Browsing by Subject "http://www.yso.fi/onto/mesh/D044466"

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that psychotic-like experiences (PLE) have harmful effects on people's lives, but there is no information on possible protecting effects of social support. The purpose of the current study was to examine in general population if social support protects against psychotic symptoms' harmful effects. This study focused on the positive ones of psychotic symptoms whereas problems of daily living (ADL = activities of daily living) were selected to describe the harmful effects. Hypothesis was that the perceived social support decreases the risk of daily living problems, when sex, age, psychotic symptoms and the size of primary support group were controlled. Method: The data was obtained with face-to-face interviews in 2000 by the office for National Statistics (ONS). The name of the survey was The Second National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity in Great Britain. Respondents were people living in private households, and aged between 16 and 74 years. The final sample size was 8464. Daily living problems were assessed from respondents' answers to seven questions on difficulties in daily living. Psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ). The perceived social support was assessed from respondents' answers to seven questions in the Health and Lifestyle Survey. The primary group size was assessed with three questions in the Interview Measure for Social Relationships (IMSR). Findings: It was found that the perceived social support predicted lower amount of daily living problems (OR: 0.91) after sex, age, psychotic symptoms, the size of the primary support group and interactions of these variables were controlled. Perceived social support is more important as a protecting factor against the psychotic symptoms' harmful effects i.e. problems of daily living, than the size of the primary support group. Because this study wasn't longitudinal, there is however not certainty of the perceived social support's and the primary support group size's protecting roles. Nevertheless, along this study it is now known that for general population's part psychotic symptoms increase risk of daily living problems. Thus it should be important to survey the status of social support also for people with mild psychotic-like experiences, because it impacts their wellbeing in future.