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

Abstract

Objective Social relationship coping efficacy (SRCE) is the confidence to engage in behaviors that can maintain or enhance close social relationships in the context of illness. This study focused on psychometric analyses of the SRCE scale and its role in maintaining or enhancing personal relationships, social support, and quality of life (QOL). Method A mixed diagnosis sample (N = 151) of cancer patients completed a variety of measures: physical debilitation, received emotional and instrumental support, SRCE, and QOL. Results The SRCE scale is a 10‐item, one‐factor, internally reliable (α = 0.965) measure with strong concurrent validity in relation to measures of social support. SRCE fully mediated the relationship between physical debilitation and both instrumental and emotional received support. SRCE also was directly related to both social/family well‐being and psychological distress, and this relationship was also partially mediated by social support. Conclusions The results corroborated that SRCE might account for changes in both instrumental and emotional support. Also, the direct and indirect relationship (mediated by social support) of SRCE with both social/family well‐being and distress indicated that interventions to increase SRCE with those at risk for social support loss may bolster social support in personal relationships as well as enhance emotional well‐being and quality of life.

Social Support in Patients With Sexual Dysfunction After Non-Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy: A Qualitative Study

“…The importance of family support in the cancer process has been strongly demonstrated, but often the provision of care is centered only around the patient (Fode et al, 2017). Loss of social support can lead to social isolation and relationship strain, which may have an impact on well-being (Merluzzi et al, 2019).…”

Assessment and utility of socio-relational self-efficacy in breast cancer patients: Italian Validation of the Social Relationship Coping Efficacy Scale (SRCE-I)

“…Based on the English version, the SRCE-Italian consists of 10 items (e.g., managing stress in my relationships, adjusting to the ways cancer affects my family) that are rated on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (not at all con dent) to 9 (totally con dent). Cronbach's alpha for the English (25) and Greek (29) versions was very strong and validity was con rmed with signi cant correlations with multiple measures of social functioning as well as social, emotional, and functional well-being (25). Factor analyses con rmed that the English and Greek versions of the SRCE were unidimensional.…”

“…In that model, SRCE was a mediating mechanism that was positively related to social support, and thus, may account for recovery of social support that was compromised by physical debilitation. In addition, in the double mediation model, whereas SRCE was directly related to QOL outcomes (social/family well-being and psychological distress) social support partially mediated the relationship between SRCE and those QOL outcomes (25). These intricate relationships demonstrate the role of SRCE in reversing negative outcomes due to the physical limitations that are endemic to cancer and its treatments.…”

“…These properties have been replicated in a Greek version of the SRCE scale (29). In addition, SRCE has been tested in a double mediation model (25) as a mediating mechanism between physical debilitation, which brings about loss of social support, and received social support. In that model, SRCE was a mediating mechanism that was positively related to social support, and thus, may account for recovery of social support that was compromised by physical debilitation.…”

“…The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties and utility of the Italian version of the Social Relationship Coping E cacy scale (25) on a sample of Italian women who were receiving treatment for breast cancer. Given the high quality of the SRCE scale on a mixed sample of cancer patients in the USA (25) and on a sample of Greek breast cancer patients (29), the determination of its utility for Italian cancer patients is a logical extension of that prior work. Therefore, the SRCE scale was translated into Italian and its reliability, structural validity, and concurrent validity were examined on a sample of Italian women with breast cancer.…”