Perceived online social support for Parkinson’s disease patients: The role of support type, uncertainty, contentment, and psychological quality of life

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of two types of perceived online social support (i.e., informational support and emotional support) on Parkinson’s disease patients’ psychological quality of life. Also, this study examined the mediating effects of uncertainty between perceived informational support and psychological quality life, and the mediating effects of contentment between perceived emotional support and psychological quality of life. Parkinson’s disease patients (N = 124) from three different online peer support groups participated in a survey. The results revealed that perceived emotional support increased psychological quality of life via contentment. Practical implications and future research recommendations were proposed.

KEYWORDS:

• Korean Parkinson’s disease patients
• online peer support groups
• psychological quality of life
• uncertainty
• contentment

Acknowledgments

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

1. k² = the standardized effect size for indirect effect (see Preacher & Kelley, 2011 for details).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Surin Chung

Surin Chung (Ph.D., University of Missouri) is Assistant Professor in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. His research centers on crisis, risk, and health communication. His studies have been published in Public Relations Review, International Journal of Business Communication, Communication Research Reports, etc.

Eunjin (Anna) Kim

Eunjin (Anna) Kim (Ph.D., University of Missouri) is Assistant Professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her research focuses on advertising, persuasion, branding, and digital media effects. Her work has been published in Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, International Journal of Advertising, Health Communication, Psychology & Marketing, among others.

J. Brian Houston

J. Brian Houston (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) is Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication at the University of Missouri and is Director for the Disaster and Community Crisis Center (DCC) at the University of Missouri. He is Core Faculty in the University of Missouri Master of Public Health Program. Houston’s research focuses on communication at all phases of disasters and on the mental health effects and political consequences of community crises.