Self-Management Program Participation and Social Support in Parkinson's Disease: Mixed Methods Evaluation

Aims: To explore the potential influence of the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) on social support in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: This was a quasi-experimental mixed methods design. Volunteers with PD (n = 27) and care partners (n = 6) completed the CDSMP, questionnaires of social support and self-management outcomes, and an interview about social support in relation to CDSMP participation. PD participants (n = 19) who did not participate in the CDSMP completed the questionnaires for quantitative comparison purposes. Results: Regarding the quantitative data, there were no significant effects of CDSMP participation on social support questionnaire scores; however, there were some positive correlations between changes in social support and changes in self-management outcomes from pre- to post-CDSMP participation. Three qualitative themes emerged from the interviews: lack of perceived change in amount and quality of social support, positive impact on existing social networks, and benefit from participating in a supportive PD community. Conclusions: Although participants did not acknowledge major changes in social support, there were some social support-related benefits of CDSMP participation for PD participants and care partners. These findings provide a starting point for more in-depth studies of social support and self-management in this population.