SYMPTOMATOLOGY, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING - LONG-TERMRESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY AMONG PRIMARY MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE PATIENTS

The long-term association between social support and symptomatology is studied. Social support variables were: experienced understanding, sa tisfaction, number of contacts, social support seeking and severity of interpersonal conflicts. Data were collected at the start of a short- term behavioural therapy (T1) and 6 (T2) and 18 months later (T3). In addition, a comparison is made between patients who had finished their therapy by the second measurement and those who were by that time sti ll in therapy. A fine-grained analysis demonstrated that of all social support variables interpersonal problems were most strongly related t o symptomatology, in particular to interpersonal sensitivity. The tend ency to seek social support becomes associated with well-being in the long term. The best predictors of symptomatology at T3 were the initia l severity of symptomatology, the change in severity of symptomatology between T1 and T2 and the severity of symptomatology at T2. The socia l support variables did not have any prognostic significance. All soci al support variables retained their high temporal stability. Results a re translated into practical suggestions that might help maximize gain s of short-term behavioural therapy within primary mental health care.