J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2020;31(3):1191-1212. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2020.0089.
There is a large body of literature on the role of social support systems in the management of chronic conditions in the West, with limited research on the sub-Saharan African and Ghanaian context. In the past, the organization and delivery of formal health services in Ghana were geared towards the treatment of infectious diseases rather than non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of 33 NCD patients purposefully selected from two teaching hospitals in Ghana. The information they provided indicated that the most common types of support received were instrumental and emotional. While a majority of stroke patients experienced activity limitations related to bathing and cooking, they received the emotional support necessary to maintain their psychological well-being. Overall, we found social connections and relationships were an important strategy in the promotion of the physical and mental well-being of these NCD patients.
有大量文献探讨了社会支持系统在西方慢性疾病管理中的作用，而针对撒哈拉以南非洲和加纳背景下的研究则有限。过去，加纳的正式卫生服务的组织和提供主要侧重于传染病的治疗，而非传染性疾病（NCDs）。我们对加纳两家教学医院中精心挑选的 33 名 NCD 患者进行了定性访谈。他们提供的信息表明，他们最常获得的支持类型是工具性支持和情感支持。尽管大多数中风患者在洗澡和做饭方面存在活动受限，但他们获得了维持心理健康所需的情感支持。总的来说，我们发现社会联系和关系是促进这些 NCD 患者身心健康的重要策略。
