Emotional Support Following Cancer: A Test of the Stigma and Social Activity Hypotheses

• Published in: Journal of health and social behavior Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 118 - 133
• Main Authors: Bloom, Joan R., Kessler, Larry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Sociological Association 01.06.1994
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Aged; Attitude to Health - ethnology; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsies; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Breast Neoplasms - rehabilitation; Cancer; College Students; Diseases; Emotional support; Family; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Status; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Longitudinal Studies; Mastectomy; Mastectomy - psychology; Mastectomy - rehabilitation; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - ethnology; Neoplasms - psychology; Patients; Personal relationships; Prejudice; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Regression Analysis; Social Adjustment; Social Class; Social interaction; Social Isolation; Social research; Social roles; Social stigma; Social Support; Stigma; Surgery; Women; Human; Affect affectivity; Emotionality; Stigma; Malignant tumor; Social integration; Social behavior; Social interaction; Surgery; Adult; Female; Mammary gland; Interpersonal relation; Social support
• ISSN: 0022-1465; 2150-6000
• DOI: 10.2307/2137360

Reports of changes in emotional support following surgery for breast cancer can be attributed to one of two factors: (1) the stigma associated with cancer, or (2) illness-imposed restrictions in one's activities. These explanations were assessed using data from a longitudinal study of women, following their surgical treatment for early breast cancer (N = 145), gallbladder disease (N = 90), benign breast disease (N = 87), or no surgery (N = 90). Multiple regression analysis was used to test the two models. Contrary to the cancer stigma hypothesis, women with breast cancer initially perceived themselves to have more emotional support, rather than less. Type of surgery did not explain the level of emotional support as post-surgery time increased. Instead, support for the social activity hypothesis was found. The results are interpreted as indicating that breast cancer no longer carries with it a stigma, at least not to the extent of reducing the level of women's emotional support.