The Measurement of Social Support: The Use of the Social Support Questionnaire as a Means of Examining Differences Between Acute and Chronic Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients
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PatientsAbstract
This study used the Social Support Questionnaire to examine the perceptions of two groups of hospitalized psychiatric patients with regard to their social support system. The findings indicated that the chronic group of patients more frequently reported perceptions of supportive others in a more unrealistic fashion than the comparison group composed of acute psychiatric patients. Some important therapeutic implications are discussed in relation to the results.
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