Coping and social support and health related quality of life in women with breast cancer in Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the role of social support and coping in explaining health related quality of life (HRQoL) among Turkish breast cancer patients. A cross-sectional sample of 188 women from three hospitals in Turkey completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Ways of Coping Inventory, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey. Socio-demographic and medical information was also collected. Results indicated high HRQoL levels, with 7 of the 10 SF-36 scores being within 1 SD of population mean. Correlations showed that helplessness coping was inversely associated with HRQoL whereas social support, religious coping, optimistic coping and problem focused coping were positively associated with HRQoL. Multiple regressions indicated that time since diagnosis, time since operation, stage of cancer, post-operative treatment, social support and problem solving coping were significant predictors of HRQoL accounting for 54.7% to 46.4% of the variance in physical and emotional HRQoL. Coping and social support have an independent effect on HRQoL over and above sociodemographic and medical variables and should be targeted by appropriate interventions.