The Social Provisions Scale: psychometric properties of the SPS-10 among participants in nature-based services

Exploring the role of country-level gender equality in the link between relationship status and perceived social support across 49 countries

Past studies have demonstrated that higher perceived social support among coupled individuals and greater gender equality foster a more supportive social context. Less is known about how the link between relationship status and perceived social support may vary across countries that differ in gender equality. Employing the data collected from the COVIDiSTRESS I (39 countries; N = 99,075) and COVIDiSTRESS II (23 countries; N = 8293) projects, we examined whether country-level gender equality moderates the link between relationship status and perceived social support. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that gender equality moderated the link between relationship status and perceived social support. Single people in countries with less gender equality reported less perceived social support than was reported by both coupled people and single people from countries with moderate and high levels of gender equality, however, the effect of the interaction between relationship status and gender equality on perceived social support was very low. The results suggest that gender equality fosters perceived social support, both for single people and for partnered people.

A Realistic Evaluation of Methods for Handling Missing Data When There is a Mixture of MCAR, MAR, and MNAR Mechanisms in the Same Dataset

The impact of missing data on statistical inference varies depending on several factors such as the proportion of missingness, missing-data mechanism, and method employed to handle missing values. While these topics have been extensively studied, most recommendations have been made assuming that all missing values are from the same missing-data mechanism. In reality, it is very likely that a mixture of missing-data mechanisms is responsible for missing values in a dataset and even within the same pattern of missingness. Although a mixture of missing-data mechanisms and causes within a dataset is a likely scenario, the performance of popular missing-data methods under these circumstances is unknown. This study provides a realistic evaluation of methods for handling missing data in this setting using Monte Carlo simulation in the context of regression. This study also seeks to identify acceptable proportions of missing values that violate the missing-data mechanism assumed by the method used to handle missing values. Results indicate that multiple imputation (MI) performs better than other principled or ad-hoc methods. Different missing-data methods are also compared via the analysis of a real dataset in which mixtures of missingness mechanisms are created. Recommendations are provided for the use of different methods in practice.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the 10-Item Social Provisions Scale in Chinese Populations

This study performed a cross-cultural validation of the Chinese version of the 10-item Social Provisions Scale (C-SPS-10) in Chinese populations. Study 1 examined the factor structure, internal reliability, discrimination, criterion validity, and network structure of C-SPS-10 by utilizing a sample of disaster victims in the 2021 Henan floods. Study 2 substantiated the findings of Study 1 in a general population sample. Measurement invariances between populations and between sexes in terms of the C-SPS-10 were also tested using the network approach. Study 3 used three samples to examine the test-retest reliability of the C-SPS-10 over three different time periods. The general results showed that the C-SPS-10 has excellent factor structure, internal reliability, discrimination, and criterion validity. The C-SPS-10 was confirmed to have good psychometric properties. Although the full scale functions well, problems may exist at a domain level. Moreover, the full scale of the C-SPS-10 was varied as a useful tool to capture trait-like characteristics of individuals' perceptions of social support for the general population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10862-023-10047-7.

Social Connectedness, Physical Distancing, and Anxiety in Complying with Shelter-In-Place Orders and Advisories during the Once-In-A-Century COVID-19 Pandemic in the US: A Study of Social Media and Internet Users

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of 20 October 2020, the virus had infected 8,202,552 people, with 220,061 deaths in US, and in countries around the world, over 38 million people have become infected and over one million have died. The virus usually spreads via respiratory droplets from an infected person. At the time of compiling this paper, while countries around the world are still striving to find a "pharmaceutical intervention (PI)", including treatments and vaccines, they are left with only "non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)", such as physical distancing, wearing masks, and maintaining personal hygiene. In the US, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five US territories issued mandatory stay-at-home orders between March 1 and 31 May 2020 to lower the risk of virus transmission. This study empirically examined how social connectedness and anxiety interact with shelter-in-place compliance and advisories during the pandemic. The study collected information from 494 adults using an online survey during April and July 2020.

The role of self-efficacy and self-esteem in mediating positive associations between functional social support and psychological wellbeing in people with a mental health diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Previous research has observed positive associations between perceived quality of social support and mental well-being. Having access to functional social support that provides sources of care, compassion and helpful information have shown to be beneficial for mental health. However, there is a need to identify the psychological processes through which functional social support can elicit therapeutic outcomes on mental well-being.

AIMS

The present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the extent to which self-efficacy and self-esteem mediated the association between functional social support and mental well-being.

METHOD

Seventy-three people with a mental health diagnosis, who attended group-based activities as facilitated by a third sector community mental health organisation, took part in the present study. Participants were required to complete measures that assessed perceived quality of functional social support, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and subjective mental well-being.

RESULTS

A multiple mediation analysis revealed that self-efficacy and self-esteem fully mediated the positive association between perceived functional social support and mental well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The implications of these results are that social interventions, which aim to facilitate the delivery of functional social support, could enhance mental well-being via their positive effects on self-efficacy and self-esteem.

Psychological flexibility and COVID-19 burnout in Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model

Few studies have examined factors that might explain or affect the relationship between psychological flexibility and university students’ COVID-19 burnout. The present study tested a moderated mediation model with perceived COVID-19 stress as the mediator and social support, a moderator, among 2377 Chinese college students. After controlling for gender, age, family location, and year of study (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors), psychological flexibility was significantly associated with COVID-19 burnout, and this link was mediated by perceived COVID-19 stress. Social support buffered the adverse effects of perceived COVID-19 stress on psychological flexibility, as well as the correlation between perceived COVID-19 stress and burnout.

COVID-19 Concern and Stress in Bangladesh: Perceived Social Support as a Predictor or Protector

The insidious coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been a global public health concern affecting almost everyone physically and/or psychologically. The psychological consequences like concern about COVID-19 and increased perceived stress are primarily results of preventive measures like social distancing, lockdown, etc. The present study examined whether perceived social support predicts stress or lessens the effect between concern and stress during social distancing. More specifically, we tested whether (a) the greater social support is associated with lesser perceived stress, and (b) the greater an individual perceives social support, the weaker will be the concern-to-stress relationship (a prediction from buffering hypothesis). We utilized the data from the Bangladeshi respondents (n = 204, 54% males) as part of the COVIDiSTRESS global survey. The three-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed social support as a predictor of stress along with coronavirus concerns rather than protector. The findings have implications for professionals (in providing psychological support to vulnerable people), policymakers (in implementing steps in the future that would less impact on perceived social support), and future researchers (in solving the ultimate role of social support to the association between fear and stress).

The Meaning of Social Support in Nature-Based Services for Young Adults with Mental Health Problems

In previous studies, social context and social support have been found to be important in nature-based services. However, no studies have previously focused on the meaning of different dimensions of social support in these contexts. The aim of this study is therefore to uncover dimensions of social support in relation to mental health among young adults with mental health problems participating in nature-based services in Norway. This study applies data from a survey of 93 young adults participating in nature-based services; in addition, qualitative interview data from 20 interviews are also used. The data are analysed using qualitative content analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis. The results indicate that participants in nature-based services experience emotional, esteem, informational, and instrumental support in addition to social integration and opportunities for nurturance in these services. The service leader, other participants, and the animals are important contributors to these dimensions of social support. Nature-based services may be a helpful intervention for young adults with mental health problems. The unique context of these services, including nature and animals, adds special qualities to mental health and social work practices.

"Drunk People Are on a Different Level": A Qualitative Study of Reflections From Students About Transitioning and Adapting to United Kingdom University as a Person Who Drinks Little or No Alcohol

BACKGROUND

Though sobriety in young people is on the rise, students who drink little or no alcohol may experience social exclusion at University, impacting well-being. We aim to understand the social experiences of United Kingdom (UK) undergraduate students who drink little or no alcohol.

METHODS

A mixed-methods study using semi-structured, one-to-one interviews and the 24-Item Social Provisions Scale and Flourishing Scale with 15 undergraduate students who drink little or no alcohol. Descriptive statistics are presented for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative.

RESULTS

Eight main themes and four subthemes were generated from thematic analysis summarised in two sections 'views of drinkers from non-drinkers' and 'how peer pressure feels and how people deal with it.' The initial transition to University represented a challenge, where participants struggled to find their 'true' friends. However, students generally had high levels of social provision, well-being and enjoyed close friendships with fewer casual acquaintances. All students experienced some kind of peer pressure (of a varying extremity) and developed coping strategies when in social situations involving alcohol. Fear of missing out on the 'typical' University experience heightened self-imposed expectations to drink. Despite participants acknowledging their counter-normative behaviour, some felt they were subject to stigmatisation by drinkers, doubting their non-drinker status, causing feelings of exclusion or being 'boring.' Their desire to 'be like everyone else' exposed some insight into the negative stereotypes of sobriety, including frustration behind alcohol's status elevation.

CONCLUSION

Students adopt strategies to minimise peer pressure and to fit in. Future research should interrogate drinkers' perceptions of their sober peers to deepen understanding, better break down 'us and them,' and mitigate future expectations within the University drinking culture.

CCWORK protocol: a longitudinal study of Canadian Correctional Workers' Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge about the factors that contribute to the correctional officer's (CO) mental health and well-being, or best practices for improving the mental health and well-being of COs, have been hampered by the dearth of rigorous longitudinal studies. In the current protocol, we share the approach used in the Canadian Correctional Workers' Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge study (CCWORK), designed to investigate several determinants of health and well-being among COs working in Canada's federal prison system.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

CCWORK is a multiyear longitudinal cohort design (2018-2023, with a 5-year renewal) to study 500 COs working in 43 Canadian federal prisons. We use quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments (ie, surveys, interviews and clinical assessments) to assess participants' mental health, correctional work experiences, correctional training experiences, views and perceptions of prison and prisoners, and career aspirations. Our baseline instruments comprise two surveys, one interview and a clinical assessment, which we administer when participants are still recruits in training. Our follow-up instruments refer to a survey, an interview and a clinical assessment, which are conducted yearly when participants have become COs, that is, in annual 'waves'.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

CCWORK has received approval from the Research Ethics Board of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (File No. 20190481). Participation is voluntary, and we will keep all responses confidential. We will disseminate our research findings through presentations, meetings and publications (e.g., journal articles and reports). Among CCWORK's expected scientific contributions, we highlight a detailed view of the operational, organizational and environmental stressors impacting CO mental health and well-being, and recommendations to prison administrators for improving CO well-being.

Generalized two-tailed hypothesis testing for quantiles applied to the psychosocial status during the COVID-19 pandemic

Nonparametric tests do not rely on data belonging to any particular parametric family of probability distributions, which makes them preferable in case of doubt about the underlying population. Although the two-tailed sign test is likely the most common nonparametric test for location problems, practitioners face serious drawbacks, such as its lack of statistical power and its inapplicability when information regarding data and hypotheses is uncertain or imprecise. In this paper, we generalize the two-tailed sign test by embedding fuzzy hypotheses caused by uncertainty/imprecision regarding linguistic statements on fractions of underlying quantiles. By achieving this objective, (1) crucial limitations of the common two-tailed sign test are mitigated/overcome, (2) various further strengths are incorporated into the sign test (e.g., meeting the trade-off between point- and interval-valued hypotheses, facilitated formulation of fuzzy hypotheses, standardization of membership functions), and (3) shortcomings that often come along with fuzzy hypothesis testing are avoided (e.g., higher complexity, fuzzy test decision, possibilistic interpretation of test results). In addition, we conduct a comprehensive case study using a real data set on the psychosocial status during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the case study clearly indicate that the generalized two-tailed sign test is preferable to the two-tailed sign test with point- or interval-valued hypotheses.

Risk and resilience of vulnerable families in Hong Kong under the impact of COVID-19: an ecological resilience perspective

PURPOSE

Hong Kong has experienced four waves of COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed in January 2020. Several studies have highlighted the psychological impacts of the outbreak in Hong Kong but have largely ignored the protective factors that contribute to resilience among vulnerable families. This study adopted an ecological resilience framework to explore the impact of this epidemic on members of families with youth with a delinquent tendency/mental health concerns and the ecological protective factors for these vulnerable families.

METHODS

Random sampling based on a sampling frame provided by one of the largest local social service organizations in Hong Kong led to the recruitment of 407 respondents who were interviewed using a battery of standardized questionnaires.

RESULTS

The results showed that 30.6% and 11.5% of respondents reported a moderate and a severe level of psychological distress, respectively, almost double the percentages reported in a previous study conducted in Hong Kong before the COVID-19 outbreak. Around 36.6% of respondents indicated they had encountered financial problems and almost 40% indicated aggravated financial circumstances since the outbreak. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that financial stress was the strongest predictor of psychological distress. Structural equation modeling indicated that family support, indoor leisure activities and community resources significantly mediated the negative influence of COVID-19-related stressors on psychological distress of family members.

CONCLUSION

Family leisure activities, family support, community spirit and mutual help within the context of social-distancing restrictions may need to be promoted to benefit vulnerable families in Hong Kong under the COVID-19 epidemic.

Stress and worry in the 2020 coronavirus pandemic: relationships to trust and compliance with preventive measures across 48 countries in the COVIDiSTRESS global survey

The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173 429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus restrictions and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments' efforts, there was no clear geographical pattern in compliance with behavioural measures. Detailed plots illustrating between-countries differences are provided. Using both traditional and Bayesian analyses, we found that individuals who worried about getting sick worked harder to protect themselves and others. However, concern about the coronavirus itself did not account for all of the variances in experienced stress during the early months of COVID-19 restrictions. More alarmingly, such stress was associated with less compliance. Further, those most concerned over the coronavirus trusted in government measures primarily where policies were strict. While concern over a disease is a source of mental distress, other factors including strictness of protective measures, social support and personal lockdown conditions must also be taken into consideration to fully appreciate the psychological impact of COVID-19 and to understand why some people fail to follow behavioural guidelines intended to protect themselves and others from infection. The Stage 1 manuscript associated with this submission received in-principle acceptance (IPA) on 18 May 2020. Following IPA, the accepted Stage 1 version of the manuscript was preregistered on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/g2t3b. This preregistration was performed prior to data analysis.

COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey dataset on psychological and behavioural consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak

This N = 173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey - an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures to contain the virus (OECD trust), personality traits (BFF-15), information behaviours, agreement with the level of government intervention, and compliance with preventive measures, along with a rich pool of exploratory variables and written experiences. A global consortium from 39 countries and regions worked together to build and translate a survey with variables of shared interests, and recruited participants in 47 languages and dialects. Raw plus cleaned data and dynamic visualizations are available.

Validation of a brief version of the Social Provisions Scale using Canadian national survey data

INTRODUCTION

The 10-item Social Provisions Scale (SPS-10) has been implemented to measure social support in a number of national surveys in Canada. The objective of this study was to reduce the SPS-10 to a brief, five-item scale (SPS-5), while maintaining adequate measurement properties.

METHODS

Data from individuals aged 18 years and older who responded to the Social Provisions Scale module in the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012 Mental Health Focus cycle (CCHS 2012 MH) and the Canadian Community Health Survey 2017 Annual cycle (CCHS 2017) were analyzed. We used exploratory factor analysis and item-to-total correlations from the CCHS 2012 MH data to choose items. A correlation analysis between the SPS-5, SPS-10 and related positive mental health (PMH) constructs were used to assess the criterion-related validity of the SPS-5 compared to the SPS-10. A confirmatory factor analysis using data from the CCHS 2017 was conducted to confirm the factor structure of the SPS‑5.

RESULTS

The SPS-5 showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.88) and similar correlations as the SPS-10 with related PMH constructs. The SPS-5 and SPS-10 were also very highly correlated (r = 0.97). The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a single factor model of the SPS-5 fit the data well. The SPS-5 and SPS-10 yield similar estimates of high social support, of 92.7 and 91.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The new SPS-5 demonstrated adequate measurement properties, and functioned in a similar manner to the SPS-10, supporting a reduced version of the Scale. The SPS-5 is a feasible and valid alternative to the SPS-10 that could be used to reduce respondent burden on national health surveys.