Giving and receiving social supports for elderly mentally ill people

Two research questions were addressed in this study of 57 older adult outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 37 older adults attending a senior citizen's center with no significant medical or psychological problems. The research questions were: (a) Are there gender-based differences in giving and receiving expressive and instrumental social supports for chronically mentally ill patients? (b) Do chronically mentally ill elderly patients differ from older adults without chronic mental illness in giving and receiving expressive and instrumental social supports? Based on a two-factor multi variate analysis of variance, women, with or without diagnosis of chronic mental illness, were more likely than were men to provide emotionally close social contacts with others, as well as to give advice to and receive advice from others. However, there were no differences in giving or receiving instrumental or expressive social supports based on whether or not the respondent was receiving outpatient psychiatric services for a chronic mental illness. In view of this, the possibility that the mentally ill have more to offer in relationships than is generally assumed is discussed. Suggestions for future research and implications for case managers also are discussed.