Stage of Disease Progression Moderates the Association Between Social Support and Depression in Prostate Cancer Survivors

Abstract

This study was designed to test the association between social support and depression at different stages of disease progression in men with prostate cancer.Seventy-one men with prostate cancer completed measures of social support and depression three times: T1 (at baseline), T2 (T1 + 2 months), and at T3 (T1 + 4 months). Stage of disease progression was significantly associated with increasing symptoms of depression. Stage of disease progression also moderated the association between social support and depression. Social support was associated with a subsequent worsening of depression for men with early-stage disease. For men with more advanced prostate cancer, social support was associated with improvements in subsequent depression. Social support has different prognostic value for psychological distress among men with prostate cancer depending upon the stage of their disease.

KEYWORDS:

• prostate cancer
• depression
• social support
• disease stage
• family
• friends