Social Support and Physical Recovery in a Stroke Population

Previous studies of the relationship between social support and physical health status have indicated that social support has a positive effect on morbidity, mortality, and recovery from chronic disease. However, the previous studies have differed in their definitions of the construct, with most studies measuring only one aspect of social support - usually emotional support. This longitudinal study of 393 stroke cases found that different types of social support (i.e., informational, affective, and instrumental) had differential effects on physical recovery (i.e., physical functioning) from stroke, with instrumental assistance having a significantly negative effect. Furthermore, selected characteristics of the patients' social networks had no direct effects on physical recovery. Alternative explanations for the findings - including issues of the direction of causality - are reviewed and discussed.