Perceived Social Support and its Relation with Mental Adjustment among Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Women with breast cancer experienced many problems in various aspects of their lives, thatthey use active approaches which can result in improving their psychosocial adaptation to thedisease. Social support buffers the harmful impacts of cancer. Aim of the study: was to evaluateperceived social support and its relation with mental adjustment among women diagnosed withbreast cancer Subject: 85 women with breast cancer as a convenient sample from both inpatientand outpatient services of oncology Department of Tanta University Hospital was included.Study design: a descriptive correlation research design was utilized. Tools of the Study: Tool 1:Perceived Social support scale, include 2 parts: Part one: Socio-demographic Characteristicsand Clinical Information. Part two: Perceived Social support scale. Tool 2: Mental Adjustmentto Cancer Scale. Results: majority 74.1% women had moderate social support while one third25.9% of them had high social support. The majority 78.8% of women had adapted in fightingspirit subscale of positive adaptation. But two thirds 68.2% of them had not adapted in anxiouspreoccupation, hopelessness /helplessness, and avoidance subscales of negative adaptationsubscales while 31.8% of them had adapted. Conclusion: perceived social support dimensionswere not statistically significant correlated with mental adjustment to cancer dimensions. Alsoperceived social support dimensions with positive & negative mental adjustment to cancerdimensions. While breast cancer severity & degree was statistically significant related withpositive mental adjustment dimensions. Recommendations: women showing negativepsychological responses to cancer need to psychiatric intervention during cancer treatment.