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Structural relationships between social support and coping

Author

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  • Mccoll, Mary Ann
  • Lei, Hau
  • Skinner, Harvey

Abstract

Relationships between social support and coping were examined over a one-year period in a sample (n = 120) exposed to a specific stressor (i.e. a spinal cord injury). Two issues were evaluated: (1) patterns of social support and coping over time; and (2) the direction of the effects of coping on social support or vice versa. Subjects had incurred a spinal cord injury within the preceding year, completed their rehabilitation, and returned to the community. They were assessed at 1, 4 and 12 months post-discharge to capture possible changes in patterns of social support and coping. Covariance structure modelling indicated a single-factor construct based on three measured subscales for social support (instrumental/informational/emotional), and for coping (problem-oriented/perception-oriented/emotion-oriented). While the factor structure of coping was invariant over time, the structure of social support changed from a high concentration of informational support at one month to a higher saturation of emotional support at 4 and 12 months, potentially reflecting changes in the salience of different components of the network. The perceived availability of social support was seen to have direct effects on future coping. At one month, social support had a direct positive effect on coping at four months. However, at four months social support had a negative effect on coping at 12 months, which may reflect a change in the structure of the social support construct itself. That is, as the factor structure of social support varied with time, coping may also have been influenced by differing perception of one's needs and circumstances. Thus, the study provides evidence for the dynamic effects of social support on coping, depending on one's stage in the process of long-term adjustment. The findings underscore the interplay between social support and coping, and the need for future research and practical applications to recognize temporal effects on the relationships between these two complex constructs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mccoll, Mary Ann & Lei, Hau & Skinner, Harvey, 1995. "Structural relationships between social support and coping," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 395-407, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:41:y:1995:i:3:p:395-407
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    Cited by:

    1. Shoko Matsumoto & Kazue Yamaoka & Machiko Inoue & Mariko Inoue & Shinsuke Muto & Teikyo Ishinomaki Research Group, 2015. "Implications for Social Support on Prolonged Sleep Difficulties among a Disaster-Affected Population: Second Report from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Ishinomaki, Japan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Heponiemi, Tarja & Elovainio, Marko & Kivimäki, Mika & Pulkki, Laura & Puttonen, Sampsa & Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa, 2006. "The longitudinal effects of social support and hostility on depressive tendencies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1374-1382, September.
    3. Kendall, Elizabeth & Terry, Deborah J., 2008. "Understanding adjustment following traumatic brain injury: Is the Goodness-of-Fit coping hypothesis useful?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1217-1224, October.
    4. Kendall, Elizabeth & Terry, Deborah, 2009. "Predicting emotional well-being following traumatic brain injury: A test of mediated and moderated models," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 947-954, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    social support coping disability;

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