Does 鈥渟ocial resilience鈥� motivate trauma patients to heal?
黄瓜视频 Community College (黄瓜视频) Professor of Psychology Wayne Klug and University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate student David Wasielewski (also a 黄瓜视频 graduate), wanted to know.
Wasielewski, who recently completed a master鈥檚 degree in public policy and administration, was a 黄瓜视频 student when he initiated the idea for a study investigating this topic. After surviving a stroke sixteen years ago, he became a patient in the rehabilitation unit at 黄瓜视频 Medical Center (BMC). There, he was struck by the difference between patients who appeared eager to heal and others who seemed lost in depression. He wondered if resilience might be a factor in motivation, with less resilient patients inclined toward depression.
In order to test this theory, he and Klug partnered with BMC to design a study that
explored whether patients鈥� self-reported resilience scores would predict motivation
ratings given to them by therapists. Together, they recently presented their findings
at the New England Psychological Association (NEPA) Annual Conference. The NEPA conference brings together those interested in psychological science and the teaching of psychology
to focus on empirical research, as well as best practices and innovations in teaching.
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Fifty-four adult trauma patients in the study, including 25 inpatients and 29 outpatients, responded to a 33- item resilience scale. The scale provides scores for six components of resilience, comprising three 鈥減ersonal鈥� components (perception of self, perception of future and structured style) and three 鈥渟ocial鈥� components (social competence, family cohesion and social resources).
Results indicate that 鈥渟ocially competent鈥� inpatients display greater motivation to heal and suggest the same may be true for outpatients who find support from social resources in the community. These two closely related concepts, which together can be called 鈥渟ocial resilience,鈥� stand in contrast to the scale鈥檚 鈥減ersonal鈥� components, which show no significant connection with motivation in the study.
The finding is interesting as it suggests that healing may be more of a social process than a personal one,鈥� Klug said, noting that the study undermines the concept of 鈥渞ugged individualism鈥� as the crucial factor in recovery. Instead, it highlights the role of social factors such as enjoying the company of others and forming supportive friendships. 鈥赌�
Klug and Wasielewski鈥檚 study may lead to future related research, including an examination of how the differences in patients鈥� social contexts鈥攊n the hospital or at home鈥攁ccount for differing results between inpatients and outpatients. 鈥淲e also wonder if rehabilitation hospitals might develop therapeutic interventions aimed at boosting all patients鈥� social resilience,鈥� Klug said.
The study is part of a 20-year program in which Klug has partnered with students to examine questions important to them, and to present reports of their findings. For example, 鈥淩eproducing Inequality鈥� identified students鈥� high school 鈥渢rack鈥濃�攁nd not socio-economic status alone鈥攁s predicting life outcomes, and 鈥淐ognitive Dissonance in Iraq War Veterans鈥� found that American soldiers who had killed Iraqis disparaged not their victims but American civilians. Several of these studies have been presented at regional or national conferences, and some have been published.