Matching of received social support with need for support in adjusting to cancer and cancer survivorship

Abstract

Background Optimal Matching Theory (OMT; [1]) posits that the effects of social support are enhanced when its provision is matched with need for support. We hypothesized that matching received social support with the needs of persons with cancer and cancer survivors would be related to better psychosocial adjustment than a mismatched condition. Method In a cross-sectional design, Sample 1, 171 cancer patients, and Sample 2, 118 cancer survivors, completed measures of emotional and instrumental received support, physical debilitation, and psychological distress. Results The OMT model was confirmed; those needing support (i.e., greater physical debilitation), who did not receive it, experienced more distress than those who needed support and received it. Patients in treatment benefited from the matching of need and provision for both emotional and instrumental support; whereas, survivors only benefited from the matching of emotional support. Conclusions The results suggest that social support is contextualized by the degree of physical impairment and may be somewhat different for cancer patients in treatment compared to cancer survivors. The transition to cancer survivorship may involve a transformation in the need for as well as the type and amount of received social support.

Social relationship coping efficacy: A new construct in understanding social support and close personal relationships in persons with cancer

“…A speculative interpretation, assuming replication of the finding, is that the agentic underpinnings of SRCE, based on self‐efficacy theory, might lead to some garnering of instrumental support which then reduces distress, thus partially accounting for the relationship between SRCE and distress. The connection between emotional support and distress was expected to be significant, in line with prior research supporting the positive role of emotional support in relation to quality outcomes …”

“…In line with prior research, the partial mediation of the relationship between SRCE and social/family well‐being is easily understood. Supportive close relationships would be expected to maintain or enhance the social and family environments of persons with cancer, and in this case account for some of the positive relationship between SRCE and social/family well‐being.…”

“…It also may be the mechanism that accounts for the success of cancer support groups that focus on maintaining a close personal social network for quality of life and well‐being . SRCE is also compatible with optimal matching theory in that SRCE may be the mechanism by which a person with cancer is able to coordinate need with provision in a bidirectional fashion to optimize the impact of social support in close relationships.…”

Quality of partner support moderates positive affect in patients with cancer

“…10,11 These findings have led researchers to point out that the important question is not whether high levels of received support lead to better outcomes, but under which conditions support is actually beneficial. [12][13][14][15][16] Indeed, several theorists have highlighted the need to take into account the quality of support when examining the impact of received support on adjustment to stress. 9,[16][17][18][19][20] For example, Rini and Dunkel-Schetter (2010) have introduced the social support effectiveness framework (SSE), which emphasizes the importance of both the quantity and the quality of support.…”

Do concordances of social support and relationship quality predict psychological distress and well-being of cancer patients and caregivers?

“…Previous studies have found varying needs reported by patients across sex, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds and timing in the cancer process(Merluzzi, Philip, Yan, & Heitzmann, 2015) and Previous studies have found varying needs reported by patients across sex, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds and timing in the cancer process(Merluzzi, Philip, Yan, & Heitzmann, 2015) and…”