Mental Health in US Adults: The Role of Positive Social Support and Social Negativity in Personal Relationships

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Mental Health in US Adults The Role of Positive
Social Support and Social Negativity in Personal
Relationships

• Elizabeth M. Bertera, PhD
• Associate Professor
• National Catholic School of Social Service
• The Catholic University of America
• Washington DC
• This research was funded in part by a grant from
• The Catholic University of America.
• Presented at APHA, Washington, DC
• November 9, 2004

This paper will be published in Vol. 22,
Num.1(February, 2005), of the Journal of Social
and Personal Relationships.
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Study Purpose

• Describe how positive social support and social
  negativity in personal relationships affect
  mental health in US Adults.

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Background of Study

• The study is based on data from the National
  Comorbidity Survey (NCS) (1990-92)
• N 4,688 adults ages 21-54
• The NCS was a nationally representative survey of
  the prevalence and correlates of DSM-III-R
  disorders in the US households.

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Independent Variables

• Social Support - 6 Item Index
• Chronbach Alpha .81
• Example Does Spouse (relative or friend) care
  for you?
• Social Negativity- 6 Item Index
• Chronbach Alpha .89
• Example How often do your friends (spouse or
  relatives) make you feel tense?

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DEPENDENT VARIABLES(Based on CIDI)

• Anxiety Disorders Index
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Panic
• Social Phobia
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)

• Mood Disorders Index
• Depression
• Bi-polar
• Dysthymia

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Sociodemographic Characteristics

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Social Negativity Score by Gender and Source (P
lt .001)
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Social Negativity Score by Racial/Ethnic Group
and Source ( P lt .001)
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Social Negativity Score by Years of Education and
Source (P lt .001)
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Social Negativity Score by Income and Source (P
lt .001)
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Social Negativity Score by Physical Health and
Source (P lt .001)
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Positive Social Support Scores by Gender and
Source ( P lt .001)
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Positive Social Support Scores by
Race/Ethnicity and Source ( P lt .001)
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Positive Social Support Scores by Years of
Education and Source ( P lt .001)
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Positive Social Support Scores by Income and
Source (P lt .001)
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Positive Social Support Scores by Physical Health
and Source (P lt .001)
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Standardized Regression Coefficients for
variables predicting the number of Anxiety and
Mood Disorder Episodes (P lt .001)
Variable Anxiety Disorder Mood Disorders
Positive SS Spouse -0.14 -0.04
Relatives -0.28 -0.39
Friends -0.15 -0.03
Negative SS Spouse 0.39 0.42
Relatives 0.32 0.27
Friends 0.17 0.23
Total R2 0.26 0.19
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Findings

• Both positive and negative social exchanges were
  associated with social, demographic and physical
  health characteristics.
• The level of physical health indicated strong,
• graded, and inverse relationship with social
• negativity scores.

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Findings

• There were significant differences in social
  negativity scores by gender, income and physical
  health for all three social network sources.
• Female respondents reported significantly more
  perceived social negativity from spouses and from
  relatives and less from friends compared to
  males.

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Findings

• In general, female gender, lower education, lower
  income, and poorer physical health were
  associated with more perceived social negativity.
• White racial group, more education, higher
  incomes, and better physical health were
  associated with more perceived positive social
  support.
• Males had more positive social support from
  spouses, while females had more positive social
  support from relatives and friends.

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Implications

• This study confirms the need to understand both
  the sources and types of social support that
  exist in social exchanges.
• In assessing the social relationships of clients
  with mental disorders it is important to not only
  assess positive social support but sources and
  circumstances of social negativity as well.

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Implications

• The presence of social negativity with network
  members can introduce stress into relationships,
  while the lack of social support may leave
  individuals without protective buffers,
  especially when confronted with social-emotional
  stressors.
• The community mental health movement and changing
  public perceptions have increased the population
  of clients requesting mental health services.
  Improved social support is an intervention that
  could be incorporated into existing diagnostic,
  treatment and prevention efforts.