. Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change 1 Crown copyright © This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to copy, distribute, and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to Statistics NZ and abide by the other licence terms. Please note you may not use any departmental or governmental emblem, logo, or coat of arms in any way that infringes any provision of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981. Use the wording ‘Statistics New Zealand’ in your attribution, not the Statistics NZ logo. Liability While all care and diligence has been used in processing, analysing, and extracting data and information in this publication, Statistics New Zealand gives no warranty it is error free and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the use directly, or indirectly, of the information in this publication. Citation Statistics New Zealand (2015). Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change. Available from www.stats.govt.nz ISBN 978-0-908350-21-6 (online) Published in November 2015 by Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa Wellington, New Zealand Contact Statistics New Zealand Information Centre: [email protected] Phone toll-free 0508 525 525 Phone international +64 4 931 4610 www.stats.govt.nz 2 Contents List of tables and figures ...................................................................................................4 1 Purpose and key findings .............................................................................................5 Purpose............................................................................................................................5 Key findings .....................................................................................................................5 2 Social networks an important source of support ......................................................6 About social networks ......................................................................................................6 Types of life changes .......................................................................................................6 Data is from New Zealand General Social Survey ..........................................................7 3 Life changes experienced in past 12 months.............................................................8 Most New Zealanders experienced major change ..........................................................8 Changes in health and finances most common ..............................................................8 Change of greatest impact varies by life stage ...............................................................9 More types of change perceived as negative rather than positive ................................10 4 Social network sources of support ...........................................................................12 Family the main source of first help or support .............................................................12 Support from professionals more common for health-related changes ........................13 Social networks provide varied types of help ................................................................14 5 Conclusions .................................................................................................................16 Appendix 1: Data tables ...................................................................................................17 3 List of tables and figures List of tables 1. Number of changes experienced in last 12 months, by life stage ............................17 2. Type of change experienced, by life stage ................................................................17 3. Change of greatest impact, by life stage ...................................................................18 4. Perception of different life changes, by life stage .....................................................19 5. Source of first support for people who went through a change, by life stage ...........20 6. Source of first support, by change of greatest impact...............................................20 7. Type of support received, by life stage......................................................................20 8. Source of first help, by type of support received .......................................................21 List of figures 1. People with at least one major life change in last 12 months, by life stage................8 2. People with at least one major life change in last 12 months, by type of change ......9 3. Life change of greatest impact, by type of change ...................................................10 4. Perception of different life changes, by type of change ............................................11 5. Source of first help/support, by life stage ..................................................................13 6. Source of first help/support, by change of greatest impact .......................................14 7. Type of help/support received, by life stage..............................................................14 8. Source of first help/support, by type of support received ..........................................15 4 1 Purpose and key findings Purpose Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change describes how people use their social networks to help get through periods of major change in their life. The report looks at the changes people experienced during the previous 12 months, their impacts, and who they reached out to for support. Data is sourced from the 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey, and covers New Zealand adults at four broad life stages: young people (aged 15–24), prime working age (25–44), middle age (45–64), and older people (65 years and over). Key findings 7 in 10 New Zealand adults experienced at least one change that had a major impact on their lives in the last 12 months. Changes in health circumstances were the most commonly reported life change, followed by changes in finances and relationships. 45 percent of people perceived the change as mostly negative, compared with 33 percent who perceived it as mostly positive. The remaining 22 percent viewed the change more neutrally. 3 in 5 of those who experienced a major life change used family for support. People were over four times more likely to turn to family for support first than either friends or professionals. Young people (15–24) and prime working age people (25–44) were more likely to turn to family for support in a time of change than those aged 45 years and over. 1 in 5 people did not access any support during a period of change in their life. Older people (65 years and over) were more likely to not get help during a life change than young people. People were most likely to use the support of professionals for changes that involved the care of a sick or disabled person (27 percent), and changes in their health status or the health of someone close to them (30 percent). Emotional support was the most common type of support that people received, regardless of age. 5 2 Social networks an important source of support This chapter describes what we mean by social networks, and how we categorise major life changes. See: About social networks Types of life changes Data is from New Zealand General Social Survey About social networks A person's social network may include family, friends, neighbours, or other contacts. A support network consists of the people that individuals can turn to for practical, emotional, or financial support. Based on data from the latest New Zealand General Social Survey (2014): Nearly all (97 percent) New Zealand adults (people aged 15 years and over) had one or more family members who provided them with help and support. They were most likely to get help and support from immediate family members. The majority (88 percent) of people had at least one friend who provided them with help and support, while almost half (47 percent) had five or more supportive friends. Long-term residents (21 or more years living in New Zealand) were more likely to have five or more supportive neighbours (13 percent) than those living in the same neighbourhood for less than a year (2 percent). People may not draw on their social network for support until a significant event occurs in their life. It is at this time that social networks are most useful for helping people deal with change. Types of life changes People may experience change in different areas of their life, which we categorise as the following life situations: Health (their own, or the health of someone close to them) Finances Personal or family relationships Living arrangements Employment Death of someone close Care of a sick or disabled person Other Changes in different life situations can be perceived as positive (eg getting married, securing a better job, or having a successful surgical operation), negative (eg marriage breakdown or divorce, losing their job, or getting badly into debt), or more neutrally. Also, a person’s state of mind or natural optimism may shape the way they see change. Information about major changes in people’s lives and the support they use and need during these times is relevant to government agencies. This is because people who are unable to access help from their social network may need to draw on government support. Knowing who people go to for support (especially the first tier/level of support) and the support they receive is important for understanding how support and care 6 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change responsibilities can be most effectively shared between government and civil society. Also, whether some population groups are better, or less able to be, supported through their social networks during a time of change. Data is from New Zealand General Social Survey We sourced the data in this report from the 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey (NZGSS). This survey collected well-being information from 8,800 New Zealanders aged 15 years and over between April 2014 and March 2015. The 2014 NZGSS included a supplementary questionnaire on the topic of social networks and support, which collected the following information: Characteristics of social networks – tells us about the make-up of people’s familial and wider social networks Strength of social networks – tells us whether people think they would be able to access support, if they needed it, across different scenarios Effectiveness of social networks – tells us whether people received support from their social networks during a time of need. See New Zealand General Social Survey: 2014 for more information. 7 3 Life changes experienced in past 12 months This chapter describes the major life changes that respondents experienced in the last 12 months, including the change that most affected them. It also looks at whether people perceived the change in positive or negative terms. See: Most New Zealanders experienced major change Changes in health and finances most common Change of greatest impact varies by life stage More types of change perceived as negative rather than positive Most New Zealanders experienced major change Change is a frequent occurrence in New Zealanders’ lives. In 2014, almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) people aged 15 years and over experienced at least one major change that had a significant impact on their lives in the last 12 months. Regardless of how old they were, the proportion who experienced major life change was similar. Figure 1 1. People with at least one major life change in last 12 months, by life stage People who experienced at least one major life change in last 12 months 80 Percent By life stage April 2014–March 2015 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Young people (15–24) Prime working age (25–44) Middle-age (45–64) Older people (65+) All ages Life stage Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand Almost half (47 percent) of respondents experienced more than one major life change in the past 12 months. More frequent change was more common among young people than older people. For example, those aged 15–24 were more than twice as likely to report three or more major changes than people aged 65 and over (36 percent and 16 percent, respectively). Changes in health and finances most common Two in five (42 percent) respondents experienced a change in health (either their own health, or the health of someone close) in the last 12 months. The next most common life change was a change in finances, affecting 29 percent of people. 8 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Figure 2 2. People with at least one major life change in last 12 months, by type of change People who experienced at least one major life change in last 12 months(1) By type of change April 2014–March 2015 Percent 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Health Finances Personal/family Living Employment relationships arrangements Death Care of sick or disabled person Other Type of change 1. Multiple response possible Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand People aged 45–64 (44 percent) and those aged 65 years and over (48 percent) were more likely to have experienced health changes than those aged 15–24 (37 percent). This reflects the general decline in physical health as we age. Younger people (aged 15–44 years) were more likely than those at older ages to experience changes in their finances, personal or family relationships, living arrangements, and employment. This is not surprising given the many and varied transitions that occur at younger ages, such as leaving the family home, starting work, and starting relationships. Change of greatest impact varies by life stage Respondents who experienced more than one major life change were asked to identify the change that most affected them. This report will now focus on that one change, which varies considerably by life stage. Figure 3 shows that a change in health was most commonly identified as having the greatest impact, at 31 percent. While the death of someone close was experienced less often than most other reported changes, it had the greatest impact on people’s lives, after health changes. A change in finances was the second most common change experienced in the last 12 months, but ranked fifth in terms of impact. Among young people (aged 15–24), the changes of greatest impact were health, death of someone close to them, living arrangements, personal or family relationships, and employment. While the impact of health changes increase with advancing age, the impact of changes in personal or family relationships and living arrangements decrease. For those of prime working age (25–44 years), changes in health had the greatest impact, followed by changes in personal or family relationships, finances, living arrangements, and the death of someone close to them. 9 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Figure 3 3. Life change of greatest impact, by type of change Life change of greatest impact By type of change April 2014–March 2015 Percent 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Health Death Personal/family Living relationships arrangements Finances Employment Other Care of sick or disabled person Type of change Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand More types of change perceived as negative rather than positive Changes in different life situations can be perceived positively or negatively. In 2014, 2 in 5 (45 percent) New Zealanders perceived the change as mostly negative. Only 33 percent perceived the change as mostly positive. The other 22 percent viewed the change more neutrally. Age had minimal effect on perception, although prime working age people were more likely to view change positively than middle-aged and older people. Some life changes were perceived as mostly negative, including health changes (58 percent) and the death of someone close to them (57 percent). However, older people were less likely to see a death as negative, with 50 percent viewing it that way compared with 71 percent of young people. Older people were also less likely than younger people to see changes in employment and living arrangements as negative. But they were more likely to see changes in finances as negative, with 59 percent viewing it this way compared with 39 percent of young people. The changes that were perceived more positively than others were changes in living arrangements (61 percent), and employment (58 percent). 10 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Figure 4 4. Perception of different life changes, by type of change Perception of different life changes April 2014–March 2015 Type of change All changes Health Personal/family relationships Mostly positive Living arrangements Neither positive nor negative Finances Mostly negative Employment Care of sick or disabled person Death Other 0 20 40 Percent Source: Statistics New Zealand 11 60 80 100 4 Social network sources of support This chapter describes who respondents turned to first for help getting through the change that most affected them in the last 12 months. It also describes the type of support they received. See: Family the main source of first help or support Support from professionals more common for health-related changes Social networks provide varied types of help Family the main source of first help or support We often need to reach out for help when coping with change, especially support from our social networks. Family is an important source of support, with 61 percent of those who experienced a major life change in the last 12 months getting help from their family. We are over four times more likely to turn to family for support first than either friends or professionals. This shows the importance of the family unit in New Zealand society, and recognising it alongside more formal avenues of support. Partners and parents were the family members that respondents most commonly turned to for support. While family was the most commonly accessed support across all life stages, the proportion of young people citing family as the source of first help or support was higher than for other life stages. Middle-aged and older people were least likely to call on family support first. Support from professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, was more popular in later life. One in five (21 percent) older New Zealanders (65 years and over) used professionals as the first source of support, compared with 8 percent of young people and 14 percent of prime working age people. One in five (21 percent) people who experienced a life change in the last 12 months did not get help during that change. People might not get help for a number of reasons, including feeling that they did not need support to get through that change or because they did not have a support network. But in many cases a lack of support can make it harder for people to deal with change. Older people (23 percent) were more likely to not get help during a life change compared with young people (17 percent). 12 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Figure 5 5. Source of first help/support, by life stage Source of first help/support(1) By life stage April 2014–March 2015 Percent 80 70 60 Family 50 Friends 40 Professionals 30 Others 20 No help 10 0 Young people (15–24) Prime working age (25–44) Middle-age (45–64) Older people (65+) All ages Life stage 1. Respondents were able to select more than one type of support received during a life change, therefore percentages do not add to 100. Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand Support from professionals more common for healthrelated changes Regardless of the change that most affected New Zealanders in the last 12 months, family was always the most common source of first help or support, especially for support coping with the death of someone close (72 percent), and changes to personal or family relationships (62 percent), and living arrangements (61 percent). People were less likely to use family support for changes involving finances (44 percent) and the care of a sick or disabled person (46 percent). People were more likely to use professional sources for support during changes that involved the care of a sick or disabled person (27 percent), and changes to their health status or the health of someone close to them (30 percent). Situations when people were more likely not to get help were during financial changes (40 percent), employment changes (27 percent), and living arrangement changes (24 percent). 13 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Figure 6 6. Source of first help/support, by change of greatest impact Source of first help/support(1) By change of greatest impact April 2014–March 2015 80 Percent 70 60 50 Family Friends 40 Professionals 30 Others 20 No help 10 0 Health Personal/family Living relationships arrangements Finances Employment Care of sick or disabled person Death Other Change of greatest impact 1. Respondents were able to select more than one type of support received during a life change, therefore percentages do not add to 100. Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand Social networks provide varied types of help Family, friends, professionals, or clubs and organisations may all be called on to deal with change, but what kind of help do they provide? Support can be classified into three broad types: emotional, instrumental (eg financial or practical support such as transportation or housekeeping), and informational (eg informal advice, information, training, or referrals). Emotional support was the most commonly accessed form of support across all age groups, but older people were less likely to access it than younger people. Young people and prime working age people were more likely to access financial support than older people. Figure 7 7. Type of help/support received, by life stage Type of help/support received(1) By life stage April 2014–March 2015 Percent 70 60 Emotional 50 Information or advice 40 Financial 30 Practical support 20 Other 10 0 Young people (15–24) Prime working age (25–44) Middle-age (45–64) Older people (65+) All ages Life stage 1. Respondents were able to select more than one type of support received during a life change, therefore percentages do not add to 100. Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand 14 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Family was the most commonly used source of first help or support regardless of the type of support they provided. But family was much more likely to be the first source of emotional support than for information or advice, financial, or practical support. Information or advice was more likely to be sought from professionals than from friends. Figure 8 8. Source of first help/support, by type of support received Source of first help/support By type of support received April 2014–March 2015 Percent 90 80 70 Family 60 50 Friends 40 Professionals 30 Other 20 10 0 Emotional Information or advice Financial Type of support Note: Error bars show the 95 percent confidence interval. Source: Statistics New Zealand 15 Practical 5 Conclusions People may not draw on their social networks for support until a significant event occurs in their life. It is at this time that social networks are most useful for helping people deal with change. Change is a constant in our lives, with 7 in 10 New Zealand adults (people aged 15 years and over) experiencing at least one change that had a major impact on their lives in the last 12 months. A change in their health status, or the health of someone close to them, was the most commonly reported life change, followed by changes in finances and relationships. Around 45 percent of people perceived the change as mostly negative, while 33 percent perceived the change as mostly positive. The other 22 percent viewed the change more neutrally. Family is an important source of support, with 61 percent of those who experienced a life change in the last 12 months getting help from their family. We are over four times more likely to turn to family for support first than either friends or professionals. While family was the most commonly accessed source of social support across all life stages, the proportion of young people (aged 15–24) who reached out to family for first help or support was higher than for other life stages. Support from professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, was more popular in later life. However, 1 in 5 (21 percent) people who experienced a life change in the last 12 months did not get help during that change. Older people (65 years and over) were more likely to not get help during a change than young people. People were more likely to seek support from family during changes involving the death of someone close, personal or family relationships, and living arrangements. However, we were more likely to use the support of professional sources for changes that involved the care of a sick or disabled person, and health-related changes. Emotional support was the most commonly accessed form of support across all age groups, but older people were less likely to seek it. Young people and prime working age people (aged 25–44) were more likely to access financial support than older people. 16 Appendix 1: Data tables Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change uses the following data from the 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey. Table 1 1. Number of changes experienced in last 12 months, by life stage Number of changes experienced in last 12 months, by life stage Number of changes 0 1 2 3 or more All ages Life stage Prime working age (25–44) Percentage 28.7 18.0 17.4 35.9 Young people (15–24)+ 31.1 21.5 16.7 30.7 31.0 18.2 14.6 36.2 Middle-age (45–64) 32.4 21.2 16.0 30.4* Older people (65+) 33.1 31.9* 18.9* 16.1* Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand Table 2 2. Type of change experienced, by life stage Type of change experienced, by life stage Type of change experienced(1) Health Personal or family relationships Living arrangements Finances Employment Care of a sick or disabled person Death Other All ages Young people (15–24)+ Life stage Prime Middle-age working age (45–64) (25–44) Percentage 38.5 44.2* Older people (65+) 41.7 36.8 24.3 29.4 27.5 23.5* 14.9* 22.9 28.5 22.0 33.3 33.2 27.9 29.3 37.2* 29.4 18.5* 26.0* 19.9* 9.0* 12.0* 6.5* 11.4 21.8 7.0 9.6 21.5 7.0 9.2 19.4 10.0* 15.3* 22.4 5.3 10.1 25.4 4.5* 1. Multiple response possible Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand 17 48.1* Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Table 3 3. Change of greatest impact, by life stage Change of greatest impact, by life stage Change of greatest impact Health Personal or family relationships Living arrangements Finances Employment Care of a sick or disabled person Death Other All ages Young people (15–24)+ Life stage Prime Middle-age working age (45–64) (25–44) Percentage 23.0 33.5* Older people (65+) 30.6 20.7 11.3 15.4 14.5 8.6* 6.1* 11.2 10.5 9.2 18.0 9.5 11.0 13.1* 14.6* 9.9 8.5* 10.7 9.8 5.4* 3.1* 4.6* 2.5 18.5 6.2 1.9 18.6 4.8 1.3 13.6* 10.0* 4.1* 20.9 3.9 Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand 18 50.3* 2.8 23.3 4.4 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Table 4 4. Perception of different life changes, by life stage Perception of different life changes, by life stage Perception of change All changes(1) Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Health Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Personal/family relationships Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Living arrangements Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Finances Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Employment Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Care of a sick or disabled person Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Death Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative Other Mostly positive Neither + nor Mostly negative All ages Young people (15–24)+ Life stage Prime Middle-age working age (45–64) (25–44) Percentage Older people (65+) 32.8 22.3 44.9 34.3 23.3 42.4 39.8* 21.2 38.9 27.4* 22.1 50.4* 27.5* 23.4 49.2* 19.6 22.3 58.1 16.7 23.6 59.7 19.7 22.7 57.6 17.8 23.3 58.9 22.9 20.1 56.9 34.4 22.7 42.9 32.2 21.6 46.2 41.1 21.5 37.4 29.0 25.8 45.1 22.6 23.3 54.1 61.4 24.4 14.1 62.4 25.4 12.1 63.3 21.6 15.1 57.0 25.4 17.6 61.7 31.9 6.4 29.4 22.0 48.6 27.2 34.3 38.5 33.4 20.5 46.1 26.5 17.7 55.8 17.4 24.0 58.6 58.2 17.2 24.5 68.2 14.7 17.1 61.4 15.6 23.1 47.1* 18.7 34.1* 64.8 24.6 10.6 42.4 26.2 31.3 36.1 42.0 21.9 38.5 28.5 33.0 41.1 23.2 35.7 54.1 21.1 24.8 15.4 27.6 56.9 7.5 21.5 71.1 18.2* 33.3* 48.5* 15.2* 24.5 60.4 19.1* 31.2 49.6* 58.8 7.6 33.6 48.6 17.1 34.2 71.3* 6.2 22.5 44.4 4.6 51.0 38.3 8.4 53.4 Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand 19 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Table 5 5. Source of first support for people who went through a change, by life stage Source of first support for people who went through a change, by life stage Source of first help or support(1) Family Friends Professionals Others No help All ages Young people (15–24)+ 60.6 13.0 15.0 9.5 20.5 68.2 14.6 8.3 6.5 17.2 Life stage Prime Middle-age working age (45–64) (25–44) Percentage 63.4 57.2* 14.0 13.3 14.2* 16.4* 9.9* 11.0* 19.1 22.3* Older people (65+) 53.5* 8.9* 20.7* 9.1* 23.4* 1. Multiple response possible Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand Table 6 6. Source of first support, by change of greatest impact Source of first support, by change of greatest impact Source of first help or support(1) Health+ Personal or family relationships Family Friends Professionals Others No help 59.4 11.1 29.8 10.7 16.4 61.7 21.2* 7.9 6.0 18.1 Change of greatest impact Living Finances Employment arrangements 61.1 16.4* 6.1 7.6 23.8 Percentage 43.5* 7.9 6.9 9.5 40.0 Care of a sick or disabled person Death Other 46.2* 9.5 26.9 20.6 14.4 72.0* 12.6 4.2 6.4 15.9 68.5* 14.7 22.1 14.4 14.0 58.0 11.6 7.8 12.3 26.6 1. Multiple response possible Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand Table 7 7. Type of support received, by life stage Type of support received, by life stage Type of help or support received(1) Emotional Information or advice Financial Practical support Other All ages Young people (15–24)+ 60.2 62.9 30.9 12.1 23.4 2.3 32.7 15.8 19.2 1.8 Life stage Prime Middle-age working age (45–64) (25–44) Percentage 61.4 60.3 33.4 16.2 27.1* 1.5 1.Multiple response Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand 20 29.7 10.0* 20.9 3.0 Older people (65+) 54.7* 26.2* 4.0* 25.3* 3.2 Social networks help New Zealanders deal with change Table 8 8. Source of first help, by type of support received Source of first help, by type of support received Source of first help or support Emotional+ Family Friends Professionals Other 83.2 12.0 2.4 2.4 Type of support received Information Financial or advice Percentage 41.1* 58.2* 13.6 5.2* 35.4* 5.7* 9.9* 30.9* Symbols: + Reference group * Statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05 Source: Statistics New Zealand 21 Practical 66.2* 14.0 10.2* 9.5*
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