Assessing support and stress in the social networks of chronic patients.

The social support network of deinstitutionalized chronic mentally ill patients can help moderate life stresses and reduce the need for rehospitalization. The authors have developed a list of questions that can be used in assessing the various characteristics of a patient's social network, including the number of people in the network, the types of roles assumed in each relationship, and the nature of behavioral exchanges in each relationship. They believe that research on the social networks of chronic patients may provide information that will lead to more effective intervention.