Social Network Among People With Persistent Mental Illness: Associations With Sociodemographic, Clinical and Health-Related Factors

Mona Eklund and Lars Hansson
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Mona Eklund: Department of Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy, Lund, Sweden, mona.eklund@med.lu.se
Lars Hansson: Department of Health Sciences, Division of Nursing, Lund, Sweden, lars.hansson@med.lu.se

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2007, vol. 53, issue 4, 293-305

Abstract: Background: Social interaction is crucial for whether a person will successfully accomplish important life tasks. Aim and method: This study investigated the importance of sociodemographic, clinical and self-perceived health-related factors for social interaction among 103 individuals with persistent mental illness, mainly psychoses, visiting an outpatient unit. Results: Bivariate analyses pointed to several relationships, especially between the health-related variables and both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social network. In multivariate analyses, higher levels of quality of life, self-esteem, being a cohabitant, and living in a house were related to higher ratings on different aspects of the social network. Older age was associated with fewer close relationships but more adequate social integration. Conclusions: The social network appeared to be a function of both self-perceptions and sociodemographic influences. The influence is probably dynamic and, for example, just as a better quality of life may lead to more social interaction, a more developed social network probably promotes better quality of life. Therefore, interventions in mental health care that target social interaction constitute a powerful resource and should be part of the support for people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Date: 2007
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:53:y:2007:i:4:p:293-305

DOI: 10.1177/0020764006074540

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