For better or for worse? Transformation of social network relations due to long-term illness

Abstract

This paper explores whether, and if so how, long-term illness affects and changes personal social relations and how these transformations are related to diagnosis, length of the sick leave, age and gender. It is based on qualitative in-depth interviews (N = 10) and a broader representative survey among long-term ill people (n = 319). The results reveal that illness affects the social relationships in both positive and negative directions. On the one hand, the proximity and mobilization of support from family and friends increases during the period of illness and new relationships are included in the networks. On the other hand, the distance within some relationships increases, and some disappear or become less support-rewarding. While the need for social relationships seems, for the majority, to be essential and constant, the results show that the circle of close personal relationships is shifting and that emotional intensity and reciprocal exchange vary.

Denna artikel undersöker om, och i så fall hur, långtidssjukskrivningar påverkar och förändrar personliga sociala relationer och hur dessa transformeringar är relaterade till diagnos, sjukskrivningstid, ålder och kön. Studien baseras på kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer (N = 10) och en bredare representativ studie bland långtidssjukskrivna (N = 319). Resultaten visar att sjukdom påverkar sociala relationer både positivt och negativt. Å ena sidan stärks närheten och mobiliseringen av stöd från vissa familjemedlemmar och vänner under sjukdomsperioden och nya relationer inkluderas i nätverket. Å andra sidan ökar distansen i vissa andra relationer, en del relationer upphör eller blir mindre stödgivande. Medan behovet av sociala relationer för majoriteten tycks vara nödvändigt och konstant, visar resultaten att kretsen av personliga sociala relationer förändras och med detta också den känslomässiga närheten och det ömsesidiga utbytet.

Keywords:

• social network
• social support
• long-term illness
• social work

Palavras-chave:

• Sociala nätverk
• socialt stöd
• långvarig sjukdom
• socialt arbete

Acknowledgements

Part of the results of this article has been published in a Swedish journal in Swedish.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Majen Espvall is a professor of social work at the Mid-Sweden University. In different projects has she examined the support capacity of social network relations of people living in social vulnerability and how this capacity is linked to welfare policy institutions and norms of support. She is currently leading a project on elderly care and informal support among older people living alone in rural areas in Sweden.

Peter Dellgran is professor of social work at the University of Gothenburg. His research covers a number of areas: from social policy, poverty issues, consumption and social support to professionalization, knowledge development and relationships between research, education and practice in social work. He has been director of the Center for Profession Studies (CPS) at Malmö University and the Center for Public Sector Research (CEFOS) at the University of Gothenburg.

Notes

1. The project Reciprocity in change. Long-term sickness and financial and other informal social support, is funded by the Swedish Research Council.

2. The project has undergone ethical review at the Regional Ethical Review Board in Gothenburg, ref no 533-07, 2007-11-07.

3. The group of other diagnoses includes diseases of the endocrine system and metabolism, nervous system and sense organs, circulatory organs, respiratory and digestive organs.

4. Sick leave patterns in the entire population in 2008: (1) gender, 64% women and 36% men (2) age, 27% between 20 and 39 years, 24% of 40–49 years, 31% between 50 and 59 and 18% between 60 and 64 years (http://www.scb.se).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funds from The Swedish Research Council (VR) [grant number 421-2005-1380].