Le concept de support social doit etre abandonne au profit de concepts plus pertinents fondes sur les modeles de relations entre stress et detresse

Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models

Three studies are described in which measures of perceived social support from friends (PSS-Fr) and from family (PSS-Fa) were developed and validated. The PSS measures were internally consistent and appeared to measure valid constructs that were separate from each other and from network measures. PSS-Fr and PSS-Fa were both inversely related to symptoms of distress and psychopathology but the relationship was stronger for PSS-Fa. PSS-Fr was more closely related to social competence. PSS-Fa was unaffected by either positive or negative mood states (self-statements), but the reporting of PSS-Fr was lowered by negative mood states. High PSS-Fr subjects were significantly lower in trait anxiety and talked about themselves more to friends and sibs than low PSS-Fr subjects. Low PSS-Fa subjects showed marked verbal inhibition with sibs.

Measures of perceived social support from friends and from family: three validation studies.

Directed graph (or digraph) data arise in many fields, especially in contemporary research on structures of social relationships. We describe an exponential family of distributions that can be used for analyzing such data. A substantive rationale for the general model is presented, and several special cases are discussed along with some possible substantive interpretations. A computational algorithm based on iterative scaling procedures for use in fitting data is described, as are the results of a pilot simulation study. An example using previously reported empirical data is worked out in detail. An extension to multiple relationship data is discussed briefly.

An Exponential Family of Probability Distributions for Directed Graphs

Growing research interest in social support underscores the need for reliable and valid measures of this concept. It is argued that measures that assess what indivMuals actually do by way of providing support make unique contributions to our understanding of natural helping processes. A 40item scale, the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB), was developed in which respondents report the frequency with which they were the recipients of supportive actions. Results suggest that the ISSB has adequate test-retest and internal consistency reliability and is significantly correlated with network size and perceived support of the family. Although further research is needed to further substantiate its utility, the ISSB is seen as a promising tool for understanding natural helping processes. When people are asked to indicate who they turn to in times of crisis and emotional distress, they typically cite key family members and friends who they consider "natural helpers" (Gurin, Veroff, & Feld, 1960; Croog, Lipson, & Levine, 1972; Keefe, Padilla, & Carlos, 1978). Particularly since Caplan's (1974) influential work, the term social support has been popularized to connote the various forms of aid and assistance supplied by family members, friends, neighbors, and others. Support networks formed by these informal helpers are thought to have a major

Preliminary development of a scale of social support: Studies on college students

A tentative model of schizophrenic psychotic episodes is presented, based on the evidence that certain characteristics of individuals may serve as vulnerability factors and that environmental stressors may precipitate psychotic periods in vulnerable individuals. Certain information-processing deficits, autonomic reactivity anomalies, and social competence and coping limitations are viewed as potential vulnerability factors. Stressors in the form of discrete life events as well as the prevailing level of social environmental stress are seen as factors that interact with preexisting vulnerability characteristics to produce vicious circles, which lead, in turn, to psychotic episodes. A distinction among stable vulnerability indicators, mediating vulnerability factors, and episode indicators is suggested to differentiate types of abnormalities that characterize individuals prone to or manifesting schizophrenic disorder. Some major areas of unresolved questions in relation to this view of schizophrenic psychotic episodes are discussed.

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A Heuristic Vulnerability/Stress Model of Schizophrenic Episodes

This paper reports a study that investigated the areas of stress, support, and coping, using the structural model of the social network. The social network model is borrowed from sociology and anthropology and is used to describe and quantify not only an individual's immediate family but also all of those with whom the individual has regular contact. By comparing the networks of a sample of "normal" and schizophrenic males, it was possible to identify differences in their relationships to their social networks, in the make-up of the networks themselves, and in the coping styles and recent histories of the subjects. The results suggest, first, that the network model can be used to investigate the larger social system with which individuals interact and, second, that it may be a valuable approach to the expansion of family research.

Christopher C. Tolsdorf

Papers

Social networks, support, and coping: an exploratory study.