The role of specific sources of social support on postinjury psychological symptoms.

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: The role of perceived social support from specific sources (e.g., families, friends, and significant others) on the development of postinjury posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated psychological symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety) remains relatively unexplored. We examined the predictive role of social support from specific sources on psychological symptoms among emergency department (ED) patients following motor vehicle crash (MVC). Research Methods/Design: Sixty-three injured patients (63.5% female; 37 years old on average) with moderately painful complaints were recruited in the EDs of two Level-1 trauma centers within 24 hr post-MVC. In the ED, participants completed surveys of baseline psychological symptoms and perceived social support; follow-up surveys were completed at 90 days postinjury. Results: Most of the sample (84.1%) was discharged home from the ED with predominantly mild injuries and did not require hospitalization. After adjusting for race, sex, age, and baseline symptoms, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that lower perceived social support in the ED predicted higher PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms (but not anxiety) at 90 days. This effect seemed to be specific to significant others and friends but not family. Conclusions/Implications: MVC-related injuries are robust contributors to psychological sequelae. These findings extend prior work by highlighting that perceived social support, particularly from significant others and friends, provides unique information regarding the development of psychological symptoms following predominantly mild MVC-related injuries. This data may serve to inform recovery expectations. Impact and ImplicationsMotor-vehicle-crash-related injuries are robust contributors to postinjury psychological sequelae; the identification of mitigating factors for postinjury comorbidities is critical to improve recovery and functional outcomes. Low perceived social support, as measured in the emergency department within 24 hr of the injury, generally predicts higher symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression at 90 days postinjury. Findings from this study suggest that it is important to differentiate between interpersonal domains of social support as social support from significant others and friends uniquely predicts postinjury posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms. Additional research is warranted to determine whether these findings have clinical utility and to clarify and specify the sources of support and their relation to the injured patient.

Patient-reported outcomes relevant to post-discharge trauma patients in urban India

“…Social support has been considered in research as an important outcome in determining recovery of trauma patients (73)(74)(75). It can be in the form of physical care, financial aid, or emotional relief (76)(77)(78). The role of caregivers, especially in settings with limited affordable and available rehabilitative services, has been recognized as being particularly vital.…”

Interplay of Race, Gender, Competition Level, Athletic Identity, and Psychological Distress: The Moderating Roles of Social Support and Self-Compassion

“…Social support significantly mediated the relationship between psychological well-being and health-risk behaviors (Lai & Ma, 2016). Similar to Lai and Ma (2016), Brienza et al (2021) found that the strength of perceived social support impacted the severity of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms experienced. Brienza et al (2021) assessed 63 individuals (37 women, 26 men; Mage = 37 years) who experienced a sudden disruption (i.e., motor vehicle crash) to examine the role of social support on psychological symptoms.…”

“…Individuals experiencing higher depressive symptoms and post-traumatic disorder symptoms were predicted by lower perceived social support (Brienza et al, 2021).…”