Introduction
Patients with chronic diseases frequently need to change their goals, way of life, and jobs. Mostly, people with chronic health conditions lament their situation before coping with it. Some people experience persistent distress and may grow to have psychiatric problems, most frequently sadness or anxiety. Physical signs of psychiatric distress may already be present, including fatigue, poor appetite, and sleep disturbances. The treatment for a medical condition, such as the use of steroids, as well as the chronic medical conditions process itself, may occasionally have an effect on the mood of the patients. Altogether, the functional limitations of the condition may cause understandable anguish. Moreover, depression and pessimism can be harmful to the ability of the patient to cope with pain and can also have a bad effect on family dynamics. Thus, research points towards social support being effective in coping mechanisms. The favorable effects of social support on stress resilience are caused by unknown specific biopsychosocial systems. Undoubtedly, the benefits of social support on health outcomes are mediated by a complex interaction of numerous environmental and genetic factors. This article discusses the role of social support in the management of rheumatic diseases, which is one of the most common chronic debilitating conditions.
What Is Social Support?
Social support is assistance made available to an individual through social connections to other people, groups, and the greater community. In other words, "a network of family, friends, neighbors, and community members that are available in times of need to give psychological, physical, and financial assistance." A social network is characterized as a medium for delivering social support. People, by comparing themselves to others in their chosen reference groups, build their self-concept, which improves their coping skills, emotional maturity, self-esteem, and psychological health. It should be emphasized that the best social assistance may depend on the stage of development of the individual receiving it. For instance, early adolescence appears to be when parental assistance is most beneficial compared to late adolescence. It has been demonstrated that in older persons, the impression of social support is related to the level of social engagement, while in younger adults, it is related to instrumental assistance.
What Are the Implications of Social Support in Healthcare?
The majority of social support outcomes, such as healthy coping skills, reduced depression, increased personal competence under stress, generalized positive affect, a sense of stability, self-worth recognition, and overall psychological well-being, can be grouped under the general heading of positive health states or behaviors. Healthcare interventions come in a variety of forms, and many of them contain components that promote education and understanding, like those that take place in the setting of support groups and psychosocial interventions.
Support Groups:
Support groups are regarded as a legitimate kind of non-pharmacological therapy because they serve the purpose of educating and providing support. When faced with stressful and difficult circumstances, people who receive supportive care are better able to adapt on a physical and psychological level. In the event of chronic medical conditions, those who receive adequate levels of psychological and social support have a higher probability of surviving. People with chronic, disabling diseases, along with their families, are among the groups of people who gain the most from support groups. The ability of a support group to reduce isolation through contact and interaction with others, the chance of private conversations that allow for the expression of emotions and discussions, the capacity to alter perceptions and result in a more balanced and positive view of the participants' status, and finally the chance to enhance adaptive coping mechanisms, also through learning from the experience of others, are all factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the support group.
Psychosocial Interventions:
Some interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy put an emphasis on fostering the development of all-encompassing psychosocial skills and utilizing existing networks of support. The prevention and promotion of mental health depend on psychosocial competencies, commonly referred to as psychosocial skills or life skills. These interventions can be modified for use with small groups of up to 12 patients despite being intended for use in one-on-one therapy sessions. In order to manage the medical condition, social and psychological support must be strengthened. This is referred to as psychosocial support (e.g.: the emotional support received from fellow patients). The social dimension encompasses connections, family and community networks, societal ideals, and cultural traditions. The psychological dimension includes internal, emotional, and thinking processes, thoughts, and reactions. with cognitive therapy, analytical abilities, and desire control. The incorporation of psychosocial therapies into standard medical care is growing, and these methods appear to be successful.
What Is the Role of Social Support in the Management of Rheumatic Diseases?
Patients who have chronic illnesses, such as rheumatic diseases, often bear heavy physical and psychological responsibilities. The majority of rheumatic diseases are chronic, progressive autoimmune conditions that frequently cause psychological, social, and economic effects on the patient's life in addition to physical symptoms and functional incapacity. For instance, due to the invisible symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), patients frequently experience a lack of social support, leaving them defenseless. While achieving disease remission is the primary objective of treating rheumatic diseases, it sometimes seems like other coping mechanisms including engaging in physical, mental, and social activities are disregarded. Therefore, the treatment of the patient should take into account the numerous psychological aspects that go along with these disorders.
Social Support Groups for Rheumatic Diseases:
Functionality, pain, mental health, and feelings of loneliness can all be impacted by social support. Positive outcomes for patients with chronic diseases may result from family and friends acting as a supportive network. The use of psychosocial therapies to manage stress has significantly improved indicators of helplessness, dependency, coping, and pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Given the diversity of the patients, general recommendations given by healthcare professionals might be challenging to abide by. Peer support can help with this through patient support groups, where other patients can exchange useful information on treatments and their side effects, techniques for managing their symptoms, and their own experiences interacting with medical professionals.
Psychosocial Support for Patients With Rheumatic Diseases:
It is the same as support groups but experts are present and are happy to guide patients in acquiring psychosocial skills while patients can interact with other patients. Patients who are through the same condition as you are a valuable resource for assistance since they can relate to you personally and meet your psychosocial requirements. They are able to express pity and offer emotional assistance. According to studies, it is reported that patients felt comforting to know that others would go through similar hardships, which reduced worry and boosted self-esteem and empowerment. Social media and technological advancements have given patients additional avenues for connection outside of the usual face-to-face settings. This strategy is not new, but its application has increased significantly across all industries, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. With their anonymity capabilities, online assistance networks can help get over the feeling of embarrassment. However, sorting out inaccurate information is the key challenge of the web platform. Therefore, the presence of an expert who can step in any time false information is discovered could help to lower the risk of spreading disinformation and build a good rapport with the patients.
Conclusion
In general, it is known that patient support groups for rheumatic diseases increase general well-being. Culturally appropriate health promotion and chronic condition management may benefit from including elements of social support in targeted treatments and interdisciplinary care plans. Patients with strong support networks report better psychological health, treatment regimen adherence, and general quality of life. Successful disease management greatly benefits from the emotional support, information exchange, and practical aid of family, friends, and medical professionals. People with rheumatic conditions can live happier lives by recognizing and improving social support networks.
