When hardship strikes welfare recipients. On who can they rely?

This study analyzes how social support is actualized by comparing 61 welfare recipients with a sample of 21 individuals above the poverty level in the area of St-Henri and Pointe Saint-Charles and by taking into account the level of psychological distress. A second goal is to document how an adversity experienced by a welfare recipient, with or without distress, breaks or change the support network. Results show that individuals with high distress have a less reliable network than those without, that they more often report a refusal of support or are let down and that they have more negative ties in their network. Besides, experienced events are more likely to attack their reputation, represent a threat, a betrayal or prevent access to a right. These individuals are also more likely to be isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]