Social support and psychological outcome in people with Parkinson's disease: Evidence for a specific pattern of associations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between social support and psychological functioning in people with Parkinson's disease.

Method: 34 participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease completed a comprehensive range of social support assessments and measures of depression, anxiety, stress, general psychological distress and positive affect.

Results: A clear pattern of relationships emerged, with the less satisfaction with social support, the higher the depression, anxiety and stress scores.