Social networks as coping resources

Professional and lay social support for hysterectomy patients

“…The normative valuation of independence and self-caring in Western culture finds expression in several nursing conceptual frameworks (Orem 1980, Roper et al 1980, The fact that discouragement from being active during convalescence was not valued, but rather caused women frustration and annoyance, also confirms findings from previous research (Finlayson 1976, Webb & Wilson-Barnett 1983a, 1983b. Discouragement of women's initiatives in managing their own recovery amounts to a criticism of their judgement of what is appropriate and, as Mueller (1980) points out, criticism is a form of negative support.…”

“…Social network theory predicts that if a range of social contacts is not available, people have less access to information, and emotional and material support (Finlayson 1976), and this seems to have been the case for the full-time housewives in this study. They had had fewer opportunities to talk to other women and had thus gained less optimistic information about hysterectomy.…”

Social Support and Cancer: Findings Based on Patient Interviews and Their Implications

“…It differs, however, in that support is examined as a resource for individuals undergoing particular crises or stresses. For example, individual investigations have examined support (or closely related concepts) in physical and psychological adjustment to job loss (Cobb & Kasl, 1977;Gore, 1978), occupational stress (House,198 I), marital disruption (Wilcox,198 l), teenage pregnancy (Barrera, 198 l), childbirth (Sosa, Kennel, Klaus, Robertson, & Urrutia, 1980), widowhood (Maddison & Walker, 1967;Parkes, 1975;Pihlbad & Adams, 1972;Raphael, 1977;Vachon, 1979), stroke (Dzau & Boehme, 1978;Robertson & Suinn, 1968), hypertension (Caplan, Robinson, French, Caldwell, & Shinn, 1976;Earp, 1979), heart disease (Finlayson, 1976;Lynch, Thomas, Mills, Malinow, & Katche, 1974), and a variety of other acute, chronic, and life-threatening illnesses (Bunn & Clarke, 1979;Davidson, Bowden, & Tholen, 1979;De Aranjo, van Arsdel, Holmes, & Dudley, 1973;Litman, 1966;Porritt, 1979;Weisman & Worden, 1975). Most of these studies include tests of both the direct and the indirect (buffering) effects of support; but, unlike the first two traditions of research mentioned above, the samples are composed of subjects who have all undergone a common stressful experience.…”

Social Networks of Mining Town Women

“…Particular importance has been placed on the value of support systems if families are to function effectively, and on the stresses to which families may be subjected when these support systems are inadequate. The support provided to divorced mothers via their social networks has been found to help them become effective parents (Hetherington, Cox and Cox 1976); network relationships which were closely interconnected and supportive were found to enhance a mother's sense of competence as a parent (Abernethy 1973); and where families have been subjected to economic and social stress in the absence of adequate social support, they have been more prone to illness (Finlayson 1976), and to maltreatment of children (Belsky J..980).…”