Social support and the cancer patient ? A need for clarity

Abstract

This paper addresses the importance of social support to the health of cancer patients, drawing upon the relevant literature from medical, psychological and social research. The development of a measure of social support for cancer patients for use in guiding health care and assessing the effects of social support on the patients health statues are needed. Various definitions of social support are considered and the difficulties of adequately defining the concept are discussed. Given the lack of a uniformed definition and emphasis on multiple aspects of social support it is argued that research should address the experiences and needs of patients with cancer. Specifically, with a view to providing a clinical measure of social support. The development of the Bottomley Social Support Scale is outlined and suggestions made for ways forward in researching and understanding social support.

Breast cancer and experiences of social support

“…Research into the role of social support with cancer patients has been widely used, and is defined in different ways (8,9). How social support is experienced is influenced by the type of relationship women have with others, and by the setting in which social support is given, for example social support within the family, from colleagues at work, from health service personnel and from voluntary organizations (10, 11).…”

A pilot study assessing social support among cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials: a comparison of younger versus older adults

“…The fear associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment increase the need for support,14,19 while at the same time the social stigma of having cancer can decrease the availability of support when it is most needed 14,20,21. Social support models must be tailored to fit the specific needs of the individual because social support needs vary by treatment and stage of disease 11,14,16,22…”

Social support among women who died of ovarian cancer

“…Although there are measures available to assess social connections, the existing literature cites the lack of a consistent, universal definition of social support for cancer patients [2,5,20,38]. More could be done in the future to extend on the work already done in examining social support scales among women dying of ovarian cancer or by examining the social networks of these patients [16,24,25].…”