BACKGROUND: Alcohol\'s harm to others (AHTO) refers to harms caused to those other than the drinker. The current paper estimates the prevalence of formal and informal supports sought due to AHTO and examines whether the type of support accessed varies by sociodemographic, economic and harm-related characteristics.
METHODS: An Australian sample of 2574 people completed the 2021 AHTO survey, out of which 888 perceived they experienced harm from another\'s drinking. Prevalence of accessing services and supports was measured. Additionally, several sociodemographic factors, economic factors and harm-related factors were included in multivariable logistic regression models predicting service/support use. Specifically, four models were constructed probing use of any service/support, use of police, use of counselling services and use of family/friend support.
RESULTS: Of the survey sample, 12.4% accessed any support/service. Seeking support from family and/or friends was most common, followed by police, counselling, healthcare services and being admitted to hospital. Women had higher odds of accessing counselling and family/friend support. Respondents with a higher education level and two or more financial stressors had higher odds of accessing police and counselling. Respondents harmed by a stranger had higher odds of accessing police, whereas respondents harmed by someone they know had higher odds of seeking support from family/friends. Experiencing more severe harm was associated with greater odds of accessing any support.
CONCLUSIONS: Several sociodemographic and economic factors were associated with accessing different supports. These findings may inform service development, interventions and policy changes for people affected by others\' drinking.

UNASSIGNED: To investigate patterns of parenting stress and access to sufficient informal and formal support among parents of children with disabilities. To explore whether child cognitive level, conduct problems and the need of language interpretation in contacts between parents and professionals are associated with patterns of parenting stress and support.
UNASSIGNED: Parents (N = 140) of children with disabilities in Sweden completed a questionnaire about parenting stress and support. Patterns of three variables-parenting stress and access to sufficient informal and formal support-were investigated using cluster analysis. The relationship of child cognitive level, level of conduct problems and of language interpretation needs between parents and professionals to cluster membership was explored using multinomial logistic regression.
UNASSIGNED: Five different clusters of parenting stress and support emerged. Parents in cluster 1 had lower than sample mean ratings on all three variables. Cluster 2 had elevated parenting stress, cluster 3 had elevated insufficient informal support and cluster 4 had elevated insufficient formal support. Cluster 5 had elevated ratings on all three variables. Greater child cognitive difficulties increased the likelihood of parent membership in cluster 2 (elevated stress), cluster 3 (elevated insufficient informal support), or cluster 5 (elevated ratings on all variables). Child conduct problems increased the likelihood of membership in cluster 2 (elevated stress) or cluster 5 (elevated ratings on all variables). No relationship between language interpretation needs and cluster membership was found.
UNASSIGNED: Patterns of parenting stress and sufficiency of support, and their associations with child characteristics, vary substantially. However, families of children with conduct problems experiencing elevated parenting stress in combination with insufficient informal and formal support, may be particularly vulnerable. The results of the current study highlight the clinical importance of exploring and identifying individual parenting stressors and perceived levels of support, to be able to adapt services to better suit a variety of needs, and thus promote equitable care.

OBJECTIVE: Parental cancer brings changes and challenges which affect the whole family. Evidence shows heightened psychosocial risk among the offspring. Research among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) facing parental cancer has mainly focused on these psychosocial problems. As a reaction, there has been an increase in research on the needs of this population, since this knowledge is crucial for developing appropriate support. Despite this increase, some AYAs are still underrepresented, namely those over eighteen years old and those who have a parent with incurable cancer. Moreover, the factors hampering or fostering access to and receipt of support addressing their needs are under-investigated. Increasing our understanding of these issues is crucial to developing more effective support interventions for these young people. Our aim was therefore to gain insight into the perceived support needs of AYAs who have a parent with cancer, including the mentioned underrepresented subgroups, and the perceived factors facilitating or hindering their use of support.
METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 AYAs who have a parent with cancer of any type and stage, which were analyzed using conventional Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA).
RESULTS: Six main categories emerged from the data, encompassing various subcategories: 1) Needs surrounding the time of disclosure, 2) Information needs, 3) Informal support needs, 4) Need for effective personal coping strategies, 5) Formal support needs, and 6) Contextual and medical factors affecting support needs. AYAs perceived family members, friends and teachers as important sources of informal support, but lacked contact with peers who also have a parent with cancer. They expressed a need for formal informational and emotional support from their parent\'s medical team, (onco)psychologists, and their general practitioner. AYAs faced barriers in accessing formal support. A proactive attitude from healthcare providers and information about available support would help them meet their needs. Furthermore, we shed new light on needs and issues in post-secondary education.
CONCLUSIONS: AYAs who are living with their parent with cancer experience informational, emotional, and practical needs in multiple contexts, such as the home, school, leisure and hospital environment. They identify their informal and formal network as important key figures in addressing these needs.

The aim of this qualitative study is to gain insight into the perspectives of persons with multiple sclerosis on social support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven persons with multiple sclerosis. The results on informal support for persons with multiple sclerosis reveal perceived support and the lack of support from different persons. The results on formal support for persons with multiple sclerosis show perceived support from healthcare professionals, professionals working outside healthcare and social care systems, and associations of persons with MS, but also inadequate support from healthcare professionals and social workers. Close emotional relationship, empathy, knowledge and understanding are the basis for provision of all types of support from informal support system, while perceived support from formal support system is based on professionals´ empathy, their professionalism and knowledge. Persons with multiple sclerosis need accurate and timely emotional, informational, practical and financial support.

BACKGROUND: Many fathers with intellectual disabilities experience some difficulties in fulfilling their parenting role due external factors. The quality of their parenting depends on various factors, including the availability and adequacy of support. The aim of this study was to understand the lived experiences associated with social support of fathers with intellectual disabilities.
METHODS: The organisation of the research and data analysis were carried out in accordance with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 fathers with intellectual disabilities.
RESULTS: In the analysis, three interrelated themes emerged: Discrepancies between needs and provision of support; Discriminatory practices and feeling (dis)empowered; and Recognition of support.
CONCLUSIONS: Fathers described negative aspects of their experiences that were not conducive to strengthening paternal competences and led to a sense of loneliness. Positive aspects also emerged, indicating that fathers were determined to fulfil their role despite the lack of adequate support for their needs.

BACKGROUND: Informal care for people with dementia not only affects the well-being of the primary caregiver but also changes their roles and interactions with the social environment. New online interventions might facilitate access to social support. Recently, an online social support platform, Inlife, was developed in the Netherlands and aims to enhance social support and positive interactions in informal support networks.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Inlife for caregivers of people with dementia.
METHODS: A randomized controlled trial with 96 caregivers of people with dementia was performed. Participants were randomly assigned to the Inlife intervention or the waiting list control group. After 16 weeks of Inlife use, the waiting list control group could start using Inlife. Effects were evaluated at baseline (T0), 8 weeks (T1), and 16 weeks (T2). The 16-week follow-up assessment (T2) served as the primary endpoint to evaluate the results for the primary and secondary outcome variables evaluated with online self-report questionnaires. The primary outcomes included feelings of caregiver competence and perceived social support. The secondary outcomes included received support, feelings of loneliness, psychological complaints (eg, anxiety, stress), and quality of life.
RESULTS: No significant improvements were demonstrated for the intervention group (n=48) relative to the control group (n=48) for the primary outcomes (feeling of carer competence: b=-0.057, 95% CI -0.715 to 0.602, P=.87; perceived social support: b=-15.877, 95% CI -78.284 to 46.530, P=.62) or any secondary outcome. This contrasts with our qualitative findings showing the potential of Inlife to facilitate the care process in daily life. Adherence was not optimal for all Inlife users. Additional per-protocol and sensitivity analyses also revealed no beneficial results for high active Inlife users or specific subgroups. Inlife users were more active when part of a larger network.
CONCLUSIONS: Researchers should be modest regarding the effectiveness of online caregiver interventions in terms of quantitative measures of well-being and quality of life. Nevertheless, online tools have the potential to facilitate the caregiver process in daily life. Lessons learned include the importance of harnessing the power of human interaction in eHealth, making use of the user\'s social capital, and the need to develop research methods that can identify benefits in daily life that are ecologically valid for caregivers.
BACKGROUND: Netherlands Trial Register NTR6131; https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=NTR6131.
UNASSIGNED: RR2-10.1186/s13063-017-2097-y.

Paternal mental health remains an under-researched area in the UK. Consequently, father-focused formal and informal support provisions fail to address the complex emotional and psychological wellbeing needs of fathers. Drawing on data from twenty semi-structured interviews with fathers in the York area, this study seeks to better understand how access to and participation in informal support networks is influenced by gendered perceptions and the impact hegemonic perceptions of masculinity have on fathers\' access to support prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings demonstrate that fathers internalise stereotypical masculine tropes, such as stoicism, which prevent them from actively seeking support. While fathers value informal support network, they generally struggle to engage in mental health talks. The COVID-19 lockdown exacerbated fathers\' struggles to access informal support or prioritise their mental health. Fathers felt the pandemic presented a unique challenge that only people that became parents at the time understood. This meant that fathers could not rely on their parents or other parents who did not have similar experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims at challenging structural and cultural barriers that inhibit fathers\' participation in informal support networks, and to promote more meaningful, supportive engagement with peer groups.

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or gender diverse, or queer-identifying (LGBTQ) people provide informal support to peers experiencing mental ill health. This reflects both the high prevalence of mental ill health in their communities - often a product of discrimination - and barriers to accessing formal services. In this article, we explore how LGBTQ people who help peers with their mental health seek to cope with the stress of providing such support. Drawing on interviews with 25 LGBTQ people in Melbourne, Australia, we consider how community members being \'leant on\' engage in self-care practices and seek help from their communities to cope with the stress of their support roles. We demonstrate that participants\' ways of coping, even when similar, can vary in effectiveness and often come with limitations. Thus, we conclude that LGBTQ people providing informal support to peers should be better assisted to do so, in ways that acknowledge the diversity of support provided in LGBTQ communities.

BACKGROUND: The number of older people living alone is constantly increasing. This group faces special challenges regarding remaining at home when their care needs increase, especially in later life. When no family is available, friends and neighbors, so called non-kin carers, are important sources of support.
OBJECTIVE: A literature review was conducted to evaluate existing research on the relevance of non-kin support for older people living alone, from initial limitations to the end of their lives, particularly when they wished to remain at home.
METHODS: The literature search followed the criteria of a scoping review and was conducted in relevant databases and manually. A total of 22 studies were included in the analysis.
RESULTS: Older people living alone are often embedded in complex support networks. Living alone at an advanced age creates tensions between the desire for independence and the need for help. Non-kin carers primarily provide instrumental, emotional, and informational support. Challenges arise due to difficult interpersonal dynamics and the overburdening of non-kin carers, especially when those they support are at the end of their lives.
CONCLUSIONS: It is important to understand care networks as a complex interplay of different actors. Future research should focus on the specific burdens on non-kin carers as well as on the dynamics of relationships in these care networks.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Immer mehr ältere Menschen leben allein. Wenn keine Familie vorhanden ist und der Unterstützungsbedarf zunimmt, sind informelle außerfamiliäre Helfende für sie eine wichtige Ressource. Um die Chancen eines Verbleibs zu Hause bis in die letzte Lebensphase für alleinlebende ältere Menschen zu verbessern, sind Erkenntnisse zu außerfamiliären informellen Hilfsarrangements von Bedeutung.
UNASSIGNED: Anhand einer Literaturübersicht sollte der Forschungsstand hinsichtlich des Stellenwerts informeller außerfamiliärer Hilfe in der Versorgung älterer alleinlebender Menschen erfasst und skizziert werden, wobei der Unterstützungsbedarf vom Zeitpunkt anfänglicher Einschränkungen bis zum Lebensende einbezogen wurde.
METHODS: Die Vorgangsweise folgte den Kriterien eines Scoping-Reviews für die Literaturrecherche, die in facheinschlägigen Datenbanken sowie mithilfe von Handrecherche durchgeführt wurde. Es wurden insgesamt 22 Studien in die Analyse eingeschlossen.
UNASSIGNED: Alleinlebende ältere Menschen sind in komplexe Unterstützungsnetzwerke eingebettet. Diese stehen im Spannungsfeld zwischen dem subjektiven Wunsch nach Unabhängigkeit und dem meist wachsenden Hilfebedarf, der nur „von außen“ gedeckt werden kann. Informelle außerfamiliäre Helfende leisten v. a. instrumentelle, emotionale und informationelle Unterstützung. Herausforderungen ergeben sich durch interpersonelle Dynamiken und Überlastungen der Helfenden insbesondere am Lebensende der Alleinlebenden.
CONCLUSIONS: Es ist wichtig, Unterstützungsnetzwerke als komplexes Zusammenspiel unterschiedlicher Akteur*innen zu verstehen. Zukünftige Forschung sollte v. a. auf die spezifischen Belastungen für außerfamiliäre Helfende fokussieren.

UNASSIGNED: This study used longitudinal data from a sample of low-income mothers and their children to examine how informal support and obligation, or informal networks, contribute to children\'s behavior. We also tested the potential mediating role of maternal parenting stress.
UNASSIGNED: Many studies document the importance of informal support for maternal stress and child behavior to offset the negative impact of poverty for low-income families. Evidence suggests the importance of also considering the obligations that such informal support access may impart.
UNASSIGNED: Using data from the Welfare, Children, Families Study, a longitudinal study of diverse, low-income, urban mothers in three cities (n = 2,142), we used a parallel process latent growth curve model approach to examine how informal support and obligation contributed to maternal stress and child behavior.
UNASSIGNED: Models indicated that mothers with healthy safety nets, including informal support and manageable obligations, had children with fewer behavior problems, and parenting stress partially accounted for the positive effects.
UNASSIGNED: Results highlight the importance of considering reciprocity norms among low-income mothers; one-sided support or obligation can be problematic for both maternal stress and child behavior problems.
UNASSIGNED: Results suggest the merit of empirically supported interventions to teach relationship skills and facilitate healthy relationships among low-income mothers.