DOCSLIB.ORG

Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Students Kate Hesler SUNY Geneseo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Students Kate Hesler SUNY Geneseo Proceedings of GREAT Day Volume 2015 Article 9 2016 Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Students Kate Hesler SUNY Geneseo Follow this and additional works at: https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Hesler, Kate (2016) "Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Students," Proceedings of GREAT Day: Vol. 2015 , Article 9. Available at: https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2015/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the GREAT Day at KnightScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of GREAT Day by an authorized editor of KnightScholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hesler: Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Stud Perfectionism, Social Support, and Social Anxiety in College Students Kate Hesler ABSTRACT The study examined the role of socially prescribed perfectionism on social anxiety and perfectionistic self- presentation behaviors in college students. One hundred twenty-nine students at a public liberal arts college completed questionnaires assessing their trait perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, social anxiety, and perceived social support. The results found direct relationships between socially prescribed perfectionism and social anxiety, and between socially prescribed perfectionism and perfectionistic self-presentation. The results indicate conceptual, although not statistically significant, evidence for social support moderating the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and social anxiety. There was neither conceptual nor statistical support for a social support interaction on the association between socially prescribed perfection- ism and perfectionistic self-presentation. The findings suggest that perfectionistic college students are likely to engage in maladaptive impression management behaviors. College students who strive for perfection to please others and who have low levels of social support may also be at risk of developing social anxiety. PURPOSE erates such a relationship between perfectionism and ocial anxiety disorder is one of the most common social anxiety, and between perfectionism and perfec- mental health problems for college students in tionistic behaviors. Perhaps the relationship between the United States and affects 15 million Ameri- perfectionism and social anxiety and the relationship Scan adults (Anxiety and Depression Association of between perfectionism and unhealthy behaviors is America, 2010). Social anxiety disorder is the fear of most problematic for students lacking significant so- social interaction, including the fear of being evalu- cial support at college. The question at hand, there- ated or judged. Since the transition from living at fore, has to do with the factors affecting the perfec- home with parents while in high school to living sur- tionism, perfectionistic behaviors, and social anxiety rounded by peers while at college involves a signifi- in college students. cant uprooting from an individual’s life, students are quite vulnerable to the stresses of college. Social anxi- LITERATURE REVIEW ety is a serious problem for undergraduates because it is often associated with other mental disorders, such Perfectionism Defined as depression (Kuzel, 1996) and alcohol dependency Hewitt and Flett (1991) suggest perfectionism is a (Schry & White, 2013). Social anxiety is also associ- personality trait that can occasionally be a positive ated with several cognitive behaviors and effects such factor in adjustment and achievement but is predom- as stress (Smith, Ingram, & Brehm, 1983), procrasti- inantly viewed as a “pervasive neurotic style” (p. 456). nation (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990), Adjustment difficulties of perfectionism include set- and personality traits like perfectionism (Flett, End- ting exact and unrealistic standards, striving to attain ler, Tassone, & Hewitt, 1994; Hewitt & Flett, 1991). such standards, overgeneralization of failure, critical In the present study, the goal is to determine whether self-evaluations, and “a tendency to engage in all-or- perfectionistic students may be at risk of developing none thinking whereby only total success or total social anxiety during college and whether perfection- failure exists as outcomes” (Hewitt & Flett, 1991, ism is associated with certain maladaptive behaviors. p. 456). Perfectionism has been associated with vari- This will involve examining how social support mod- ous negative outcomes like feelings of failure, shame, and low self-esteem. Perfectionism has been linked This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Published by KnightScholar,Kate Hesler. 2016Perfectionism, social support, and social anxiety in college students. The Proceedings of GREAT Day(2015): 21-34. 1 22 Proceedings of GREAT Day, Vol. 2015 [2016], Art. 9 to several forms of psychopathology like alcoholism personal perfectionistic behaviors directed from the (Hewitt, Norton, Flett, Callander, & Cowan, 1999), individual toward significant others; these perfection- depression (Flett et al., 1994), narcissistic personal- ists, therefore, set exact standards for others, place ity (Watson, Varnell, & Morris, 1999), and suicidal importance on others being perfect, and stringently ideation (Hewitt, Flett, & Weber, 1999). evaluate others (Hewitt & Flett, 1991). Socially pre- scribed perfectionism involves the perceived need to Domains of Perfectionism attain exact standards and expectations to be perfect Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct and prescribed by others. In an article published in 1993, can be either adaptive or maladaptive (Dunkley, Frost et al. state that socially prescribed perfection- Blankstein, Halsall, Williams, & Winkworth, 2000; ism is the most maladaptive form of perfectionism Terry-Short, Glynn Owen, Slade, & Dewey, 1995; and is the most related to psychopathology (as cited Hewitt & Flett, 1991). Perfectionism can be both in Saboonchi & Lundh, 1997); it is associated with positive, in which perfectionism relates to achieve- evaluative concerns perfectionism when perfection- ment and positive consequences, and negative (or ists engage in concern over making mistakes, doubt neurotic), in which perfectionism is a function of about the quality of their actions and performance, avoiding negative consequences (Terry-Short et al., and concern about other people’s evaluations and 1995). Dunkley et al. (2000) suggest that perfec- criticism of them (Dunkley et al., 2000). tionism can be broken down into personal stand- Perfectionistic self-presentation is another maladap- ards perfectionism, resembling the adaptive type, tive form of perfectionism since it demonstrates an and evaluative concerns perfectionism, resembling interpersonal personality style that is pervasive and the maladaptive type. According to a 1990 study by persistent (Hewitt et al., 2003). Buss and Finn re- Hewitt and Flett, adaptive perfectionism includes port that perfectionistic self-presentation involves positive perfectionistic behaviors, such as setting an individual’s expression of perfectionistic behavior high standards that match an individual’s limitations (as cited in Hewitt et al., 2003). There are individual and strengths and engaging in balanced thinking differences among perfectionists in terms of their (as cited in Hewitt & Flett, 1991). Adaptive perfec- levels of trait perfectionism on self-oriented, other- tionism can be indicated by standards and order, or- oriented, and socially prescribed dimensions but also ganization, and personal standards (Dunkley et al., in terms of the need to appear perfect and avoid im- 2000). The aforementioned 1990 study by Hewitt perfection to other people in public situations. Cer- and Flett also states that maladaptive perfectionism tain perfectionists engage in impression management creates maladjustment in perfectionistic individuals involving “self-presentational attempts to create an who exercise inflexibly high standards beyond nor- image of perfection in public situations,” or an ideal mal expectations, determine their self-worth based public self (Hewitt et al., 2003, p. 1303). Hewitt et on their performance, and engage in total thinking al. (2003) propose that perfectionistic self-presenta- of their performance as either perfection or failure (as tion can help distinguish salient differences between cited in Hewitt & Flett, 1991). individuals who demonstrate similar levels of trait Hewitt and Flett (1991) propose three domains, or dimensions of perfectionism. Despite scholars such traits, of perfectionism: self-oriented perfectionism, as Schlenker and Weigold who suggest both positive other-oriented perfectionism, and socially prescribed and negative aspects of perfectionistic self-presenta- perfectionism. Self-oriented perfectionism is closely tion (as cited in Hewitt et al., 2003), Hewitt et al. related to personal standards perfectionism and in- (2003) maintain that perfectionistic self-presentation volves several self-directed perfectionistic behaviors is associated with interpersonal and personal distress like setting exact standards and critical self-evalua- for the perfectionist. tion (Hewitt & Flett, 1991; Dunkley et al., 2000). The three facets of perfectionistic self-presentation It should be noted that
Load more

Recommended publications
  • School Social Workers' Role in Supporting Parents of a Child With
    St. Catherine University SOPHIA Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers School of Social Work 5-2015 School Social Workers’ Role in Supporting Parents of a Child with Autism Maureen V. Foster St. Catherine University Follow this and additional works at: https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Foster, Maureen V.. (2015). School Social Workers’ Role in Supporting Parents of a Child with Autism. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/ msw_papers/450 This Clinical research paper is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Social Work at SOPHIA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers by an authorized administrator of SOPHIA. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running head: SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER ROLE School Social Workers’ Role in Supporting Parents of a Child with Autism Maureen V. Foster, B.A. MSW Clinical Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of the School of Social Work St. Catherine University and the University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minnesota in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work Committee Members Kendra Garrett, Ph.D., Chair JoAnn Gonzalez, LGSW Judy Elks, LISW The Clinical Research Project is a graduation requirement for MSW students at St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work in St. Paul, Minnesota and is conducted within a nine-month time frame to demonstrate facility with basic social research methods. Students must independently conceptualize a research problem, formulate a research design that is approved by a research committee and the university Institutional Review Board, implement the project, and publicly present the findings of the study.
    [Show full text]
  • Perceived Social Support and Suicide-Related Depression Symptom Clusters Among Queer College Students John Kellerman
    Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CMC Senior Theses CMC Student Scholarship 2018 Perceived Social Support and Suicide-related Depression Symptom Clusters among Queer College Students John Kellerman Daniel Krauss Claremont McKenna College Recommended Citation Kellerman, John and Krauss, Daniel, "Perceived Social Support and Suicide-related Depression Symptom Clusters among Queer College Students" (2018). CMC Senior Theses. 1923. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1923 This Open Access Senior Thesis is brought to you by Scholarship@Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in this collection by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running Head: Queer Symptom Clusters and Social Support 1 Claremont McKenna College Perceived Social Support and Suicide-related Depression Symptom Clusters among Queer College Students SUBMITTED TO Professor Daniel Krauss BY John “Kai” Kellerman FOR Senior Thesis Fall 2017 & Spring 2018 April 23rd, 2018 Queer Symptom Clusters and Social Support 2 Acknowledgements Thank you to Dr. Daniel Krauss for his unerring support, encouragement, wisdom, and for being the best role model that I could ask for, both as a psychologist and as a human being. Thank you to Dr. Sharda Umanath for letting me live in her office, for her guidance, and for helping me realize my passion for research. Thank you to my parents for the constant phone calls and reassurances that I would, in fact, survive. And for helping pay for college. Thank you to Aubreana for being my person. I’m sorry for ruining your birthday. But hey! I got a thesis topic out of it! Thank you to Stephen, Kami, and Alison for always making me smile and for keeping me humble.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Social Support and Family Resilience on Parental Stress in Families with a Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations School of Social Policy and Practice Spring 5-16-2011 THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY RESILIENCE ON PARENTAL STRESS IN FAMILIES WITH A CHILD DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Jennifer C. Plumb University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2 Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Plumb, Jennifer C., "THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY RESILIENCE ON PARENTAL STRESS IN FAMILIES WITH A CHILD DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER" (2011). Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations. 14. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/14 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/14 For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY RESILIENCE ON PARENTAL STRESS IN FAMILIES WITH A CHILD DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Abstract Families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience significant stress relative to other families. To date, little research has examined the relationship between social support, family resilience and parental stress in families with a child diagnosed with ASD. This study explored the links between perceived social support, family resilience and parental stress in a sample of 50 primary caregivers of children between the ages of 6 and 12 diagnosed with ASD. The Social Support Index (SSI), Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), and the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) were used in this cross-sectional study. Results indicate that most families experienced clinically high levels of stress.
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect of Social Anxiety on Social Support Behavior in Close Friendships" (2016)
    Washington University in St. Louis Washington University Open Scholarship Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations Arts & Sciences Winter 12-6-2016 The ffecE t of Social Anxiety on Social Support Behavior in Close Friendships Marilyn Piccirillo Washington University in St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Piccirillo, Marilyn, "The Effect of Social Anxiety on Social Support Behavior in Close Friendships" (2016). Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 980. https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/980 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Arts & Sciences at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences The Effect of Social Anxiety on Social Support Behavior in Close Friendships by Marilyn L. Piccirillo A thesis presented to The Graduate School of Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts December 2016 St. Louis, Missouri © 2016, Marilyn L. Piccirillo 2 Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................4 List
    [Show full text]
  • Level of Perceived Social Support and Associated Factors Among People
    f Ps al o ych rn ia u tr o y J Mekonnen et al., J Psychiatry 2019, 22:1 Journal of Psychiatry DOI: 10.35248/2378-5756.19.22.461 ISSN: 2378-5756 Research Article OpenOpen Access Access Level of Perceived Social Support and Associated Factors Among People With Schizophrenia Attending Out Patient Department At Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2017 Meskerem Mekonnen1, Berhanu Boru2, Zegeye Yohannis1, Dessie Abebaw2 and Addis Birhanu1* 1Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia 2University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health science, Ethiopia Abstract Background: Schizophrenia is a brain disorder which affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world and causes difficulties in socializing with others creates a feeling of inability or inadequacy. Social support has an impact on mental and physical health throughout the life span. Lower social support has been associated with poor treatment outcomes. Poor social function has been found to increase admission rates.but in this study setting there is no evidence which shows the level of perceived social support and associated factors among people with schizophrenia. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess Level of perceived social support and associated factors among peoples with Schizophrenia at Amanuel mental specialized hospital, Addis Ababa, 2017. Method: An institutional based cross sectional study was conducted from May -to June -2017. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Structured questionnaire with systematic random sampling approach followed by face to face interview technique were used. Epic-info version 7 and SPSS version 20 software were used for data entry and analysis respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Hornstein2018curdir.Pdf
    CDPXXX10.1177/0963721417729036Hornstein, EisenbergerSocial-Support Figures as Prepared Safety Stimuli 729036research-article2018 Current Directions in Psychological Science A Social Safety Net: Developing a 2018, Vol. 27(1) 25 –31 © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: Model of Social-Support Figures as sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417729036 10.1177/0963721417729036 Prepared Safety Stimuli www.psychologicalscience.org/CDPS Erica A. Hornstein and Naomi I. Eisenberger Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles Abstract Although the presence of social-support figures (e.g., close friends and family members) is known to increase feelings of safety, reduce threat responses, and improve health, the route by which these effects occur is not well understood. One explanation is that social-support figures are members of a powerful category of safety signals—prepared safety stimuli. Here, we review research demonstrating that social-support figures act as prepared safety stimuli and explore the impact that these unique safety stimuli have on fear-learning processes. According to recent work, the presence of social-support figures both reduces fear acquisition and enhances fear extinction, ultimately decreasing perceptions of threat. These findings shed light on the route by which social support buffers against threat and illustrate the unique properties of prepared safety stimuli and how they might be used to improve mental and physical health outcomes. Keywords social support, social buffering, prepared safety stimuli, fear conditioning, fear extinction Close relationships play a critical role in survival across Social-Support Figures as a Buffer most mammalian species. By providing protection, care, Against Stress and resources, these social ties bolster individuals as they face threats in the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Support and Belongingness As Protective Factors
    Social Support and Belongingness From Science as Protective Factors to Practice Using Research to Promote Safety and Prevent Suicide People who appear or describe themselves as lonely may be at increased risk for suicide. However, mounting evidence suggests that social support and belongingness decrease one’s Issue risk for suicide. Clinicians can help Veterans by asking about social support mechanisms and involving family members in their mental health treatment, when needed. • Veterans with better social support have more Key Findings positive mental health outcomes, including lower rates of suicidal ideation.13 • The effect of social support in protecting against suicidal behavior is well documented.1,2,3,4 But studies • Family stress and a lack of family support during tend to treat social support as a single construct, deployment are associated with postdeployment even though it comprises positive and negative suicidal ideation, but PTSD and depression largely components, as well as objective and subjective ones.5,6 account for this association.14 And they tend to lump together various types of social • Satisfaction with intimate relationships buffers against support (e.g., support from family, friends, significant postdeployment suicide risk among service members others, and coworkers). with anxiety, depression, or PTSD.15 Conversely, lower • The buffering hypothesis may help explain how relationship satisfaction is significantly associated psychological constructs that influence interpersonal with increased suicide risk.16,17 relationships
    [Show full text]
  • Raising Young Children on the Autism Spectrum: Parental
    RAISING YOUNG CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: PARENTAL STRESS AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF APPLIED AND PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY OF RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY BY Sarah Yarock Rutstein IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER 2014 APPROVED: ___________________________ Kate Fiske Massey, Ph.D. ___________________________ Ryan Kettler, Ph.D. DEAN: ___________________________ Stanley Messer, Ph.D. Copyright 2014 by Sarah Rutstein Running Head: AUTISM, PARENTAL STRESS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT ii ABSTRACT Raising a child with autism generates a variety of issues for the family involved. It is a disorder that is particularly stressful for the family as a whole, and much research has shown elevated levels of stress in parents raising a child with autism (Dabrowska & Pisula, 2011; Lee, 2009). Past research has shown that social support (both formal and informal) has been able to reduce levels of parental stress. The purpose of the current research was to explore the relationship between parental stress and perceived social support while raising a young child with autism. The present study hypothesized that perceived social support would be negatively correlated with levels of parental stress of mothers raising a young child with autism. Participants were 25 mothers who had a child 10 years old or younger with an autism spectrum disorder. Mothers were asked to complete the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form IV (PSI-SF-IV), the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), the Family Support Scale (FSS), and a brief demographic questionnaire. Bivariate one-tailed correlational analyses showed medium-strength negative correlations between both the Formal and Informal Support total score on the FSS and the Total Stress Index on the PSI-SF-IV.
    [Show full text]
  • Anxiety Disorders an Information Guide
    A everyone feels anxiety , but only some people experi - n x i e ence anxiety disorders. This guide explores the difference t y d between normal anxiety and anxiety disorders, such as i s Anxiety o r panic disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive d e r disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It looks at the s reasons why some people develop anxiety disorders and A presents an overview of psychological and medication n disorders i n treatments. The guide also looks at long-term strategies to f o r help people with anxiety disorders manage their anxiety m a t and suggests ways that family members can help. i o n g u An i d e For more information on addiction and mental health issues, or to download a copy of this brochure, please visit our website: information www.camh.net This publication may be available in other formats. For information about alternate formats, to order multiple copies of this brochure, or to order other CAMH publications, please contact Sales and Distribution: guide Toll-free: 1 800 661-1111 Toronto: 416 595-6059 E-mail: [email protected] Online store: http://store.camh.net To make a donation, please contact the CAMH Foundation: Tel.: 416 979-6909 Neil A. Rector, PhD E-mail: [email protected] Danielle Bourdeau, MD If you have questions, concerns or compliments about services Kate Kitchen, MSW at CAMH, please contact the Client Relations Service: Linda Joseph-Massiah, RN, PhD Tel.: 416 535-8501 ext. 2028 or 2078 Disponible en français. 1 4 0 P / 1 1 0 2 - 2 0 / b 3 A Pan American Health Organization / 7 9 World Health Organization Collaborating Centre 3 3973-MHB-AnxietyINS_ENG.qxd:3973-MHB-Anxiety.eng 3/1/11 12:31 PM Page i Anxiety disorders An information guide Neil A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Indirect Effect of Social Support on Post-Trauma Psychopathology Via Self-Compassion
    Personality and Individual Differences 88 (2016) 102–107 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Personality and Individual Differences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/paid The indirect effect of social support on post-trauma psychopathology via self-compassion Annie Maheux, Matthew Price ⁎ Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA article info abstract Article history: Following a traumatic event, external resources such as social support facilitate recovery. The mechanism under- Received 24 June 2015 lying this relation is not well understood, however. Self-compassion is a positive coping strategy that has been Received in revised form 26 August 2015 negatively related to post-trauma psychopathology in prior work. It was hypothesized that the external resource Accepted 30 August 2015 of social support increased the internal resource of self-compassion, which resulted in decreased psychopathol- Available online 12 September 2015 ogy. The current study tested the hypothesis that the association between social support and posttraumatic stress Keywords: disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and depression symptoms had an indirect pathway via self- Self-compassion compassion. Using a community sample of individuals exposed to potentially traumatic events, social support Trauma was positively related to self-compassion. Self-compassion was negatively related to PTSD, GAD, and depression PTSD symptoms. Self-compassion mediated the relation between social support and PTSD, GAD,
    [Show full text]
  • Social Support, Posttraumatic Cognitions, and PTSD: the Influence Of
    Journal of Anxiety Disorders 35 (2015) 60–67 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Anxiety Disorders Social support, posttraumatic cognitions, and PTSD: The influence of family, friends, and a close other in an interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma group ∗ Matthew J. Woodward , Jasmine Eddinger, Aisling V. Henschel, Thomas S. Dodson, Han N. Tran, J.Gayle Beck Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Research has suggested that social support can shape posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD. However, Received 8 April 2015 research has yet to compare the influence of separate domains of support on posttraumatic cognitions. Received in revised form 21 July 2015 Multiple-group path analysis was used to examine a model in a sample of 170 victims of intimate part- Accepted 5 September 2015 ner violence and 208 motor vehicle accident victims in which support from friends, family, and a close Available online 8 September 2015 other were each predicted to influence posttraumatic cognitions, which were in turn predicted to influ- ence PTSD. Analyses revealed that support from family and friends were each negatively correlated with Keywords: posttraumatic cognitions, which in turn were positively associated with PTSD. Social support from a Social support close other was not associated with posttraumatic cognitions. No significant differences in the model Posttraumatic cognitions PTSD were found between trauma groups. Findings identify which relationships are likely to influence post- Trauma traumatic cognitions and are discussed with regard to interpersonal processes in the development and maintenance of PTSD.
    [Show full text]
  • Running Head: DEPRESSION and SOCIAL SUPPORT 1
    Running head: DEPRESSION AND SOCIAL SUPPORT 1 Depression and social support: Why social support may help those who are depressed? Anastasiia Onatskaia ANR 517209 Supervisor: Dr. Yvette van Osch Second supervisor: Dr. Rob Nelissen DEPRESSION AND SOCIAL SUPPORT 2 Abstract Social support is well known to have negative effect on depression. However, relatively few studies focus on why social support is beneficial for mental health. Those who do, offer a few possible explanations for the relationship: (1) stress-buffering approach (enhancing coping performance and appraising life events as less stressful) and (2) behavioral change approach (health improvement through health-promoting behaviors: choosing a healthy diet and exercising). The stress-buffering approach is the only theoretical concept that has an empirical evidence, the behavioral change approach has never been examined before. Therefore, the current study is the first empirical test of the behavioral change approach, and it is also the first study that investigates more than one approach. The data (N=205) showed main effect of social support on depression; however no significant results confirming either explanation of social support effectiveness were found. In the exploratory analysis, social support moderated relationship between stress and depression for the group of participants that were not previously diagnosed with depression (no/no group); however failed to do the same in two other groups, consisted of participants who were previously diagnosed with depression, and did (yes/yes group) or did not (yes/no group) take medication at the moment of the study. Overall, I found very little evidence for suggested explanations of the relationship between social support and depression.
    [Show full text]