title: Exploring prostate cancer survivors' self-management behaviours and examining the mechanism effect that links coping and social support to health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the influence of psycho-social factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression in men affected by prostate cancer. Developing an understanding in this area can help to identify men who are at high risk of inadequate support and suggest directions for appropriately targeted interventions. Moreover, little is known about how men affected by prostate cancer mobilise social support in their self-management behaviours over time. This is the first study to test the effects of coping and social support on HRQoL and emotional outcome, and assessed the self-management behaviours of men affected by prostate cancer overtime.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was 74 prostate cancer patients with a mean age of 67.3 (SD 7.9) years and mixed treatment modalities. The EORTC QLQ-C30, PR25 and HADS were used to assess the dependant variables before treatment and at six months follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS version 17.0 using parametric tests and non-parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decline in quality of life was observed at 6 months post diagnosis (p < 0.001). Perceived social support before radical treatment was the most important social support construct that predicted better global quality of life and less depression at six months, explaining approximately 30% of the variance. Despite men's self-management efforts and use of social support overtime, self-management self-efficacy significantly reduced at six months (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide support towards the development of a psycho-social intervention study to improve quality of life, self-management self-efficacy and improve patients' symptom management.
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, UK. Electronic address: c.i.e.paterson@dundee.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.affiliation: NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK. Electronic address: allisonrobertson@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, UK. Electronic address: g.nabi@dundee.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nabi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Anxiety; Coping; Depression; Health-related quality of life; Prostate cancer; Self-management; Social support; Survivorship