The Impact of Disease on the social-support Experiences of Cancer Patients

Abstract

Some studies have found that adequate social support is related to longer survival from cancer, yet case series and anecdotal reports have suggested that cancer patients who are more debilitated receive less social support than do others. The authors examined this hypothesis in 707 newly diagnosed cancer patients at nine Rhode Island hospitals from July 1984 to February 1986. After controlling for demographic characteristics, living arrangements, and the number of children who lived close enough to visit, the authors found that several characteristics of the disease were associated with lower levels of social activity: pain, perceptions of a poor prognosis, impaired functioning, and number of days recently spent in bed. The results corroborate the findings of earlier studies and provide information that may help professionals identify patients who are most in need of social support.