Personal Network Analysis in the Study of Social Support: The Case of Chronic Pain

Abstract

In the context of chronic illness, the individual’s social and relational environment plays a critical role as it can provide the informal support and care over time, beyond healthcare and social welfare institutions. Social Network Analysis represents an appropriate theoretical and methodological approach to study and understand social support since it provides measures of personal network structure, composition and functional content. The aim of this mixed method study is to present the usefulness of Personal Network Analysis to explore social support in the context of chronic pain. Personal and support network data of 30 people with chronic pain (20 alters for each ego, 600 relationships in total) were collected, obtaining measures of personal network structure and composition as well as information about social support characteristics. Also, semi-structured interviews with participants were conducted to identify the context of their experience of pain, their limitations as regards leading an autonomous life, their social support needs and other aspects concerning the effect of pain on their social and relational lives. This approach shows the importance of non-kin social support providers and the significant role of non-providers in the personal networks of people suffering chronic pain.

Effect of pain on depression among nursing home residents: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self‐rated health. A cross‐sectional study

“…11 A qualitative study indicated that people who experienced pain reported weakened social ties and a tendency towards social isolation compared with the situation before they had pain. 12 Based upon these previous findings, we hypothesize that experiencing pain may contribute to a feeling of low social support. Moreover, it has been proved that low PSS is significantly correlated to higher levels of depression.…”

“…Therefore, we hypothesize that SRH may mediate the relationship between pain and depression. In addition, pain was shown to have a negative role on PSS, 12 PSS was in turn found to have a negative impact on SRH. 17 With these findings in mind, we also hypothesize that pain is sequentially associated with low PSS first and then poor SRH, which is in turn related to depression.…”

Satisfaction with Social Support Received from Social Relationships in Cases of Chronic Pain: The Influence of Personal Network Characteristics in Terms of Structure, Composition and Functional Content

“…This research is part of a larger study aimed at examining social support and quality of life in the context of chronic pain [41]. In a prior publication, the descriptive results of this larger study were presented using a mixed approach [42], showing that different types of personal networks were associated with self-reported quality of life, which scored below the populational mean in all dimensions considered.…”

“…The data collection included participant variables (ego), their contacts (alter) and details regarding their personal network (see [41,42] for further information regarding the variables): mean of the alter-alter matrix and at node level), betweenness centrality (two measures; mean of a personal network and at node level), number of components and number of isolates.…”

A Review of the Research Progress of Social Network Structure

“…Social support can relieve individual psychological pressure and eliminate individual psychological barriers and plays an important role in promoting individual mental health [101]. erefore, it is widely used in the study of happiness and physical and mental health.…”