Tarver Willi L, Hu Xiaodan, MacEwan Sarah R, Gaughan Alice A, McAlearney Ann Scheck
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43202, USA.
Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43202, USA.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Jun 30;13(13):1568. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13131568.
The onset and persistence of Long COVID can lead to cognitive and functional impairment, contributing to illness-induced employment and work disparities. Understanding how social support influences these issues can inform care strategies and support continued workforce participation. : This study explored perceptions of social support among patients with Long COVID. : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 patients receiving care at a post-COVID recovery clinic. Patient perspectives on social support in their work and personal lives were analyzed using both inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Findings were organized under the following five dimensions of social support theory: tangible support, emotional support, informational support, appraisal support, and belonging support. : Patients received positive tangible, emotional, and informational support from family, friends, and credible sources. However, patients also described receiving negative appraisal support from their personal lives and workplaces when others misunderstood the scope and duration of their limitations due to Long COVID. This negative appraisal support often labeled them as lazy or underperforming, leading to both personal and professional challenges to their self-esteem. Regarding companionship support, participants reported challenges keeping in touch with others and being less social. : Social support impacts Long COVID patients' abilities to cope with the trauma of their experiences. Understanding the sources of and barriers to social support for Long COVID patients may inform strategies to enhance their care and well-being. Future interventions should offer opportunities for family, friends, and employers of Long COVID patients to learn about what it means to live with the illness.
长期新冠的发作和持续存在会导致认知和功能障碍，加剧疾病引发的就业和工作差异。了解社会支持如何影响这些问题可为护理策略提供依据，并支持持续的劳动力参与。本研究探讨了长期新冠患者对社会支持的看法。对在新冠康复诊所接受治疗的2名患者进行了半结构化访谈。使用归纳和演绎主题分析法分析了患者在工作和个人生活中对社会支持的看法。研究结果按照社会支持理论的以下五个维度进行组织：实际支持、情感支持、信息支持、评价支持和归属感支持。患者从家人、朋友和可靠来源获得了积极的实际、情感和信息支持。然而，患者也描述说，当其他人误解他们因长期新冠导致的局限性的范围和持续时间时，他们在个人生活和工作场所得到了负面的评价支持。这种负面的评价支持常常将他们贴上懒惰或表现不佳的标签，给他们的自尊带来个人和职业方面的挑战。关于陪伴支持，参与者报告了在与他人保持联系和社交方面存在困难。社会支持影响长期新冠患者应对自身经历创伤的能力。了解长期新冠患者社会支持的来源和障碍可为改善他们的护理和福祉的策略提供依据。未来的干预措施应为长期新冠患者的家人、朋友和雇主提供机会，让他们了解与这种疾病共存意味着什么。
