Dataset Information

Social work support and unmet social needs in life after stroke: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Stroke patients are often affected by long-term disabilities with needs concerning social issues. There is relatively little consideration of social recovery of patients and the support required to return to work, receive social benefits, participate in daily life activities, maintain contact with family and friends and to organize financial affairs. In our study we aimed to investigate if existing tools record social needs adequately. We analyzed the current provision of social support provided in long-term care after stroke and whether unmet social needs were associated with quality of life, caregiver burden, overall function and degree of disability. METHODS:Our analysis is part of the Managing Aftercare of Stroke study (MAS-I), a cross-sectional exploratory study of patient needs 2-3?years after initial stroke. Assessment tools included the Nikolaus-score (social situation), the EuroQoL (quality of life), the German Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (caregiver burden), the modified Rankin Scale (disability / dependence), Stroke Impact Scale (function and degree of disability) and the Stroke Survivor Needs Questionnaire (unmet needs). RESULTS:Overall 57 patients were included in MAS-I, with ten patients classified in urgent need of socio-economic support according to the Nikolaus-score. Patients with lower than normal Nikolaus-score had a higher degree of disability. Thirty percent of all patients had never received professional social support. Social worker contact happened mostly during the stay in acute hospital or rehabilitation institution. Only four patients (11%) reported long-term support after discharge. Apart from social worker contact during acute care, 43% of patients had unmet needs in the long-term aftercare. Forty percent of all patients included in MAS-I were recommended for social work intervention after an in-depth analysis of their situation. Finally, we saw that unmet social needs were associated with lower quality of life and higher caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS:Our data suggest significant unmet needs in social care in long-term stroke patients. Screening tools for unmet social needs such as the Nikolaus-score do not holistically report patients' needs. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrials.Gov NCT02320994 . Registered 19 December 2014 (retrospectively registered).

SUBMITTER: Lehnerer S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6729017 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Social work support and unmet social needs in life after stroke: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

Lehnerer Sophie S Hotter Benjamin B Padberg Inken I Knispel Petra P Remstedt Dike D Liebenau Andrea A Grittner Ulrike U Wellwood Ian I Meisel Andreas A

BMC neurology 20190906 1

<h4>Background</h4>Stroke patients are often affected by long-term disabilities with needs concerning social issues. There is relatively little consideration of social recovery of patients and the support required to return to work, receive social benefits, participate in daily life activities, maintain contact with family and friends and to organize financial affairs. In our study we aimed to investigate if existing tools record social needs adequately. We analyzed the current provision of soci ...[more]

PMID: 31492151

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundDiabetes-related distress (DRD) refers to negative emotional and affective experiences from daily demands of living with diabetes. People who received social support seem less likely to experience DRD. The prevalence of T2D in Vietnam is rapidly increasing. Yet, DRD and its association with social support have not been investigated. This study investigates DRD and how it is associated with unmet needs for social support in people with T2D in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam.MethodsA total of 806 people, age ≥ 40 years, treated for T2D at primary hospitals in Thai Binh Province, Vietnam, completed a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey. DRD was self-reported, based on the Problem Areas In Diabetes scale 5 (PAID5). We assessed 6 types of unmet needs for social support from family/friends/community including: (i) Transport and company when visiting health facilities; (ii) Reminders to take medication; (iii) Purchase and preparation of food; (iv) Reminders to engage in physical exercise; (v) Emotional support; and (vi) Financial support. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model DRD as an outcome of each type of unmet need for social support, and as an outcome of the number of unmet needs for social support, adjusted for three sets of covariates.ResultsIn this study, 50.0% of people with T2D experienced DRD. Odds for DRD were higher among those who had any unmet need for social support. After adjustment for household economic status, only unmet needs for emotional and financial support were associated with higher odds ratios of DRD (OR = 2.59, CI95%: 1.19-5.63 and OR = 1.63, CI95%: 1.10-2.40, respectively). People who had ≥2 type of unmet need were not a higher risk of experiencing DRD as compared to those with no unmet need.ConclusionsHalf of the people with T2D experienced DRD. The results suggest that having enough finances may decrease most needs for social support with the exception of emotional support. Thus, social support to financial and emotional of diabetes aspects may contribute to prevent or reverse DRD.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:To design a questionnaire and use it to explore unmet needs with practical aspects of medicine taking after stroke, predictors of medicine taking and to estimate the proportion of survivors who get support with daily medication taking. DESIGN:Four workshops with stroke survivors and caregivers to design the questionnaire.A cross-sectional postal questionnaire in primary care. SETTING:18 general practitioner practices in the East of England and London. Questionnaires posted between September 2016 and February 2017. PARTICIPANTS:1687 stroke survivors living in the community outside institutional long-term care. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES:The proportion of community stroke survivors receiving support from caregivers for practical aspects of medicine taking; the proportion with unmet needs in this respect; the predictors of experiencing unmet needs and missing taking medications. RESULTS:A five-item questionnaire was developed to cover the different aspects of medicine taking. 596/1687 (35%) questionnaires were returned. 56% reported getting help in at least one aspect of taking medication and 11% needing more help. 35% reported missing taking their medicines. Unmet needs were associated with receiving help with medications (OR 5.9, P<0.001), being on a higher number of medications (OR 1.2, P<0.001) and being dependent for activities of daily living (OR 4.9, P=0.001). Missing medication was associated with having unmet needs (OR 5.3, P<0.001), receiving help with medications (OR 2.1, P<0.001), being on a higher number of medicines (OR 1.1, P=0.008) and being older than 70 years (OR 0.6, P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS:More than half of patients who replied needed help with taking medication, and 1 in 10 had unmet needs in this regard. Stroke survivors dependent on others have more unmet needs, are more likely to miss medicines and might benefit from focused clinical and research attention. Novel primary care interventions focusing on the practicalities of taking medicines are warranted.

Project description:Seafarers have reported impaired health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Social support might increase HRQOL, but little is known about this association among Chinese seafarers. The aim of this study was to describe social support and explore its association with HRQOL among Chinese seafarers.A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the ports of Nantong and Rugao, China, from April to December 2013. A total of 917 Chinese seafarers were interviewed on social support, mental distress, perceived occupational stress, and HRQOL using the following self-administered questionnaires: The Social Support Rating Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Occupational Stress Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used to analyze the association between seafarers' subjective level of social support and their HRQOL.Of the 917 male Chinese seafarers included in the study, 40.7% perceived high levels of social support, and 39.1% were highly satisfied with their overall quality of life (QOL). Hierarchical regression analysis showed significant associations between level of social support and all health dimensions in the WHOQOL-BREF, even after adjusting for depressive symptoms, occupational stress, occupational activities, sleep duration, and other relevant covariates. Compared with the medium or low level social support group, seafarers with a high level of social support had better QOL scores in the general facet health and QOL (? = 2.43, p<0.05), and the physical health (? = 3.23, p<0.001), psychological health (? = 5.56, p<0.001), social relation (? = 6.07, p<0.001), and environment domains (? = 4.27, p<0.001). In addition, depression, occupational stress, occupational activities, and sleep duration were found to be determinants of seafarers' HRQOL.Chinese seafarers have poorer HRQOL than the general population, but social support has a significant positive effect on their HRQOL. Efforts to improve social support should be undertaken.

Dataset Information

Social work support and unmet social needs in life after stroke: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

Publications

Social work support and unmet social needs in life after stroke: a cross-sectional exploratory study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure