Depressive Symptomatology and Specificity of Social Support

Abstract

Psychosocial interventions should be based on research which reflects the multidimensionality of psychosocial constructs. This study investigated six categories of social support which were associated with depressive symptomatology in a sample of 531 college students. The Social Provisions Scale was used to measure social support while the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptomatology. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the variance contributed by each of the six categories of social support found on the Social Provisions Scale to depressive symptomatology. Specifically, the following categories of social support were significantly associated with depressive symptomatology: Reassurance of Worth (for male and female respondents) and Attachment (for females only). Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Perceived Social Support and University Adjustment among Spanish College Students

“…The second group (attachment, social integration, reassurance of worth and opportunity for nurturance) includes provisions that do not contribute directly to problem solving, but would be particularly important for reducing feelings of loneliness. Consistent with previous studies (Cutrona et al, 1994;Elliott & Gramling, 1990;Hawkins et al, 1999) as well as with our results, non-assistancerelated provisions tend to be more critical for a successful college experience than assistance-related provisions. This effect appears to depend on cognitive processes related to identity and feeling of belonging and intimacy in social relationships (Cutrona & Russell, 1987).…”

“…Weiss (1974) described six different social functions or provisions that may be obtained from relationships with others, namely reliable alliance (tangible assistance) guidance (advice or information), attachment (emotional closeness from which one derives a sense of security), social integration (belonging to a group with similar interests and concerns), reassurance of worth (recognition of one's skills, competence and worth as seen by others), and opportunity for nurturance (others who rely on one for their well-being). Elliott and Gramling (1990) and Hawkins, Tan, Hawkins, Smith, and Ryan (1999) found that the social support provisions of reassurance of worth, attachment and social integration significantly reduce the level of psychological discomfort among college students; while Cutrona, Cole, Colangelo, Assouline, and Russell (1994) found that reassurance of worth was related to higher grade point average obtained by undergraduates. Thus, we may expect that at least these provisions particularly affect personal-emotional and academic adjustment, although this relation remains unexplored.…”

The Association of Perceived Social Support with Anxiety over Time in Parents of Children with Serious Illnesses

“…Parent-reported social support was assessed at baseline, 12, and 24 months with the Social Provisions Scale (SPS), which is a 24-item, validated measure used in previous research to study respondents' perceptions of social support. [39][40][41][42][43][44][45] The SPS was developed based on the six social provisions identified by Weiss (1974), including guidance (perceived ability to obtain advice or information from others), reliable alliance (perceived ability to rely on others for practical assistance), reassurance of worth (recognition by others of one's competence, skills, and value), social integration (feeling connected to a group that shares similar interests and concerns), attachment (a sense of emotional closeness from which one can derive a sense of security), and opportunity to provide nurturance (a sense that others rely on one for their well-being). 46,47 Each provision is assessed by four items, and items are scored along a 4-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree).…”

Socio-Emotional Variables Linked to the Consumption of Drugs amongst University Students of Social Sciences: A Pilot Study

“…Analysis of the benefits of perceived social support during the transition to higher education has mainly been approached by considering the emotional or academic difficulties that university students might experience [ 22 ]. Many empirical studies have found that students who feel they can count on others in times of need display fewer affective problems such as depression, anxiety, or loneliness [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Broadly speaking, the definitions of social support refer to the availability of help through social networks and to how individuals value such a resource [ 26 ].…”