Social Support in Widowhood A Mixed Methods Study
Although social support is assumed to be an important factor following loss, the mechanisms by which it influences outcomes are not well understood. This study explored the nature of social support following loss using mixed methods. Widows participated in semistructured interviews 1 and 4 months af...
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Published in | Journal of mixed methods research Vol. 1; no. 3; pp. 242 - 266 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Los Angeles, CA
Sage Publications
01.07.2007
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Although social support is assumed to be an important factor following loss, the mechanisms by which it influences outcomes are not well understood. This study explored the nature of social support following loss using mixed methods. Widows participated in semistructured interviews 1 and 4 months after loss; a subsample completed 98 days of questionnaires between interviews. Interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative method; themes included the importance of supportive groups and the meaning of support. Social support trajectories were examined using hierarchical linear modeling; perceived social control explained differences in trajectories. Additional interviews were selected by their maximally divergent plots. The findings of these analyses were integrated to contribute a more detailed description of social support in the transition to widowhood. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Susannah Longenbaker is now in the Department of Higher Education at Boston College. Megan A. Markey is now in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Saint Louis University. Toni L. Bisconti is now in the Department of Psychology at the University of Akron. |
ISSN: | 1558-6898 1558-6901 |
DOI: | 10.1177/1558689807302453 |