Social support has achieved national attention as a key component of the mental health recovery paradigm for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of variance accounted for by four social tie characteristics (social network orientation, emotional support, tangible support, and negative exchange) in three outcomes (mental health recovery, loneliness, and quality of life [QOL]). This study also investigated whether social tie characteristics mediated the link between symptom distress and rehabilitation outcomes. Participants were 101 adults with SMI, living in New York City and Boston. Eight measures were used to assess the above constructs. Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression were conducted. Social tie characteristics contribute significantly to loneliness and recovery, with the amount of variance accounted for by symptom distress in loneliness and mental health recovery increasing significantly when social tie characteristics were added to the model. Mediator analyses revealed that emotional support and negative social exchange mediate the relationship between symptom distress and loneliness. Tangible support mediates the relationship between symptom distress and recovery. Rehabilitation counselors need to assess and inquire about social tie characteristics. Future researchers should investigate the types of support/nonsupport specific to people with SMI.
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