the resource of various sources and types of social support to gain an understanding of how individuals cope with a breakup during the already-stressful life stage of college. Using thematic analysis …

The Effect Of Minority Stress On Sexual Minority College Students' Mental Health: The Role Of General Social Support And Sexuality-Specific Social Support, Lee A. Golembiewski

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority (SM) college students continue to face greater mental health problems relative to their heterosexual peers (Woodford et al., 2014; Wilson & Liss, 2022). According to minority stress theory, SM individuals face distal (e.g., heterosexist discrimination) and proximal (e.g., expectations of rejection, internalized homophobia, and concealment) stressors related to their SM identity which can have negative effects on their mental health (Douglass & Conlin, 2020; Meyer, 2003). However, social support has been hypothesized to help protect against the effects of minority stress experienced by SM individuals (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Moody & Smith, 2013). Most of the existing research …

How Do Stress, Social Support, And Mental Health Relate In The Lives Of College Students?, Angel Moore

Honors Theses

Stress experienced in college can have considerable negative consequences upon those that experience it and do not properly cope. Perceived social support has repeatedly been found to act as buffer against these negative consequences and effects (Dwyer & Cummings, 2001). The present study sought to understand specific details surrounding the stress experienced by students, their current social support, and their mental health. Nine college student participants completed an interview about recent stress and measures related to social support and symptoms of mental health problems. Correlations among these factors revealed that overall social support is negatively associated with stress and mental …

Acculturation And Health Services Utilization Among Older Asian Americans: The Roles Of Social Support And Psychological Distress, Mei Chen

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

There are relatively few studies about health services utilization among older Asian Americans. Historically, Asian Americans have been treated as one homogenous race group, and the underlying heterogeneity among specific ethnic groups was underappreciated and neglected. This dissertation investigates the relationship between acculturation and health services utilization among older Asian Americans and several specific Asian ethnic subgroups, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese Americans. In addition, South Asian Americans and members of other Asian groups were also examined.

This study employed two samples of older Asian Americans based on the specific healthcare resources evaluated. The first sample employed five …

Examining Support Seeking Behaviors And Social Support Among Chronic Kidney Disease Patients, Ashley Padilla

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is considered a public health concern due to its high prevalence and a leading cause of disability in the United States. Patients suffering from CKD face a multitude of challenges. Past studies have shown that the challenges of CKD can be reduced through social support. However, little is known about the support-seeking behaviors used by the person in crisis to influence the amount of support received. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine whether there was an association between support-seeking behaviors (direct vs. indirect) and levels of social support among CKD …

The Motherhood Crusade: Rural Low-Income Mothers, Support, And Empowerment, Christina Castellano

Dissertations

Previous research has shown that postpartum women with untreated mental health conditions are more likely to fail to manage their own health, have inadequate nutrition, abuse substances, experience abuse, be less responsive to their baby’s needs, have fewer positive interactions with their baby, experience difficulties breastfeeding, and question their abilities as a mother. Rural culture plays a complex role in the transition to motherhood, influencing whether mothers seek out and use resources. While more is known about location and access issues, less is known about how rural culture and, more specifically, how empowerment and social support impact postpartum experience. The …

Adolescence And Stress: A Longitudinal Examination Of The Role Of Stress On Health Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Self-Regulation And Social Support, Joshua T. Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Stress impacts all individuals during each developmental period of their lives. Stress has been linked to various physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. However, adolescence may prove to be a unique time to examine stress and its potential effects on various health outcomes, as well as possible mediating or moderating factors. The purpose of this study is to examine the link between stress and body mass index (BMI) percentile while incorporating the potential mediators of anxiety, depression, and externalizing behaviors as well as the moderators of social support and self-regulation. Using a sample of 500 adolescents living in …

Relative Impact Of Human & Natural Trauma On Psychological Functioning, Javeen Lynette Beard

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Trauma, both natural and human induced, affects numerous people daily, often significantly impairing their quality of life. Human trauma and the subsequent quality of life has been extensively examined, but natural trauma remains largely overlooked. This study compares the quality of life following human and natural trauma. Because no suitable measure could be located, a 12-item Natural Disaster Assessment (NDA) was developed. Reponses were rated on a 7-point continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Participants were recruited using Mechanical Turk. Among 136 participants, 56 were male (41.2%), 79 were female (58.1%), and one identified as other (0.7%). Participants completed …

The Effects Of Social Support On The Sport Motivation Of Ncaa Division Iii Athletes Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory: A Correlational Study, Stephanie Dawn Roby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental correlational survey study was to evaluate the relationship between sport motivation and the types of support received from coaches, parents, and peers for NCAA Division III athletes. NCAA Division III athletes (n= 74) who participated in baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women's soccer during the 2021-2022 school year completed a demographic survey, the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II), and the Athlete Received Support Questionnaire (ARSQ). Scores for the SMS-II and the ARSQ were calculated, and a multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. Athlete’s scores for the SMS-II averaged …

The Effects Of Ses, Social Support, And Resilience On Older Adults’ Well-Being During Covid-19: Evidence From Singapore, Mindy Eiko Tadai, Paulin Tay Straughan, Grace Cheong, Rachel Ngu Wen Yi, Yan Er Tan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered visible many socioeconomic inequalities and the lengthy period of dis- ruption to everyday life had disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable groups in Singapore and across the world. Utilizing data from the Singapore Life Panel ® (SLP) collected in September 2021, this study examined a sample of 6667 older adults to assess the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on well-being, and the mechanisms through which social support and resilience may mediate its influence. Overall, our results suggest significant direct and indirect effects of SES on well-being and provide evidence for the pivotal role that social …

Working With Students From Low Socioeconomic Families: What Can School Counselors Do?, Rachel S. Bluhm

Counselor Education Capstones

Poverty and low socioeconomic status (SES) in America negatively affect students in elementary, middle, and high school as they are still developing. It is crucial that school counselors and other helping professionals are aware of how to best support these students so they can achieve their highest as social support has been shown to be a protective factor for low SES in school. It is essential that school counselors and other staff in schools have effective training surrounding poverty and that they recognize how their social class affects their views and beliefs surrounding poverty and analyze those beliefs and practices. …

The Moderating Effects Of Perceived Social Support And Perceived Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Psychopathology Symptoms In Young Adults With A History Of Childhood Maltreatment, Sophia K. Majerske

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Publications

Childhood maltreatment places individuals at greater risk for developing psychopathology in adulthood. Social support has been shown to moderate mental health outcomes. The Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in a pandemic that created an environment that increased isolation through quarantine rules, therefore decreasing opportunities to socialize and receive social support. The relationship between social support, the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, depression, anxiety, and PTSD during the first year of the pandemic was explored in a sample of young adults with and without childhood maltreatment. It was hypothesized that social support and the perceived impact of the pandemic moderated …

Covid-19: Social Support Among The Bereaved, Fernande Nanda Mamane

Theses and Dissertations

Bereavement is a universal experience. Presently, there have been over 1,024,611 deaths in the United States alone related to the COVID-19 virus and this number is growing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). With the significant rise in deaths, as well as subsequent societal health and safety measures due to the pandemic, social support for the bereaved is expected to be severely impacted. Limited access to social spheres, as well as adjustments to typical funeral practices, may impact the perception of support by those grieving. The purpose the study was to gain a better understanding of bereaved individual’s experiences …

Human Connection As A Treatment For Addiction, Andrea D. Clements, Human-Friedrich Unterrainer, Christopher C.H. Cook

ETSU Authors Bookshelf

Research supports that social connection is important in both humans and animals. In humans, having a cohesive support/social network system and healthy attachments in childhood predict low risk of later addiction (i.e. substance use disorder), as does perceived support from a religious or other cohesive community. Moreover, personal characteristics such as identifying as religious or spiritual can predict low risk for addiction, but little is known about the intersection of neuroscience and religion/spirituality in this regard. Conversely, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have repeatedly been shown to predict later addiction. However, the role of the body’s neuro-hormonal responses, such as the …

My Baby, My Move+: Feasibility Of A Community Prenatal Wellbeing Intervention, Jenn A. Leiferman, Rachael Lacy, Jessica Walls, Charlotte V. Farewell, Mary K. Dinger, Danielle Symons Downs, Sarah S. Farrabi, Jennifer L. Huberty, James F. Paulson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), insufficient prenatal physical activity and sleep, and poor psychological wellbeing independently increase risks for adverse maternal and infant outcomes. A novel approach to mitigate these risks is utilizing peer support in a community-based prenatal intervention. This study assessed the feasibility (acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality) of a remotely delivered prenatal physical activity intervention called My Baby, My Move + (MBMM +) that aims to increase prenatal physical activity, enhance mood and sleep hygiene, and reduce EGWG.

Methods

Participants were recruited through community organizations, local clinics, and social media platforms in the Fall of 2020 …

Longitudinal Perspectives On Individual Outcomes, Family Functioning, And Social Support Among Diverse Adoptive Families, Emily Lapidus

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Given that family processes change when a child enters adolescence, it is imperative for research to utilize longitudinal analyses to capture a family unit’s development over time. This research is especially lacking amongst diverse families, such as those formed utilizing adoption or headed by same-gender parents. Utilizing both the Parenting Stress Model and Family Systems Theory, it has been shown that family dynamics are key indicators when predicting functioning within a family, opposed to family structure. Therefore, it is hypothesized that there will be no significant differences related to family processes (e.g., family functioning, parenting stress, adolescent adjustment, and social …

Community Violence And Adolescent Aggression: The Moderating Role Of Perceived Parental Support, Giemaly Soto

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Prior research suggests that perceived support protects youth from externalizing problems that are typically associated with exposure to violence. The current study examined the extent to which perceived parental support (PPS) moderated the relationship between exposure to community violence and aggression among 130 high school students (78% Black/African American; 63% female; M age = 15.78), most from low-income families, in communities characterized by concentrated poverty and high rates of violent crime. This cross-sectional study utilized baseline data from two earlier studies evaluating a cognitive-behavioral, preventative intervention group for high school students living in or attending schools in low-income, urban neighborhoods …

Sleep And Health Behaviors In A Safety-Net Primary Care Setting, Sahar Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly half of all premature deaths in the United States are attributable to preventable and modifiable health risk behaviors. For decades, the leading behavioral health contributors to morbidity and mortality are tobacco use, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. Medication adherence is a relatively less studied yet critical interrelated health behavior that is tied to health and treatment outcomes. Sleep, an important pillar of health, is a daily and modifiable behavior that shows promise as a health behavior facilitator. Better understanding the dynamics of these modifiable health behaviors is essential for the improvement of health promotion, particularly among underserved populations (e.g., …