Social Support Received and Provided in the Adjustment of Parents of Children With Cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study is to determine the relation between the satisfaction of parents of children with cancer with the social support received and provided from a multidimensional perspective (sources and types of support) and the disruptions that take place in different areas of their lives (partner, children, family, social relations, and economic and employment situation).

METHOD

One hundred twelve parents of children diagnosed with cancer who received treatment at the Mother and Child Hospital of Málaga (Spain) were recruited. Data were gathered through self-reporting measures. The instrument used includes a questionnaire about socio-demographic variables, a questionnaire about parents' adjustment to the situation and a questionnaire about social support received and provided based on the different sources and types of support.

RESULTS

There is a negative and significant relation between satisfaction with support received and provided and the magnitude of disruptions in parents' lives.

CONCLUSION

Satisfaction with emotional support received from the partner and family, and support provided to these sources, relate to lower disruption in different areas of parents' lives. These results can have significant practical implications for the psychosocial care provided to parents of children with cancer.

Striving for Positive Aging Among Chinese Older People: Effects of Life Stress and Control Beliefs in a Longitudinal Study

We examined effects of life stress and control beliefs on a constellation of subjective indicators of well-being for older people, including meaning in life, happiness, peace of mind, and positive aging perception. The Chinese cultural background provided the sociocultural milieu for the present study. In a longitudinal study, 301 older Chinese adults completed a questionnaire survey twice, 6 months apart. Regression analyses found that stress caused by major life-changing events (acute) and financial hardship (chronic) were consistent negative predictors of all well-being indicators. Furthermore, primary control belief (tenacious goal pursuit) amplified the negative impacts of life events on happiness and peace of mind. Secondary control belief (submitting to circumstances), in contrast, acted as a buffer that alleviated the deleterious effects of financial hardship on peace of mind and meaning in life. Noting the threats of unfavorable life circumstances and the potency of secondary control belief for older Chinese people, theoretical and cultural implications were discussed.

Social Support, Health and Satisfaction among the Elderly with Chronic Conditions in Taiwan

This study examines possible relationships between perceived social support, physical and mental health, satisfaction towards hospital services, and satisfaction towards life-asa-whole, among the community elderly with chronic conditions. A sample of 172 Chinese elderly living in a metropolitan Taiwanese city were home-interviewed. Results indicated that (a) the elderly perceived good social support, and tangible support was the most important aspect; (b) the elderly did not perceive great impact of illness(es) upon their life, and both physical and mental health were satisfactory; (c) the elderly were generally satisfied with both the hospital services and life-as-a-whole; (d) apart from health and illness factors, social support appeared to have profound and pervasive protective effects on adjustment and satisfaction of the elderly.

Leisure and Depression in Midlife: A Taiwanese National Survey of Middle-aged Adults

We aimed to explore middle-aged people’s leisure experiences and their associations with depression in a national representative sample of Taiwanese people ( N = 1143, aged 45—65). We found that: (1) being female and low family income were demographic risk factors of depressive symptoms; (2) poor physical health and disability were positively related to depressive symptoms; (3) social support was negatively related to depressive symptoms; and (4) having controlled for effects of demographics, physical health and social support, positive leisure experiences were negatively related to depressive symptoms. The benefits of leisure pursuits for successful midlife transition and prospective ageing were discussed.

Positive Attitudes Toward Older People and Well-being Among Chinese Community Older Adults

We aimed to explore older people’s attitudes toward aging and to further examine associations of such attitudes with their well-being in a Chinese society— Taiwan. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data using structured questionnaires from a random sample of community older people ( N = 316). We found that (a) older people possessed positive attitudes toward aging in general, but there were some group attitudinal differences associated with education attainment and urban residence; (b) older age, fewer social support, and less positive attitudes toward aging were related to more depressive symptoms; (c) younger age, greater social support, greater community participation, and more positive attitudes were related to higher happiness. The associations of positive attitudes with well-being were found after controlling for those of social support and community participation.