Counseling and Adjunctive Therapies: Does Social Support Help Diminish Mental Health Symptoms?

• In Event: 3129 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 16. Social Relationships and Health

Abstract

Women with a history of trauma often experience challenging mental health problems. Research finds that participating in adjunctive therapies, such as trauma sensitive yoga and tai chi, in addition to traditional counseling has promising health benefits, especially for those with traumatic pasts. We are conducting an ongoing randomized control trial of women with a history of trauma, and have participants in either trauma sensitive yoga, tai chi, or counseling-only groups and monitor changes in their mental health over the course of 12 weeks. In this paper, we analyze results from the first two waves of data and focus on social support from significant others, family, and friends when therapies begin to determine if such support helps influence changes in mental health symptoms at the end of therapy. Kawachi and Berkman (2001) explain how social support networks can benefit mental health, but may alternatively increase psychological distress, especially among women if the expanded networks increase role strain and obligations for reciprocal support. Results indicate that mental health – overall, and depression, anxiety, and trauma symptomatology, improves for all women regardless of the type of treatment they participate in and that certain sources of social support lead to improved outcomes. However, findings suggest that women with the highest levels of social support from friends had the smallest improvement in mental health symptomology (T1-T2). We are currently recruiting participants for qualitative interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the impact that supportive figures can have in aiding or inhibiting recovery from trauma.

Authors

• Ashleigh E. Kysar-Moon, University of Northern Iowa

• Matthew Vasquez, University of Northern Iowa, Department of Social Work