Community participation following cerebrovascular accident: Impact of the buffering model of social support

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or stroke, is a major cause of adult disability in the United States (American Heart Association, 2005). With almost 730,000 people now experiencing a CVA each year (National Stroke Association, 1999), more outcome studies are being undertaken to help in the development of rehabilitation services to support CVA survivors. Starting in the 1970s, health care researchers became interested in studies of social support outcomes. Until now, one of the main focuses of outcome studies on social support in CVA has been a person s ability to carry out activities of daily living (ADL). Although this is often a prerequisite for discharge from hospital, it does not guarantee that a person will be able to participate successfully in the community. This study builds on previous CVA outcome studies by examining the impact of social support in a larger context, specifically testing the buffering model of social support on a person's ability to participate in the community after CVA.