Social support and belonging

دَعۡوَىٰهُمۡ فِيهَا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيهَا سَلَٰمࣱۚ وَءَاخِرُ دَعۡوَىٰهُمۡ أَنِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Their prayer in them will be, ‘Glory be to You, God!’ their greeting, ‘Peace,’ and the last part of their prayer, ‘Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.’

وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جَنَّٰتࣲ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيهَا سَلَٰمٌ

but those who believed and did good deeds will be brought into Gardens graced with flowing streams, there to remain with their Lord’s permission: their greeting there is ‘Peace’

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَدۡخُلُواْ بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّىٰ تَسۡتَأۡنِسُواْ وَتُسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَاۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Believers, do not enter other people’s houses until you have asked permission to do so and greeted those inside- that is best for you: perhaps you will bear this in mind

لَّيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ حَرَجࣱ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡرَجِ حَرَجࣱ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡمَرِيضِ حَرَجࣱ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ إِخۡوَٰنِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَعۡمَٰمِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ عَمَّٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخۡوَٰلِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ خَٰلَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكۡتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوۡ صَدِيقِكُمۡۚ لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ جَمِيعًا أَوۡ أَشۡتَاتࣰ اۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلۡتُم بُيُوتࣰ ا فَسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ تَحِيَّةࣰ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةࣰ طَيِّبَةࣰۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ

No blame will be attached to the blind, the lame, the sick.Whether you eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your paternal uncles, your paternal aunts, your maternal uncles, your maternal aunts, houses you have the keys for, or any of your friends’ houses, you will not be blamed: you will not be blamed whether you eat in company or separately. When you enter any house, greet one another with a greeting of blessing and goodness as enjoined by God. This is how God makes His messages clear to you so that you may understand

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةࣲ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَآ أَوۡ رُدُّوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ حَسِيبًا

But [even in battle] when you [believers] are offered a greeting, respond with a better one, or at least return it: God keeps account of everything

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُواْ وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَٰمَ لَسۡتَ مُؤۡمِنࣰ ا تَبۡتَغُونَ عَرَضَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةࣱۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كُنتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ فَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرࣰ ا

So, you who believe, be careful when you go to fight in God’s way, and do not say to someone who offers you a greeting of peace, ‘You are not a believer,’ out of desire for the chance gains of this life- God has plenty of gains for you. You yourself were in the same position [once], but God was gracious to you, so be careful: God is fully aware of what you do

And their greeting therein will be " Peace!, " and the last of their supplication will be " Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the Worlds. " On that desert of the Mustering and station of the Resurrection, the disobedient of AḤmad's com- munity will be kept back at the place of the exposure of the reckoning. The preceders will have gone on ahead with the light of obedience, and the disobedient will stay there alone with the heavy burden of disobedience. In the end, God's mercy will take them by the hand. He will have pity on their aloneness and helplessness. With the call of generosity, He will say, " My servants! " When this address of exaltedness and call of generosity in the attribute of mercy reaches their ears, it will put their spirits at ease and open up their hearts to repose and ease [56:89]. He will say, " My servants, surely the companions of the Garden are today busy rejoicin

Those who have faith and do wholesome deeds were given entry into the Garden....Their greeting therein is “Peace!” The meaning is that tomorrow the faithful and the friends will be brought into paradise, the house of victory, subsistent bliss, and everlasting kingship. The outward meaning of the word were given entry is that this decree was issued on the first day at the Beginningless Covenant and that the faithful were brought into paradise on the day when the decree was issued. It is not a new want that He puts into effect; it is a beginningless deed that He makes appear. He does not caress them today, for He caressed them in the Beginningless and finished the work. The worshipper is always looking toward the Endless, fearing what will be done to him tomor- row. The recognizer is always looking toward the Beginningless, burning because of what may have been done to him then. He who loo

(O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own�) [24:27-29]. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tha�labi informed us> al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn �Abd Allah al-Dinawari> �Abd Allah ibn Yusuf ibn Ahmad ibn Malik> al-Husayn ibn Sakhtawayh> �Umar ibn Thawr and Ibrahim ibn Abi Sufyan> Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firyabi> Qays> Ash�ath ibn Siwar> �Adiyy ibn Thabit who said: �A woman from the Helpers went to see the Prophet and said: �O Messenger of Allah, sometimes I am in my house in a state in which I do not like anyone to see me, neither father nor son. But then the father comes in or another man of the family comes in while I am in that state, what shall I do?� [As a response] this verse was revealed (O ye who believe! Enter not houses other than your own without first announcing your presence and invoking peace upon the folk thereof)�. The commentators of the Qur�an said: �When this ver

(No blame is there upon the blind�) [24:61]. Said ibn �Abbas: �When Allah, glorious and exalted is He, revealed (O ye who believe! Squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity�) [4:29], the Muslims felt vexed to eat with the sick, the old, the blind and the lame. They said: �Food is the best part of one�s wealth, and Allah, exalted is He, has warned against squandering wealth in vanity. The blind cannot see where wholesome food is, the lame cannot compete over food and the sick cannot eat properly�. As a response, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�. Sa�id ibn Jubayr and al-Dahhak said: �The lame and the blind used to feel vexed at eating with healthy people because the latter found them despicable and disliked eating with them. The people of Medina did not allow the blind, lame or sick person to share their food because they considered them dirty. For this reason, Allah, e

When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one more beautiful than it, or return it. In this verse, the majestic compeller, the magnificent God, the lovingly kind beautiful-doer, teach- es His servants the courteous acts of social intercourse and companionship, for anyone not adorned with courtesy is not worthy of companionship. Companionship is of three sorts: the courtesy of conformity with the Real, the courtesy of sincerity with people, and the courtesy of opposition to the soul. Anyone not nurtured by these sorts of courtesy has nothing to do with the path of MuṣṬafā and has no worth in the world of No god but God. The exalted Lord first adorned MuṣṬafā with courtesy, as his come in the report: “My Lord taught me courtesy, so how beautifully I have been made courteous!” Thus on the night of the miʿrāj in that most tremendous station, he acted courteously toward the Presence, s

O you who have faith! When you strike forth on the path of God, look clearly, and say not to him who offers you peace, “You are not of the faithful,” seeking the chance goods of this world's life. By way of allusion, He is saying that when you go on a journey, go for the sake of reaching one of the friends of God so that he may be the intimate of your days and the witness of your heart and spirit. No matter how far you go, never be at ease from seeking and do not hold back the foot of effort. The friends are the favorites of the Exalted Threshold and accepted by the Presence of Divinity. Not everyone sees them, not every eyesight perceives them. When you find them, give ear, and when you see them, cling to them, for the brightness of the heart lies in witnessing them and endless felicity in being their companion. The pir of the Tariqah Junayd was asked, “Which do you prefer? Two cycles o

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلاَمٍ وَشُرَيْحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَالْبَرَاءِ وَأَنَسٍ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurairah:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you about a matter which if you do it, then you will love one another? Spread the Salam among each other

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْجَعْدِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه أَنَّهُ مَرَّ عَلَى صِبْيَانٍ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُهُ‏.‏

Narrated Anas bin Malik:that he passed by a group of boys and greeted them and said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do so

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَنَسٍ أَكَانَتِ الْمُصَافَحَةُ فِي أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏

Narrated Qatada:I asked Anas, "Was it a custom of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) to shake hands with one another?" He said, "Yes

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَفَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying:By him in whose hand my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another: should I not guide you to something doing which you will love one another: spread out salutation among you

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الأَجْلَحِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ فَيَتَصَافَحَانِ إِلاَّ غُفِرَ لَهُمَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Two Muslims will not meet and shake hands having their sins forgiven them before they separate

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السَّدُوسِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيَنْحَنِي بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا أَيُعَانِقُ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ وَلَكِنْ تَصَافَحُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:"O Messenger of Allah! Should we bow to one another?" He said: "No." We said: "Should we embrace one another?" He said: "No, but shake hands with one another

ومن ذلك أن تشكره على صنيعه في حقك، وأن تذب عنه في غيبته إذا قصد بسوء، فحق الأخوة التشمير في الحماية والنصرة.

و الدليل عليه أن ترك المؤاخاة و الصحبة ابتداء ليس مذموما ولا مكروها بل قال قائلون الانفراد أولى فأما قطع الأخوة عن دوامها فمنهى عنه ومذموم في نفسه ونسبته إلى تركها ابتداء كنسبة الطلاق إلى ترك النكاح و الطلاق أبغض إلى الله تعالى من ترك النكاح قال صلى الله عليه وسلم شرار عباد الله المشاءون بالنميمة المفرقون بين الأحبة + حديث شرار عباد الله المشاءون بالنميمة المفرقون بين الأحبة رواه أحمد من حديث أسماء بنت يزيد بسند ضعيف +

قال علي رضي الله عنه من لم يحمد أخاه على حسن النية لم يحمده على حسن الصنيعة وأعظم من ذلك تأثيرا في جلب المحبة الذب عنه في غيبته مهما قصد بسوء أو تعرض لعرضه بكلام صريح أو تعريض فحق الأخوة التشمير في الحماية و النصرة وتبكيت المتعنت وتغليظ القول عليه و السكوت عن ذلك موغر للصدر ومنفر للقلب وتقصير في حق الأخوة

لأبيه وأمه دون أخيه لأبيه وقال عمرو بن شعيب قضي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن الأخ للأب والأم أولي الكلالة بالميراث ثم الأخ للأب وهذا أيضا مما يدخل في قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام فما بقي فلأولي رجل ذكر والتحقيق في ذلك أن كل ما دل عليه القرآن ولو بالتنبيه فليس هو مما أبقته الفرائض بل هو من إلحاق الفرائض المذكورة في القرآن بأهلها كتوريث الأولاد ذكورهم وإناثهم الفاضل عن الفروض للذكر مثل حظ الأنثيين وتوريث الإخوة ذكورهم وإناثهم كذلك ودل ذلك بطريق التنبيه على أن الباقي يأخذه الذكر منهم عند الانفراد بطريق الأولي ودل أيضا بالتنبيه عليه أن الأخت تأخذ الباقي مع البنت كما كانت تأخذه مع أخيها ولا يقدم عليها من هو أبعد منه كابن الأخ والعم وابنه فإن أخاها إذا لم يسقطها فكيف يسقطها من هو أبعد منه فهذا كله من باب إلحاق الفرائض بأهلها ومن باب قسمة المال بين أهل الفرائض على كتاب الله وأما من لم يذكر باسمه من العصبات في القرآن كابن الأخ والعم وابنه فإنما دخل في عمومات مثله قوله تعالى وأولوا الأرحام بعضهم أ

يحتمل أن يريد بالإنخلاع عن العصمة انخلاعه عن اعتصامه بالله فإنه لو اعتصم بالله لما خرج عن هداية الطاعة قال الله تعالى @QB@ ومن يعتصم بالله فقد هدي إلى صراط مستقيم @QE@ فلو كملت عصمته بالله لم يخذله أبدا قال الله تعالى @QB@ واعتصموا بالله هو مولاكم فنعم المولى ونعم النصير @QE@ أي متى اعتصمتم به تولاكم ونصركم على أنفسكم وعلى الشيطان وهما العدوان اللذان لا يفارقان العبد وعداوتهما أضر من عداوة العدو الخارج فالنصر على هذا العدو أهم والعبد إليه أحوج وكمال النصرة على العدو بحسب كمال الإعتصام بالله

# ### | كتاب آداب الصحبة والأخوة ومعاشرة الخلق ونحو ذلك

A systematic review of correlates of depression among older Chinese and Korean immigrants: what we know and do not know.: Objectives: Guided by the stress and coping theory, this study provides a systematic review of existing research on acculutration, family support, and social support related correlates of depression among older Chinese and Korean immigrants in the United States. Method: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in CINAHL Plus, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, Social Work Abstracts, PubMed, PsychINFO, and Social Science Citation Index databases to identify relevant articles that pr

Systematic review on Internet Support Groups (ISGs) and depression (1): Do ISGs reduce depressive symptoms?: Background: Internet support groups (ISGs) enable individuals with specific health problems to readily communicate online. Peer support has been postulated to improve mental health, including depression, through the provision of social support. Given the growing role of ISGs for both users with depression and those with a physical disorder, there is a need to evaluate the evidence concerning the efficacy of ISGs in reducing depressive symptoms. Objective: The objective was to systematically revi

A systematic review of qualitative studies on adjusting after stroke: lessons for the study of resilience.: Purpose: To synthesize qualitative studies on adjusting after stroke, from stroke survivors' and carers' perspectives, and to outline their potential contribution to an understanding of resilience. Methods: A systematic review of qualitative studies in peer reviewed journals from 1990 to 2011 was undertaken. Findings from selected studies were summarized and synthesized and then considered alongside studies of resilience. Results: Forty studies were identified as suitable. These suggested that t

Are Community Gardening and Horticultural Interventions Beneficial for Psychosocial Well-Being? A Meta-Analysis.: Recent literature has revealed the positive effect of gardening on human health; however, empirical evidence on the effects of gardening-based programs on psychosocial well-being is scant. This meta-analysis aims to examine the scientific literature on the effect of community gardening or horticultural interventions on a variety of outcomes related to psychosocial well-being, such as social cohesion, networking, social support, and trust. From 383 bibliographic records retrieved (from 1975 to 20

The relationship between self-reported received and perceived social support: a meta-analytic review.: Social support is broad term encompassing a variety of constructs, including support perceptions (perceived support) and receipt of supportive behaviors (received support). Of these constructs, only perceived support has been regarded as consistently linked to health, and researchers have offered differing assessments of the strength of the received-perceived support relationship. An overall estimate of the received-perceived support relationship would clearly further the dialogue on the relatio

Social support and subjective burden in caregivers of adults and older adults: A meta-analysis.: Background: Despite the generally accepted belief that social support improves caregiver adjustment in general and subjective burden in particular, the literature shows mixed findings, and a recent review concluded that the predictive strength of caregiver social support in determining caregiver burden is less evident, due to the conceptual diversity of this determinant. Objective: The purpose of this review is to analyse the relationship of perceived and received social support with subjective

Might depression, psychosocial adversity, and limited social assets explain vulnerability to and resistance against violent radicalisation?

Background: This study tests whether depression, psychosocial adversity, and limited social assets offer protection or suggest vulnerability to the process of radicalisation. Methods: A population sample of 608 men and women of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, of Muslim heritage, and aged 18-45 were recruited by quota sampling. Radicalisation was measured by 16 questions asking about sympathies for violent protest and terrorism. Cluster analysis of the 16 items generated three groups: most sympathetic (or most vulnerable), most condemning (most resistant), and a large intermediary group that acted as a reference group. Associations were calculated with depression (PHQ9), anxiety (GAD7), poor health, and psychosocial adversity (adverse life events, perceived discrimination, unemployment). We also investigated protective factors such as the number social contacts, social capital (trust, sa…

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Do depressed and anxious men do groups? What works and what are the barriers to help seeking?

Aim: To map the availability and types of depression and anxiety groups, to examine men's experiences and perception of this support as well as the role of health professionals in accessing support. Background: The best ways to support men with depression and anxiety in primary care are not well understood. Group-based interventions are sometimes offered but it is unknown whether this type of support is acceptable to men. Methods: Interviews with 17 men experiencing depression or anxiety. A further 12 interviews were conducted with staff who worked with depressed men (half of whom also experienced depression or anxiety themselves). There were detailed observations of four mental health groups and a mapping exercise of groups in a single English city (Bristol). Findings: Some men attend groups for support with depression and anxiety. There was a strong theme of isolated men, some reluctan…

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The role of social capital in African-American women's use of mammography.

Black/African-American women are more likely to get breast cancer at a young age and/or be diagnosed at a late disease stage, pointing to a greater need to promote mammography for Black women at earlier ages than are currently recommended. This study explores how perceived neighborhood social capital, that is, perceptions of how tight-knit a neighborhood is and what power that confers to neighborhood members, relates to use of mammography for Black women in Philadelphia. Living in a community with tight social ties (social cohesion) or that have a collective motivation for community change (collective efficacy) may increase the likelihood that an individual woman in that community will hear health messages from other community members and neighbors (diffusion of information) and will have access to health-related resources that allow them to engage in healthy behaviors. No prior studies …

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The pathways from perceived discrimination to self-rated health: an investigation of the roles of distrust, social capital, and health behaviors.

Although there has been extensive research on the adverse impacts of perceived discrimination on health, it remains unclear how perceived discrimination gets under the skin. This paper develops a comprehensive structural equation model (SEM) by incorporating both the direct effects of perceived discrimination on self-rated health (SRH), a powerful predictor for many health outcomes, and the indirect effects of perceived discrimination on SRH through health care system distrust, neighborhood social capital, and health behaviors and health conditions. Applying SEM to 9880 adults (aged between 18 and 100) in the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, we not only confirmed the positive and direct association between discrimination and poor or fair SRH, but also verified two underlying mechanisms: 1) perceived discrimination is associated with lower neighborhood social capita…

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In search of links between social capital, mental health and sociotherapy: a longitudinal study in Rwanda.

Unlabelled: To date, reviews show inconclusive results on the association between social capital and mental health. Evidence that social capital can intentionally be promoted is also scarce. Promotion of social capital may impact post-conflict recovery through both increased social cohesion and better mental health. However, studies on community interventions and social capital have mostly relied on cross-sectional study designs. We present a longitudinal study in Rwanda on the effect on social capital and mental health of sociotherapy, a community-based psychosocial group intervention consisting of fifteen weekly group sessions. We hypothesized that the intervention would impact social capital and, as a result of that, mental health. We used a quasi-experimental study design with measurement points pre- and post-intervention and at eight months follow-up (2007-2008). Considering sex and…

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Bridging the gaps in palliative care bereavement support: an international perspective.

A review of palliative care policies and bereavement support practices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan demonstrated 4 challenges: questions over providing universal versus targeted support; a lack of clear evidence driving service delivery; informal or no risk assessment; and limited or no evaluation of services. Bridging the gaps between the policy and practice of palliative care bereavement support requires acknowledging the challenges of medical and public health models, improving bereavement need assessment processes, enhancing the role of primary care providers, and extending research to provide an evidence-base for interventions.

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Cancer talk on twitter: community structure and information sources in breast and prostate cancer social networks.

This study suggests taking a social networks theoretical approach to predict and explain patterns of information exchange among Twitter prostate and breast cancer communities. The authors collected profiles and following relationship data about users who posted messages about either cancer over 1 composite week. Using social network analysis, the authors identified the main clusters of interconnected users and their most followed hubs (i.e., information sources sought). Findings suggest that users who populated the persistent-across-time core cancer communities created dense clusters, an indication of taking advantage of the technology to form relationships with one another in ways that traditional one-to-many communication technologies cannot support. The major information sources sought were very specific to the community health interest and were grassroots oriented (e.g., a blog about…

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The VUKA family program: piloting a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV infected early adolescents in South Africa.

An increasing number of adolescents born with HIV in South Africa are on antiretroviral treatment and have to confront complex issues related to coping with a chronic, stigmatizing and transmittable illness. Very few evidence-based mental health and health promotion programs for this population exist in South Africa. This study builds on a previous collaboratively designed and developmentally timed family-based intervention for early adolescents (CHAMP). The study uses community-based participatory approach as part of formative research to evaluate a pilot randomized control trial at two hospitals. The paper reports on the development, feasibility, and acceptability of the VUKA family-based program and its short-term impact on a range of psychosocial variables for HIV + preadolescents and their caregivers. A 10-session intervention of approximately 3-month duration was delivered to 65 pr…

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Reasons for institutionalization of people with dementia: informal caregiver reports from 8 European countries.

Objectives: To explore reasons for institutionalization of people with dementia according to informal caregivers as well as variation in reasons between countries. Design: An explorative cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 European countries. Setting: Per country, a minimum of 3 long term care facilities, offering care and accommodation as a package, participated in this study. Participating countries were selected to represent different geographic areas in Europe. Participants: Of the 791 informal caregivers involved in the RightTimePlaceCare project of people with dementia who were recently admitted to a long term care facility, 786 were included for this study. Measurements: As part of a semistructured interview, informal caregivers were asked the main reason for institutionalization in an open-ended question. Answers were categorized according to a conventional coding approach. …

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The role of adult attachment style, birth intervention and support in posttraumatic stress after childbirth: a prospective study.

Background: There is converging evidence that between 1% and 3% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. Various vulnerability and risk factors have been identified, including mode of birth and support during birth. However, little research has looked at the role of adult attachment style in how women respond to events during birth. This study prospectively examined the interaction between attachment style, mode of birth, and support in determining PTSD symptoms after birth. Method: A longitudinal study of women (n=57) from the last trimester of pregnancy to three months postpartum. Women completed questionnaire measures of attachment style in pregnancy and measures of PTSD, support during birth, and mode of birth at three months postpartum. Results: Avoidant attachment style, operative birth (assisted vaginal or caesarean section) and poor support during b…

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A family-based diabetes intervention for Hispanic adults and their family members.

Aims: The purpose of this quasi-experimental, 1-group longitudinal study is to examine the effects of a family-based intervention program on diabetes self-management behaviors, A1C, other biomarkers, psychosocial factors, and health-related quality of life in Hispanics with diabetes. Methods: Adult patients with diabetes (n = 36) and family members (n = 37) were recruited from a community clinic in rural central North Carolina. Patients and family members attended an 8-week culturally tailored diabetes educational program taught in Spanish. Data were collected pre- and post-intervention for both patients and family members, with an additional data collection for patients 1 month post-intervention. Results: Most patients and family members were female, and almost all were immigrants. A1C decreased by 4.9% on average among patients from pre-intervention to 1 month post-intervention. Patien…

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Impact of treatment beliefs and social network encouragement on initiation of care by VA service users with PTSD.

Objectives: Despite the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) expansion of mental health services to treat VA service users with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many with PTSD do not engage in treatment. Numerous studies suggest that beliefs about treatment and social network factors, such as encouragement to seek treatment by others, affect engagement; however, prospective studies examining these factors are largely absent in this population. This study sought to understand social and attitudinal factors influencing treatment initiation, which may help to inform outreach interventions for VA service users with PTSD. Methods: A prospective, national cohort study of mental health care use among veterans recently diagnosed as having PTSD (N=7,645) was undertaken. Data from self-administered surveys and administrative databases were analyzed to assess contributions of treatment-re…

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Correlates of social and emotional loneliness in older people: evidence from an English community study.

Objectives: Loneliness is an important influence on quality of life in old age and has been conceptualised as consisting of two dimensions, social and emotional. This article describes analyses that sought to produce models of social and emotional loneliness in older people, using demographic, psychological and health, and social variables. Method: Older people (aged 65+, n=1255) from the Barnsley metropolitan area of the United Kingdom were recruited randomly from within a stratified sampling frame and received a questionnaire-based interview (response rate: 68.1%). The questionnaire contained items and scales on demographic, psychological and health, and social characteristics, and a validated measure of loneliness that assesses both social and emotional loneliness. Results: Of the respondents, 7.7% were found to be severely or very severely lonely, while another 38.3% were moderately …

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Psychosocial services for couples in infertility treatment: what do couples really want?

Objectives: To describe the psychosocial supports that infertile couples desire to help cope with infertility-related distress, which psychosocial services they sought, and the benefits and drawbacks of these services. Methods: Qualitative interview study with 32 heterosexual infertile couples seeking infertility treatment. Maximum variation sampling was used; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Most couples desired psychosocial support, but only half of the sample sought support. Some couples met with psychologists for help with relationship conflict and coping strategies. Participants suggested peer mentoring to fulfill needs for coping, shared experience, and guidance through the treatment process. Couples also desired written information about practical and emotional aspects of treatment. Negative attitudes toward psychological counseling and a lack of information ab…

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Associations of maternal obesity and psychosocial factors with breastfeeding intention, initiation, and duration.

Background: Psychosocial factors influence breastfeeding outcomes, but little is known about these characteristics and how they influence breastfeeding behavior of obese women, who are a group that experiences poor breastfeeding outcomes. Objectives: Our objectives were to determine whether 1) maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is associated with social knowledge of, social influence toward, maternal confidence in, and behavioral beliefs about breastfeeding; 2) BMI and these psychosocial factors predict outcomes of intention to breastfeed, ever breastfed, and the duration of breastfeeding; and 3) BMI and psychosocial factors are associated with these breastfeeding outcomes independent of each other. Design: Participants (n = 2824) in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II provided data on psychosocial characteristics and breastfeeding outcomes. In this prospective cohort study, d…

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Collaborative teaching: school implementation and connections with outcomes among students with disabilities.

Collaborative teaching is a widely used method of including and supporting students with disabilities to provide all students equal access to education. Yet, there is a dearth of research on its implementation and outcomes, and the few existing studies are limited to academic and testing outcomes. This study assesses the degree to which schools are implementing co-teaching practices and the relation between co-teaching and student psychosocial outcomes using a mixed method design. Data from 12 schools, which included 16 school leaders and staff, 13 teachers, and 56 students with disabilities, were examined. Schools achieved 0-75% of the co-teaching best-practices criteria, with the majority achieving 25%-50% of the criteria. Higher levels of teacher-reported co-teaching were related to higher levels of student-reported school belonging, school satisfaction, and self-efficacy for new expe…

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Identifying the barriers and facilitators to optimal hearing aid self-efficacy.

Objective: Many older adults with hearing impairment are not confident in their ability to use hearing aids (i.e. experience low hearing aid self-efficacy), which has been found to be a barrier to hearing help-seeking and hearing aid use. This study aimed to determine what factors were associated with achieving adequate hearing aid self-efficacy. Design: A retrospective research design was employed wherein hearing aid self-efficacy was the primary outcome. Explanatory variables included personal demographics, visual disability, and experiences related to participants' hearing ability and hearing aids. Study sample: A total of 307 older adults with hearing impairment participated in the study (147 non hearing aid owners and 160 hearing aid owners). Results: Non-hearing aid owners were more likely to report adequate hearing aid self-efficacy if they reported no visual disability, had exper…

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Re-focusing the gender lens: caregiving women, family roles and HIV/AIDS vulnerability in Lesotho.

Gender and HIV risk have been widely examined in southern Africa, generally with a focus on dynamics within sexual relationships. Yet the social construction of women's lives reflects their broader engagement with a gendered social system, which influences both individual-level risks and social and economic vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS. Using qualitative data from Lesotho, we examine women's lived experiences of gender, family and HIV/AIDS through three domains: (1) marriage; (2) kinship and social motherhood, and (3) multigenerational dynamics. These data illustrate how women caregivers negotiate their roles as wives, mothers, and household heads, serving as the linchpins of a gendered family system that both affects, and is affected by, the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HIV/AIDS interventions are unlikely to succeed without attention to the larger context of women's lives, namely their kinship, ca…

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Children's representations of school support for HIV-affected peers in rural Zimbabwe.

Background: HIV has left many African children caring for sick relatives, orphaned or themselves HIV-positive, often facing immense challenges in the absence of significant support from adults. With reductions in development funding, public sector budgetary constraints, and a growing emphasis on the importance of indigenous resources in the HIV response, international policy allocates schools a key role in 'substituting for families' (Ansell, 2008) in supporting child health and well-being. We explore children's own accounts of the challenges facing their HIV-affected peers and the role of schools in providing such support. Methods: Contextualised within a multi-method study of school support for HIV-affected children in rural Zimbabwe, and regarding children's views as a key resource for child-relevant intervention and policy, 128 school children (10-14) wrote a story about an HIV-affec…

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Naturally occurring peer support through social media: the experiences of individuals with severe mental illness using YouTube.

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in onl…

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Using social network analysis to clarify the role of obesity in selection of adolescent friends.

Objectives: We used social network analysis to examine how weight status affects friend selection, with an emphasis on homophily and the social marginalization of overweight youths. Methods: We used an exponential random graph model to assess the effects of body mass index (BMI) on friend selection while controlling for several alternative selection processes. Data were derived from 58,987 students in 88 US middle and high schools who took part in the 1994 to 1996 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results: On average, overweight youths were less likely than nonoverweight youths to be selected as a friend; however, this effect differed according to the BMI of the person initiating the friendship. Nonoverweight youths were 30% more likely to select a nonoverweight friend than an overweight friend, whereas overweight youths were largely indifferent to the weight status of th…

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"Nothing special, everything is maamuli": socio-cultural and family practices influencing the perinatal period in urban India.

Background: Globally, India contributes the largest share in sheer numbers to the burden of maternal and infant under-nutrition, morbidity and mortality. A major gap in our knowledge is how socio-cultural practices and beliefs influence the perinatal period and thus perinatal outcomes, particularly in the rapidly growing urban setting. Methods and findings: Using data from a qualitative study in urban south India, including in-depth interviews with 36 women who had recently been through childbirth as well as observations of family life and clinic encounters, we explored the territory of familial, cultural and traditional practices and beliefs influencing women and their families through pregnancy, childbirth and infancy. We found that while there were some similarities in cultural practices to those described before in studies from low resource village settings, there are changing practi…

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Family-related opinions and stressful situations associated with psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how family-related opinions and stressful situations are related to psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment. The subjects in this cross-sectional study were recruited from female patients undergoing infertility treatment (n = 2540) at 70 infertility treatment institutions in Japan. Because of non-participation or missing data, the number of subjects included in the analysis was 635 (response rate, 25.0%). The family-related opinions and stressful situations were evaluated using the original questions. Psychological distress was assessed using a self-report measure, the Kessler Six-question Psychological Distress Scale (K6). The K6 scores of the following participants were significantly (p < 0.05) and independently high: those with more frequent miscarriage/stillbirth/abortions, those with repeated miscarriages as the ca…

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Perceived discrimination among African American adolescents and allostatic load: a longitudinal analysis with buffering effects.

This study was designed to examine the prospective relations of perceived racial discrimination with allostatic load (AL), along with a possible buffer of the association. A sample of 331 African Americans in the rural South provided assessments of perceived discrimination from ages 16 to 18 years. When youth were 18 years, caregivers reported parental emotional support and youth assessed peer emotional support. AL and potential confounder variables were assessed when youth were 20. Latent growth mixture modeling identified two perceived discrimination classes: high and stable, and low and increasing. Adolescents in the high and stable class evinced heightened AL even with confounder variables controlled. The racial discrimination to AL link was not significant for young adults who received high emotional support.

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Problem coping skills, psychosocial adversities and mental health problems in children and adolescents as predictors of criminal outcomes in young adulthood.

The purpose of this study was to test child and adolescent psychosocial and psychopathological risk factors as predictors of adult criminal outcomes in a Swiss community sample. In particular, the role of active and avoidant problem coping in youths was analysed. Prevalence rates of young adult crime convictions based on register data were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyse the prediction of adult criminal convictions 15 years after assessment in a large Swiss community sample of children and adolescents (n = 1,086). Risk factors assessed in childhood and adolescence included socio-economic status (SES), migration background, perceived parental behaviour, familial and other social stressors, coping styles, externalizing and internalizing problems and drug abuse including problematic alcohol consumption. The rate of any young adult conviction…

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