How Do Uncertainty and Positive Feelings Affect Psychological Quality of Life? The Role of Social Support within a Korean Parkinson’s Disease Patients Online Community

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Health Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study explores how social support contributes to improving the psychological quality of life of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients. In particular, this study investigates the influence of actual social support and online social support (i.e., information support and emotional support) within an online community on the psychological quality of life within Korean PD patients. To test the mediation effects of PD patients’ emotions toward their disease, this study employs Situation-Specific Emotional Reactions (SSER) (i.e., uncertainty and positive feelings) as multiple mediation variables between actual social support/online social support and psychological quality of life. The findings of this study suggest that 1) emotional social support from Computer-Mediated Support Groups (CMSGs) is an important factor improving the psychological wellbeing of Korean PD patients because it increases positive feelings and 2) actual social support is important because it reduces uncertainty, which in turn enhances the PD patient’s psychological quality of life.

Authors

• Surin Chung, U of Missouri

• Eunjin Kim, Southern Methodist University

• J. Brian Houston, U of Missouri