Ehm. Eurelingsbontekoe et al., PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING - APROSPECTIVE-STUDY AMONG PRIMARY MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE PATIENTS, Social science & medicine, 40(8), 1995, pp. 1083-1089
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Social Sciences, Biomedical","Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
This study addresses the time ordering of both quantitative and qualit
ative social support variables, social support seeking and psychologic
al distress. Number of contacts, perceived understanding, satisfaction
, severity of network conflicts, social support seeking and symptomato
logy were assessed at two points in time: at the start of a short term
behavioural therapy (T1) and six months later (T2). Severity of sympt
omatology at T2 was best predicted by the severity of symptomatology a
t referral and by the change in interpersonal problems. Social support
-seeking was at both measurements unrelated to symptomatology. The num
ber of contacts, satisfaction, understanding and social support seekin
g demonstrated high temporal stability, in contrast to symptomatology
and interpersonal problems. A more fine-grained analysis demonstrated
that of all social support variables, interpersonal conflicts were mos
t strongly related to symptomatology, especially to interpersonal sens
itivity and depression. It is concluded that interventions aimed in pa
rticular at relieving interpersonal sensitivity and interpersonal stre
ss and at fostering interpersonal effectiveness may prove to be critic
al in breaking vicious circles.