People who help people: A needs assessment of those who provide interpersonal support to individuals with chronic illnesses

Social support during an ongoing illness has been shown to be beneficial for both the provider and the receiver, but people often struggle with offering effective, appropriate support. There is a lack of communication-focused training not specifically tied to caregiving or training that is designed for all social network members of a person experiencing a chronic illness, which we call interpersonal support providers (ISPs). We conducted a concurrent mixed-methods needs assessment, surveying both ISPs and support receivers, to understand communicative challenges and inform an evidence-based intervention. Analysis of results from an online survey (N_providers = 91, N_receivers = 97), consisting of five open-ended and 15 quantitative items, suggests that ISPs have difficulty managing their worries and emotions while providing comfort to others, which may impact support quality. In addition, ISPs and receivers both identify “listening” as a key skill for ISPs to hone, though ISPs feel they are more skilled at listening than receivers say they are. Lastly, ISPs feel they are good at sharing information and advice, but receivers often perceive it as patronizing or unhelpful. These results will inform the creation of an intervention for everyone offering emotional, esteem, and informational support to individuals with chronic illnesses.     

Experiences with social support among older adult women participating in gay square dancing

LGBTQI2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit, etc.) individuals face unique challenges to physical activity participation, such as discrimination and exclusion. Square dance is a form of collaborative group dancing and while traditionally a heteronormative form of dance, gay square dance is typically open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Square dancing offers opportunities to belong to a community of others engaged in the same activity, which older adults often find satisfying. The aim of this research was to understand how older adults who identify as women experience social support in the context of participating in gay square dance and the role previous experiences of social exclusion play in influencing these experiences. Fourteen self-identified women (age range 55–79 years; n = 11 White, n = 1 Black, n = 2 Jewish) belonging to a gay square dance club participated. Participants self-identified as heterosexual (n = 7), lesbian (n = 3), pansexual (n = 1), bisexual (n = 1), or did not identify with existing terminology (n = 2). Interviews were conducted during a gay square-dancing festival and thematically analyzed. Findings highlighted that participants experienced acceptance which affirmed their sense of self and enabled their authentic selves. To foster a sense of belonging and close relationships, specific actions (e.g., demonstrative welcoming of newcomers, mutual support) were taken by other participants in the group. Physical touch is an inherent part of square dancing, which took on different meanings for participants and was overall perceived as safe. Inclusive groups like gay square dance clubs are an important and consistent means where older adult women can experience meaningful social relationships and interactions.     

Social support from weak ties: Insight from the literature on minimal social interactions

When people face difficult life events, such as cancer or bereavement, they fare better when they receive support. These “experiencers” are likely to seek and receive support from a wide range of people, from close others to acquaintances. Indeed, the social support literature has long acknowledged the value of having a diverse support network. Research suggests that experiencers often perceive “weak ties” (i.e., acquaintances) as sources of support, and that experiencers sometimes prefer to get support from weak ties rather than strong ties. Providing support can be challenging for all kinds of supporters, however weak ties may be more likely than strong ties to allow worries about their inability to provide effective support to stop them from providing any support at all, thus depriving experiencers of opportunities for additional support. In this paper, we focus on the fact that often the provision of support occurs via a social interaction. We draw on the social psychology literature on minimal social interactions to suggest reasons why potential weak tie supporters might doubt their ability to provide effective support, and to generate advice to encourage potential supporters to reach out. Finally, we suggest future areas of research, with the ultimate goal of helping to expand the support that is available for people experiencing difficult life events.     

Differences in the importance of romantic structures among transgender and cisgender adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

The stressors of the global COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increased need for support. For adults, romantic relationships often represent an environment of emotional support and stability; as such, attitudes toward—and particularly the importance of—romantic relationships may have shifted as a result of the pandemic. The present cross-sectional study explores how U.S. transgender (n = 99) and cisgender people (n = 1886) report whether they have perceived a change in their feelings about the importance of long-term romantic structures (i.e., committed relationships, monogamy, cohabiting with a romantic partner, and marriage) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results found that transgender people reported a more positive perceived change in importance placed on all four romantic items relative to cisgender people. Different forms of stress (e.g., social, financial, health) associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to an increased need, and subsequent desire, for social connection and support in the form of romantic relationships among transgender individuals to a greater extent than cisgender individuals, perhaps in part due to the additional layers of stress transgender people must navigate. Results are discussed through the lens of the minority stress framework.     

Intra- and interpersonal factors and adolescent wellbeing during COVID-19 in three countries

COVID-19 has altered adolescents' opportunities for developing and strengthening interpersonal skills and proficiencies. Using data from adolescents in Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom, we examined the relation between internalizing symptoms assessed pre-pandemic or when pandemic-related restrictions were lifted (Time 1) and associated internalizing symptoms during a subsequent restrictive pandemic period (Time 2). Across all 3 countries, we found significant and consistent effect sizes in the relation between Time 1 and Time 2 internalizing symptoms. We further examined the direct and moderating impact of self-efficacy and contextual supports for adolescents' internalizing symptoms. Higher self-efficacy was associated with lower levels of internalizing symptoms at Time 2 in all 3 countries. Additionally, the relation between Time 1 and 2 internalizing symptoms was buffered by regulatory self-efficacy and peer support in Italy, but in the U.S., higher levels of general self-efficacy instead had an exacerbating effect on the relation between Times 1 and 2 internalizing symptoms. Results are discussed in the context of utilizing cross-national datasets to examine similarities in adolescent well-being over time and in the face of varying government responses to the pandemic.     

Evidential support and undermining: Revision of Håkan Törnebohm's theory of confirmation

In 1975, An Essay on Knowledge Formation by H. Törnebohm was published in this Journal. Its content in revised form was included in a work in Swedish of 1983 on knowledge development.HT defines his confirmation criterion in terms of a measure oftruth degree T, which is based on a measure ofmatching M, which is also used as a measure of the degree to which propositionp (an hypothesis) is supported or undermined by another propositionq (the evidence forp),M is defined in terms of a measure of thecontent C.     

Swedish translations of the Suicide Probability Scale, Perceived Social Support from Friends and Family Scales, and the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior: A reliability analysis

The Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), the Perceived Social Support (PSS) from Friends (PSS-Fr) and Family (PSS-Fa) scales, and the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior (SIB) were translated into Swedish and their reliability was estimated in a university student sample. The reliability coefficients indicated that both subscales and the total scales of the SPS, PSS, and SIB possess highly adequate reliabilities. The intercorrelations among the subscales and between the subscales and the total scales were found to be highly significant. The results of the study supported the use of SPS, PSS-Fr and PSS-Fa, and the SIB as reliable methods for assessing suicide risk, perceived social support from friends and family, and assertive behavior.     

Mentally retarded persons as parents: Prevalence and the situation of their children

This paper describes a research program on mentally retarded parents and their children. For this nation-wide study, two structured questionnaires were sent to all municipalities in Norway. Both questionnaires were sent to public health nurses and were followed-up by a structured telephone interview based on the questionnaires. The primary aim of the study was to survey the number of children born to mentally retarded parents. In addition, the children's needs and functional abilities were to be assessed. Twenty-three mentally retarded persons had given birth in the course of the past twelve months. A total of 126 children with mentally retarded parents were identified, with an incidence of 27 children per year, and a prevalence of approximately 430 children under 16 years of age in a population of 4 mill. People with a mean of 1.05 child per family. About 43% of the children of mentally retarded parents appeared to have learning difficulties. Forty percent of the children suffered from failures of care. Between 25% and 68% of the children with learning problems had poorly developed motor or language abilities, sense modalities or psycho-social status.