Sources of social support: adolescents with cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate how a cancer diagnosis affects adolescents' perceived sources of social support, amount of support needed, and level of satisfaction with support compared to an age-matched, healthy, adolescent group.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, comparative, nonrandom survey.


METHODS
Summer camp for adolescents with cancer and a rural high school in the southeastern United States.


METHODS
Adolescents with a diagnosis of cancer (n = 64) and age-matched, healthy adolescents (n = 115).


METHODS
Subjects completed the Social Support Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support From Family Scale, Perceived Social Support From Friends Scale, and demographic information forms.


METHODS
Sources of social support, amount of support perceived, and level of satisfaction with support.


RESULTS
Adolescents with cancer perceived social support coming from both friends and family and reported high levels of support satisfaction from each source. Compared to healthy adolescents, those with cancer reported similar support sources and satisfaction levels; however, adolescents with cancer perceived parental relationships as more supportive.


CONCLUSIONS
Similarities between healthy adolescents and those with cancer regarding social support were more prevalent than differences. The social benefits of camp settings for chronically ill children should be explored further.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses and other healthcare professionals should allow adolescents in the healthcare setting every opportunity to maintain their social networks of friends and family by encouraging visitation, providing social opportunities in the hospital, and emphasizing the importance of attending school when medically able.
Haluska
Heather B
HB
Child Life Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA. heather.haluska@stjude.org
Jessee
Peggy O
PO
Nagy
M Christine
MC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012107:Research Design; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology