ERIC Number: EJ821373
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0034-3552
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Frequency and Type of Internet Use on Perceived Social Support and Sense of Well-Being in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury
Miller, Susan M.
Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, v51 n3 p148-158 2008
This article examines the effect of frequency and type of Internet use on perceived social support and sense of well-being in persons with spinal cord injury. The results show that Internet use is not significantly related to perceived social support. Bivariate analysis indicates that there is a significant negative association between total Internet use and overall sense of well-being. Simultaneous regression further investigated the nature of this relationship by examining the contribution of 10 online activities to four scales measuring sense of well-being. Frequency of online gaming was negatively associated with each scale. Disability-related information seeking was also negatively associated with psychological and financial well-being, as well as perceived social support. These results suggest that Internet use as a whole should not be overlooked by rehabilitation counselors for its practical uses to increase independence and social connectedness in persons with disabilities; however, care should be used, particularly with online gaming.
Descriptors: Injuries, Information Seeking, Rehabilitation Counseling, Counselors, Internet, Well Being, Social Support Groups, Correlation, Disabilities, Psychological Patterns, Income
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Counselors
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A