title: Course of social support and relationships between social support and life satisfaction in spouses of patients with stroke in the chronic phase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the course of social support in spouses of patients with stroke, and to examine direct and indirect relationships between social support and life satisfaction over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study (N=180) with measurements at 2 months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, 1 year, and 3 years after stroke. Social support was assessed using the Social Support List-12, Life satisfaction with the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-9) and Caregiver strain with the Caregiver Strain Index. Random coefficient analyses was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total social support and the 3 subtypes of social support decreased significantly over time. In all models, caregiver strain was associated with lower life satisfaction and social support was associated with higher life satisfaction, but there were no interaction effects between caregiver strain and social support on life satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spouses of patients with stroke experienced a decline of social support over time. Social support was positively associated with life satisfaction, regardless of the amount of caregiver strain experienced by the spouses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to discuss with caregivers of stroke patients the importance of maintaining their own social contacts and to facilitate this by arranging support if appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Center De Hoogstraat, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacinthe J E
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Adriaansen
authors.forename: Christel M C
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: Johanna M A
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Visser-Meily
authors.forename: Geertrudis A M
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: van den Bos
authors.forename: Marcel W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires