Social support for cancer patients in Croatia: a cross-sectional study

1387 Social support and psychosocial adaptation in cancer patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties, convergent validity, and factorial invariance of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in cancer patients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to explore the scale's dimensionality and test for strong measurement invariance across sex and age in a cross-sectional, multicenter, prospective study. Patients completed the MSPSS and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A total of 925 consecutive patients were recruited in 13 hospitals between July 2015 and December 2018. The CFA indicated that the original three-factor model was replicated in patients with cancer. The results of the multi-group CFA revealed a strong invariance according to sex and age. The Spanish version of the MSPSS had high estimated reliability with values exceeding .90. The simple sum of the items of each scale was a good indicator of oncology patients' perceived social support. The three MSPSS subscales correlated significantly with the SWLS. Women scored higher on social support by friends than men. The Spanish version of the MSPSS proved to be a valid, reliable instrument to assess perceived social support in cancer patients.

The complexity of the role of social support in relation to the psychological distress associated with cancer

The social support is increasingly accepted as an important factor that influences the wellness of a human being, particularly people with chronic diseases. This study translates and validates the quantitative questionnaire that has been developed and has been widely accepted across cultures, namely the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The study was initially performed by translating the original questionnaire using forward and backward translation methods. Thirty cancer patients from Margono public hospital Purwokerto, Indonesia were conveniently included to evaluate the transleted questionmaire’s cconvergent, discriminant validity. Furthermore, 45 cancer patients were included in the main study which evaluate the level of social support among cancer patients. According to factor analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy showed that the results is valid (0.668) while the Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity also showed that the number of samples were adequate (0.668) and eligible for factor analysis. The Measures of Sampling adequacy from each question was considerably higher than 0.5 and therefore there were no translated question that has to be removed in the analysis. There were 3 out of 12 factors that was included with the total variance of 81.166%. The Pearson’s correlation and Cronbach Alpha tests showed that discriminant validity and reliability test of the translated questionnaire were valid (>0.400) and reliable (>0.700) questionnaire. The translated version of the MSPSS was considerably a valid and reliable questionnaire to evaluate the level of social support for cancer patients in Indonesia.

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular diseases and the third leading cause of death in Iran. It is generally accepted that suicidal thoughts and rumination affect the treatment process of cancer. As the rate of suicide in the first 6months after cancer diagnosis has been reported seven times compared to the general population. On the other hand, it seems that patients' perception of their disease and social support are predictors of suicidal thoughts and rumination in these patients. In this study, we investigated the impact of disease perception and social support on the level of suicidal thoughts and rumination in cancer patients. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on the adult cancer patients of Hamadan city in 2024. A total of 250 patients were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), the Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow Rumination Questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and the Social Support Questionnaire (SS-A). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis with the application of SPSS-26 software. The findings indicate that social support (β = -0.458, p < 0.001 (and disease perception (β = 0.168, p = 0.003) are significant predictors of suicidal thoughts. Additionally, increased disease perception (β = 0.242, p = 0.000) can lead to increased rumination (β = -0.379, p = 0.000), while social support (β = -0.379, p = 0.000) plays a protective role in reducing rumination. The results of this study show that disease perception and social support can predict suicidal thoughts and rumination in cancer patients. Clinically, the findings emphasize the necessity of considering psychological factors such as disease perception and social support in the treatment process of cancer patients.

BackgroundDespite the fact that being exposed to traumatic and stressful events could have severe consequences, studies have shown that even in the wake of negative events such as cancer diagnosis, we see some changes and positive impacts in scheme, philosophy of life and self-perception, a process which is called Post Traumatic Growth (PTG). The aim of the current research is to define share of self-efficacy and perceived social support in the prediction of PTG.MethodsThe research is a correlation type. For this aim, 95 patients with cancer came to Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Vali-e-Asr Hospital, Zanjan, and Mehraneh Charity Institute, Zanjan in 2012 have been selec ted based on available sampling and evaluated regarding self-efficacy, and perceived social support and PTG.ResultsData analysis using Pearson correlation and regression analysis (simple and multiple) showed that self-efficacy and Perceived Social Support in cancer patients have direct significant relation with variable of PTG and explain 13.5%, 10.6% and jointly 20.7% of PTG changes respectively.ConclusionThe research findings show that the variables of self-efficacy and Perceived Social Support explain significantly the PTG and these psychological variables can be used to provide improvement plans and mental health and PTG facilities.

Background:Cancer diagnosis is an important event in an individual’s life which has considerable outcomes and implications for patient and his/her family. Meanwhile, receiving assistance and support from family and friends has a significant impact on patients to help them to cope with disease-related stress and its treatment. This study aimed to assess the received social support and its correlation with demographic and medical variables.Materials and Methods:This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on two hundred cancer patients referred to Sayed Al-Shohada Medical Center in Isfahan, Iran. The study subjects were selected through convenient sampling method and required information collected by questionnaire containing demographic and medical data and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Some of the inclusion criteria included age over 18 with no history of mental disorders and not being at final stages of the disease. Content validity of MSPSS was confirmed by experts and its reliability was evaluated by test-retest (r > 0.85).Findings:The majority of cancer patients (94.5%) perceived a high rate of social support from their families, friends and relatives. Furthermore, the findings indicated a statistical significant correlation between the numbers of children with social support; however, no significant correlation was found between other demographic and medical variables with social support.Conclusions:The findings of this study indicated receiving the maximum acceptable social support from family, especially children, in patients with cancer. However, conducting further extensive studies is recommended to find effective factors on social support of patients with cancer.

Social support is regarded as a complex construct which has long been suggested to have direct and buffering effects on patients' wellbeing and emotional adjustment to cancer. Cross-sectional and prospective studies show a positive association between perceived social support and psychological adjustment following cancer treatment. Research findings suggest that the evidence for the relationship between social support and cancer progression is sufficiently strong. This report points out the importance of social support in cancer and provides recommendations for health care professionals.

Social support, acknowledged as a protective factor against diseases, produces positive results in the prognosis of cancer patients. There is no relevant studies on perceived social support and factors related to Turkish cancer patients. Hence, the present study aimed to determine the demographic characteristics that affect the perceived social support in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in Turkey. This study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample included 423 adult cancer patients who admitted to the Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit of three hospitals in Turkey between March 2014 and August 2014. The data were collected through Demographic Characteristics Form and Cancer-Specific Social Support Scale (CPSSS). Patients were between 19 and 85 years of age with a mean 51.75 years. Almost half of them (40.7%) were primary school graduates, 53.2% were female, 84.6% were married and 85.8% had children. It was found that the patients generally received a high score (127.86 ± 17.44) from the CPSSS scale. The highest scores were obtained on the Confidence Support sub dimension. It was revealed that women and married patients needed more confidence support and general social support (P < 0.05). Social support perceived by primary school graduates was statistically significant to a great extent (P < 0.05). In spite of the difference between the patients with metastasis and their perceived social support grade averages (P > 0.05), it was seen that patients with multiple children utilized more confidence support and general social support in social support reception (P < 0.05). The study showed that study participants received a high amount of social support. Age, gender, marital status, number of children, and educational status were determined to affect perceived social support. It is recommended to support the patients who do not receive sufficient social.

One of the key psychosocial factors that impact mental and emotional health is social support. While much research has been conducted on the role of social support in the lives of cancer patients, there is a lack of studies that consider populations who need specific tools to assess this concept. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MOS Social Support Scale (1991) in 499 Peruvian cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 87 (M= 46.30, SD = 15.747). In this study, three models of the MOS were analyzed based on 19-item versions (four factor, second order and bifactor model). The results showed a better psychometric fit in the 19-item bifactor model with optimal fit indices through the structural equation method (SB-χ2/df = 1.94, CFI = 0.966, TLI= 0.955, SRMR = 0.038 and RMSEA = 0.058). Additionally, there was evidence of configural, metric and scalar invariance with this instrument according to the gender of the surveyed cancer patients. Convergent validity using a network analysis approach revealed positive associations between social support dimensions and quality of life. Emotional support and positive interactions dimensions were found to be important interconnections in the overall network, as indicated by their greater centralities. Therefore, this instrument could be suggested as a reliable way to evaluate cancer patients and their perceived support.

Anxiety and depression are among the common comorbidities of people diagnosed with cancer. However, despite the progress in therapeutic options and outcomes, mental health care and support have lagged behind for cancer patients. Estimating the extent and determinants of mental health disorders among cancer patients is crucial to alert concerned bodies for action. In view of this, we aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Relevant literatures were searched on PubMed, African Journals Online, Hinari, Epistemonikos, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Gray literature sources. Data were extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 17 statistical software. The random effect model was used to summarize the pooled effect sizes with their respective 95% confidence intervals. The I2 statistics and Egger's regression test in conjunction with the funnel plot were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias among included studies respectively. A total of 17 studies with 5,592 participants were considered in this review. The pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia were 45.10% (95% CI: 36.74, 53.45) and 42.96% (95% CI: 34.98, 50.93), respectively. Primary and above education (OR= 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.97), poor social support (OR= 2.27, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.98), occupational status (OR= 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.82), advanced cancer stage (OR= 2.19, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.47), comorbid illness (OR= 1.67; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.58) and poor sleep quality (OR= 11.34, 95% CI: 6.47, 19.89) were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, advanced cancer stage (OR= 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.20) and poor sleep quality (OR= 12.56, 95% CI: 6.4 1, 24.62) were the factors associated with anxiety. This meta-analysis indicated that a substantial proportion of cancer patients suffer from anxiety and depression in Ethiopia. Educational status, occupational status, social support, cancer stage, comorbid illness and sleep quality were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, anxiety was predicted by cancer stage and sleep quality. Thus, the provision of comprehensive mental health support as a constituent of chronic cancer care is crucial to mitigate the impact and occurrence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients. Besides, families and the community should strengthen social support for cancer patients. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023468621.

Background:Fatigue is one of the most common issues related to cancer. Social support has direct effects on health status and coping with illness. This study investigated the relationship between the perception of social support and fatigue in patients with cancer.Materials and Methods:This descriptive/correlational study was conducted in Omid Hospital in Isfahan, Iran in 2014. One hundred and twenty-five cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were included in the study. Study participants were selected using consecutive sampling. Data were collected using the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), Perceived Social Support Scale, and a demographic characteristics questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests in SPSS software.Results:Mean (SD) of patients’ fatigue and perceived social support scores were 40.63 (11.59) out of 100 and 49.33 (7.85) out of 100, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed an inverse relationship between fatigue and social support, however, this relationship was not significant. Multiple regression test was used to detect which dimension of perceived social support was a better predictor of the reduction in fatigue score. This test showed that the best predictor was informational support (B = −0.35, p = 0.004).Conclusions:Results showed a negative relationship between fatigue and perceived social support in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, social support interventions can help reduce fatigue.

The factor structure of the Medical Outcomes Study–Social Support Survey: A comparison of different models in a sample of recently diagnosed cancer patients

Although a growing body of research evidence suggests that persons encountering stressful life circumstances are protected from potential declines in health and well-being by supportive relationships, the evidence for the stress-buffering qualities of social support for cancer patients is equivocal. This study examines the relationship between naturally occurring, supportive behaviors and psychological adjustment to the illness for 32 nonhospitalized adult cancer patients, and includes follow-up data collected 7 months after the initial interview. Results indicated that although support appeared to have few effects on adjustment at either time point for the sample as a whole, social support was related to poorer adjustment for patients not undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, or for those with many limitations on physical functioning. These findings, though tentative because of the sample size, point to the need to consider the specific contextual stresses the cancer patient is experiencing in evaluating psychosocial adjustment to the illness, and suggest caution in assuming social supports to be a universal boon.

This paper addresses the importance of social support to the health of cancer patients, drawing upon the relevant literature from medical, psychological and social research. The development of a measure of social support for cancer patients for use in guiding health care and assessing the effects of social support on the patients health statues are needed. Various definitions of social support are considered and the difficulties of adequately defining the concept are discussed. Given the lack of a uniformed definition and emphasis on multiple aspects of social support it is argued that research should address the experiences and needs of patients with cancer. Specifically, with a view to providing a clinical measure of social support. The development of the Bottomley Social Support Scale is outlined and suggestions made for ways forward in researching and understanding social support.