Sources of support and the physical and mental well-being of young women with breast cancer

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 53; no. 11; pp. 1513 - 1524
• Main Authors: Bloom, Joan R, Stewart, Susan L, Johnston, Monica, Banks, Priscilla, Fobair, Patricia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2001; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast cancer Support Social networks Social resources; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cancer; Female; Females; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health; Humans; Least-Squares Analysis; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Medicine; Mental Health; Mental stress; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Social Networks; Social research; Social resources; Social sciences; Social Support; Stress; Stress, Psychological - prevention & control; Support; Tumors; United States of America; USA; Well Being; Wellbeing; Women; Young Adults; Young women; United States; North America; America; Social networks; Breast cancer; Support; Social resources; Human; Breast disease; Physiological wellbeing; Breast; Female; Social network; Malignant tumor; Public health; Stress; Psychological well being; Social support
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00440-8

Women following the stress resulting from the diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer draw resources from their network of friends and relatives. These resources include both emotional support and instrumental resources such as getting a ride to a medical appointment. Emotional support buffers the effects of the stresses they face and improves their mental well-being while the existence, rather than the use, of instrumental supports is positively related to physical well-being. These hypotheses are tested on a population-based cohort of 336 women in the United States, diagnosed and treated for breast cancer when aged 50 or less. Most are married (65%), work (75%), have dependent children (63%), are white (70%), and had a mastectomy (51%). Results of the multi-variate analyses indicate that consistent with predictions, controlling for socio-demographic and treatment-related variables, the size of the social network was related to greater emotional and instrumental support, and greater emotional support was related to better mental well-being. Contrary to predictions, greater use of instrumental resources was related to poorer physical well-being. The results indicate the importance of social resources on well-being following life-threatening illness.