Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Mar 13, 2023
Date Accepted: Aug 8, 2023
Social support and Quality of life among individuals with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 pandemic: A Structural Equation Modeling
ABSTRACT
Background:
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution of social support for mental health problems has likely become unequal. Family- and community-based social support has been recognized as a promising approach for mental disorders; however, limited global frameworks have been applied to developing countries like Vietnam.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life and social support among patients with mental health disorders in Vietnam and investigated factors associated with Quality of Life among these patients
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 222 psychiatric patients in Hanoi from 2020 to 2022. A structured questionnaire was developed based on four standardized scales: MHI-5 scale, MSPSS scale, EQ-VAS, and EQ-5D-5L scale. Multivariate regression was used to identify factors associated with the EQ-5D-5L score, while Multivariate Tobit regression was utilized to identify factors related to the EQ-VAS score. This study applied a Structural equation modeling to verify the relationship between Quality of Life and social support, as well as other variables.
Results:
The study found that perceived support from family was highest compared to friends and significant others groups, while patients with depression reported the lowest quality of life and perceived social support. The analysis of the structural equation model (SEM) using the study variables in the hypothetical model resulted in RMSEA = 0.055; 90%CI = 0.006; 0.090, CFI = 0.954; TLI = 0.892; SRMR = 0.036, P < .001. The hypothetical model indicated statistically significant correlations between EQ-VAS score and social support (P < .05), EQ-5D-5L and mental well-being (P < .001), and social support and mental well-being (P< .001). Critical deterioration of quality of life and inconsistency in social support for mentally ill patients were also recorded.
Conclusions:
The Quality of Life model was used to fit an SEM and analyze the relationship between Quality of Life and other variables, with social support as a mediator. There is a need to address limitations in Vietnam's current support allocation regarding occupation and quality of life. The correlations between social support, quality of life, and mental health issues suggest the potential of a clinical-social integrated intervention model of care.
Citation
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Copyright
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