Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction. Advances in medicine have improved cancer survival rates, but treatment remains lengthy and exhausting. The disease and therapy significantly impact patients’ well-being, making quality of life a key concern. More and more research indicates that social support, particularly emotional and informational, may play a significant role in coping with cancer and its treatment. Material and methods. The study included adult cancer patients from the Pomeranian Hospitals in Gdynia. Data were collected using a custom questionnaire and four standardized tools: Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression — modified scale (HADS-M), and Mini-COPE. Results. The study involved 102 participants. Quality of life assessments indicated that physical functioning was the most affected domain. The most common coping strategies were Active coping , Seeking support , and Acceptance . Statistical analysis showed that Helplessness correlated positively with Anxiety and Depression , whereas Active coping and Seeking support correlated negatively. Emotional and instrumental social support strongly correlated with lower Anxiety and Depression levels. Strong negative correlations were observed, particularly between Actually received emotional support and Depression (r = –0.52, p < 0.001), as well as Anxiety (r = –0.48, p < 0.001). Conclusions. Social support may play an important role in reducing psychological distress in cancer patients. Greater perceived and received emotional and instrumental support are linked to lower anxiety and depression. Strengthening support systems can enhance coping strategies and improve quality of life. These findings emphasize the need for psychosocial interventions to optimize treatment outcomes and overall well-being.
Source: Oncology in Clinical Practice
DOI: 10.5603/ocp.105932
Institutions: Gdańsk Medical University, Szpital Morski im. PCK
Language: English
Topic: Cancer survivorship and care
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414915727