The influence of coping response and health-related quality of life on perceived social support during cancer treatment.
OBJECTIVE
In the biopsychosocial approach, perceived social support has served as a protective factor for psychological adjustment to cancer. This study aimed to determine the influence of different coping responses and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains on perceived social support during cancer treatment.


METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis was carried out in a sample of 757 cancer outpatients. The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) was employed to assess perceived social support. The Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) Scale measured coping response, and HRQoL was tested with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the extent to which coping and HRQoL were associated with perceived social support.


RESULTS
Coping response explained only 2% of the variance in perceived social support, but Hopelessness had a significant influence on perceived social support (p ≤ 0.01). HRQoL, physical, and mental domains made a significant contribution toward perceived social support, accounting for around 10% of total variance. More than coping response, HRQoL's physical and mental domains had an important influence on perceived social support during cancer treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the current study report the importance of HRQoL domains in predicting perceived social support during cancer treatment, emphasizing the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to facilitate adjustment to cancer.
Department of Psychiatry,Hospital General Universitari Vall d'Hebron,Universitat Autònoma,CIBERSAM,Barcelona,Spain.
Gema
G
Costa-Requena
Department of Basic Psychology,Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology,Jaume I University,Castellon,Spain.
Rafael
R
Ballester Arnal
Psycho-Oncology Unit,Duran i Reynals Hospital,Barcelona,Spain.
Francisco
F
Gil
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010465:Perception; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Cancer treatment; Coping style; Health-related quality of life; Perceived social support