Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study

Background: Web-based social networks are a powerful communicative element and their use is increasingly widespread. Persons living in extreme social exclusion such as individuals experiencing homelessness can benefit from the positive elements of communication and relationship associated with socia...

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Authors: Calvo, Fran, Carbonell, Xavier
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2018
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:20.500.14342/2281
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/2281
https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.9814
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Facebook
Xarxes socials - Aspectes psicològics
Indigents
Benestar
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spelling Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal StudyCalvo, FranCarbonell, XavierFacebookXarxes socials - Aspectes psicològicsIndigentsBenestarBackground: Web-based social networks are a powerful communicative element and their use is increasingly widespread. Persons living in extreme social exclusion such as individuals experiencing homelessness can benefit from the positive elements of communication and relationship associated with social networking sites. Objective: This study aimed to suggest the comparison of a Facebook training course and an office software course and their effect on psychological well-being in a group of individuals experiencing homelessness. Methods: An experimental and longitudinal study was designed. Individuals experiencing homelessness were randomly assigned to either the Facebook group or the office software group, and their social skills, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life were measured on 4 occasions: pretest, at the end of the training course, 1 month later, and 3 months later. A mixed analysis of variance of repeated measures (2×4) was performed. Results: A total of 92 individuals experiencing homelessness participated in the study. The number of cases in which the 4 measurements were completed was 71 (35 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group). The mixed analysis of variance of repeated measures and the multiple regression analysis indicated a significant increase of the 4 analyzed parameters, with greater significance in the areas of social skills and self-esteem. The critical levels associated to the interaction Time×Program were significant in all variables and levels. Therefore, the scores in the 4 analyzed constructs were not equal according to the program carried out throughout the work. The effect size associated to the interaction Time×Program in the social skills scores was large (η2 =0.32); in the self-esteem and self-efficacy scores, it was medium, (η2 =0.13); and in the satisfaction with life scores,it was small (η2 =0.09). The results of the adjustment of the different models of multiple linear regression indicate that the number of hours devoted weekly to the use of Facebook was a predictor of the increase in the scores of social skills (B=3.43, r 2 =.405) and self-esteem (B=.382). Age (B=.175) and self-efficacy (B=.09) were also variables, which with independence and in equal conditions, predicted self-esteem (r2 =.29). Finally, self-esteem (B=.69) was also a predictor variable of the increase of satisfaction with life (r2 =.195). Conclusions: These findings suggest that Facebook could be a key element in homeless psychological well-being and socialization.JMIR PublicationsUniversitat Ramon Llull. Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de l’Educació i de l’Esport Blanquerna2018info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion16 p.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/2281https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.9814reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésJMIR Mental Health, Vol. 5, Núm. 4Attribution 4.0 International© L'autor/ahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:20.500.14342/22812026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
title Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
spellingShingle Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
Calvo, Fran
Facebook
Xarxes socials - Aspectes psicològics
Indigents
Benestar
title_short Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
title_full Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
title_fullStr Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
title_full_unstemmed Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
title_sort Using Facebook for Improving the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Experimental and Longitudinal Study
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Calvo, Fran
Carbonell, Xavier
author Calvo, Fran
author_facet Calvo, Fran
Carbonell, Xavier
author_role author
author2 Carbonell, Xavier
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Ramon Llull. Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de l’Educació i de l’Esport Blanquerna
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Facebook
Xarxes socials - Aspectes psicològics
Indigents
Benestar
topic Facebook
Xarxes socials - Aspectes psicològics
Indigents
Benestar
description Background: Web-based social networks are a powerful communicative element and their use is increasingly widespread. Persons living in extreme social exclusion such as individuals experiencing homelessness can benefit from the positive elements of communication and relationship associated with social networking sites. Objective: This study aimed to suggest the comparison of a Facebook training course and an office software course and their effect on psychological well-being in a group of individuals experiencing homelessness. Methods: An experimental and longitudinal study was designed. Individuals experiencing homelessness were randomly assigned to either the Facebook group or the office software group, and their social skills, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life were measured on 4 occasions: pretest, at the end of the training course, 1 month later, and 3 months later. A mixed analysis of variance of repeated measures (2×4) was performed. Results: A total of 92 individuals experiencing homelessness participated in the study. The number of cases in which the 4 measurements were completed was 71 (35 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group). The mixed analysis of variance of repeated measures and the multiple regression analysis indicated a significant increase of the 4 analyzed parameters, with greater significance in the areas of social skills and self-esteem. The critical levels associated to the interaction Time×Program were significant in all variables and levels. Therefore, the scores in the 4 analyzed constructs were not equal according to the program carried out throughout the work. The effect size associated to the interaction Time×Program in the social skills scores was large (η2 =0.32); in the self-esteem and self-efficacy scores, it was medium, (η2 =0.13); and in the satisfaction with life scores,it was small (η2 =0.09). The results of the adjustment of the different models of multiple linear regression indicate that the number of hours devoted weekly to the use of Facebook was a predictor of the increase in the scores of social skills (B=3.43, r 2 =.405) and self-esteem (B=.382). Age (B=.175) and self-efficacy (B=.09) were also variables, which with independence and in equal conditions, predicted self-esteem (r2 =.29). Finally, self-esteem (B=.69) was also a predictor variable of the increase of satisfaction with life (r2 =.195). Conclusions: These findings suggest that Facebook could be a key element in homeless psychological well-being and socialization.
publishDate 2018
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2018
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/2281
https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.9814
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/2281
https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.9814
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv JMIR Mental Health, Vol. 5, Núm. 4
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution 4.0 International
© L'autor/a
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution 4.0 International
© L'autor/a
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 16 p.
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv JMIR Publications
publisher.none.fl_str_mv JMIR Publications
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.81155

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