Search results

(1 - 2 of 2)
PREDICTORS OF FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR ADULTS WITH BRAIN INJURY
Title
PREDICTORS OF FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR ADULTS WITH BRAIN INJURY
Creator
Batchos, Elisabeth
Date
2017, 2017-07
Description
Extensive research has demonstrated social support is a protective factor in the recovery process for people with disabilities. Following...
Show moreExtensive research has demonstrated social support is a protective factor in the recovery process for people with disabilities. Following acquired brain injury (ABI), individuals’ social networks dwindle, support declines, and isolation increases; thus, social support is a critical variable in combating these issues during the rehabilitation process. This study draws on the tri-dimensional model of social support to examine predictors of functional support for adults with ABI. Specifically, this study examines the impact of problem solving characteristics and structural (e.g., network composition) and appraisal (e.g., network helpfulness) support variables on two types of perceived functional support outcomes: emotional and instrumental support. Participants included 170 adults with ABI from across the United States who completed an online survey about their social and community experiences. Separate hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine predictors of two dependent variables: perceived emotional and instrumental support. Four variable sets were entered: (1) demographic and injury characteristics; (2) problem solving variables (approach-avoidance style, problem solving confidence); (3) structural support variables (number of roles in informal and formal networks, Internet use); and (4) appraisal support variables (perceived helpfulness of informal and formal networks). Together these variables accounted for 44% of the variance in emotional support outcomes (R² = .44, p < .001) and 34% of the variance in instrumental support outcomes (R² = .34, p < .001). Both analyses showed a similar pattern of predictors—namely, problem solving confidence and quality and quantity of informal network ties. However, Internet use was a significant predictor only of instrumental support while helpfulness of one’s formal network only predicted emotional support. Findings from this study highlight the common and unique variables that promote different types of functional support. Psychosocial functioning is often a meaningful goal for long-term recovery from ABI, and these findings can be used to target the development of psychosocial interventions designed to increase emotional and instrumental support. Such interventions would address a gap in many current rehabilitation programs by focusing on strategies designed to increase specific types of social support. Further, interventions to enhance social support promote a valuable rehabilitation construct, as social support has repeatedly been associated with improved outcomes in other aspects of health and wellness for people with ABI.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
Show less
THE ROLES OF SUPPORT AND SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLV ING IN SOCIAL INTEGRATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BRAIN INJURY
Title
THE ROLES OF SUPPORT AND SOCIAL PROBLEM SOLV ING IN SOCIAL INTEGRATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BRAIN INJURY
Creator
Batchos, Elisabeth
Date
2014, 2014-12
Description
Individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) may not only struggle with physical and cognitive impairments, but may also face challenges...
Show moreIndividuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) may not only struggle with physical and cognitive impairments, but may also face challenges reintegrating into the community socially. Research has demonstrated that following ABI, individuals’ social networks tend to dwindle, support may decline, and isolation increases. Social aspects of rehabilitation are often overlooked for more physical or cognitive symptom management. Social integration, however, may act as a protective factor for stress and has shown benefits for the rehabilitation process physically, cognitively, and psychosocially. Therefore, it may be vital to the rehabilitation process to examine factors promoting social integration. One important construct is that of social problem solving, which incorporates both the social and cognitive domains related to the rehabilitation of brain injury. Another such variable is social support, a factor previously shown to affect social outcomes. This study uses a sample of 102 individuals with ABI to examine factors impacting social integration. Predictors included emotional support, instrumental support, problem solving confidence, and approach-avoidance style of problem solving, while controlling for age, gender, education, and time since injury. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze whether these factors were predictive of social integration. Results demonstrated that emotional support was initially a significant predictor; however, when controlling for emotional support the variance in social integration was better accounted for by social problem solving—specifically, approachavoidance style. Given the results, a follow-up mediation analysis was conducted to look at social support as a mediator of the relationship between social problem solving (specifically, approach-avoidance style) on social integration. Findings indicated that the relationship between approach-avoidance style and social integration was indeed partially mediated by emotional support. This suggests that for individuals with ABI, their tendency to approach rather than avoid social problem solving issues is a significant predictor for social integration both directly and indirectly through its association with emotional social support.
M.S. in Psychology, December 2014
Show less