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International Journal of Social Psychiatry
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Social Network Among People With Persistent Mental Illness: Associations With Sociodemographic, Clinical and Health-Related Factors

Mona Eklund

Department of Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy, Lund, Sweden, mona.eklund{at}med.lu.se

Lars Hansson

Department of Health Sciences, Division of Nursing, Lund, Sweden, lars.hansson{at}med.lu.se

Background: Social interaction is crucial for whether a person will successfully accomplish important life tasks.

Aim and method: This study investigated the importance of sociodemographic, clinical and self-perceived health-related factors for social interaction among 103 individuals with persistent mental illness, mainly psychoses, visiting an outpatient unit.

Results: Bivariate analyses pointed to several relationships, especially between the health-related variables and both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social network. In multivariate analyses, higher levels of quality of life, self-esteem, being a cohabitant, and living in a house were related to higher ratings on different aspects of the social network. Older age was associated with fewer close relationships but more adequate social integration.

Conclusions: The social network appeared to be a function of both self-perceptions and sociodemographic influences. The influence is probably dynamic and, for example, just as a better quality of life may lead to more social interaction, a more developed social network probably promotes better quality of life. Therefore, interventions in mental health care that target social interaction constitute a powerful resource and should be part of the support for people with severe and persistent mental illness.

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 53, No. 4, 293-305 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0020764006074540
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