Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social support and mental health status among a sample of 131 Kenyan women with physical disabilities.Understanding social support from the context of disabled women living in conditions of extreme poverty may be useful in the development of effective interventions to advocate for and improve the mental health status among the population.The current study examined relationships that exist between an individual's social support and their mental health status and how these variables relate to marital status, availability of income, and disability type (i.e., blindness, deafness, or mobility impairment).A cross-sectional survey research design was used.Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses supported the study's overall hypothesis that social support (particularly that offered by friends) is related to mental health status.The social support total score was a significant predictor of mental illness (p<0.001) and perceived wellbeing (p<0.001),indicating that individuals with a high level of social support were less likely to experience mental illness and more likely to report higher levels of life satisfaction.Of the three control variables, only disability type was found to be a significant predictor of perceived wellbeing.Of the three sources of social support (family, friends, and significant other), only that from friends was a significant predictor for both mental illness (p=.0001) and perceived wellbeing (p=.034).Further research on the roles of friends and the unique support that friendships offer to women with disabilities is needed.
Author: Evelyn S. Williams
Institution: Kent State University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2189595853