| Background The incidence of breast cancer is evidencing a gradual rise.Due to the comprehensive treatments,patients suffer various physical disorders as well as varied psychological discomfort.Because the surgery would destroy women's second sexual characters,breast cancer patients experience an extensive psychological burden. Favorable social support could affect breast cancer patients' health status through direct or indirect ways and exert an important role during the survivorship.Presently, most researches in China only described the status of social support and nuring considerations in improving social support for cancer patient,with less interventional studies.The interventional researches were recommended in western literatures, howerve,less reports were found in aiming at promoting both coping style and health related quality of life(HRQOL) through professional support,family support and peer support as well as exploring the content and form of social support.Therefore the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the comprehensive social support which comprised of professional support,family support and peer support in coping and HRQOL of breast cancer survivors.This study is significant in providing theoretical and practical information in planning and implementing holistic rehabilitative programs for breast cancer survivors.Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive social support on coping and HRQOL of breast cancer survivors.Methods 98 breast cancer patients were recruited from Breast Cancer Impatient Units and then divided into intervention group and control group according to their ward,with 49 patients in each group.There were no statistic differences in age,education,marital status,pathologic types,grades of cancer and type of treatments(chemotherapy or radiotherapy)(P＞0.05).Subjects were followed six months after surgery.Those in the intervention group attended a 6-month comprehensive social support program in addition to routine care,while the control group received the routine care only.The intervention consisted of professional support,family support,peer support,hotline and face-to-face individual consultation.Questionnaires on perceived social support,coping,health-related quality of life and general quality of life were administered 1 month,3 months and 6 months after the surgery respectively.The change of coping,HRQOL and GQOL scores were compared by repeated- measure ANOVA and MANOVA.Results①There was trend of increasing higher scores on social support total score and out of family subscore in intervention group than in control group(P＜0.05).It is evident that there were statistical differences in perceived support out of family and total social support between two groups since 1 month after surgery(P＜0.05).②The sorces of confrontive,optimistic and supportant coping were higher in intervention group than in control group(P＜0.001).It is evident that there were statistical differences in confrontive,optimistic and supportant coping between two groups since 1 month after surgery(P＜0.01).The results also indicated that there was no statistical difference in self-reliant coping between two groups(P＞0.05),but there were statistical differences in self-reliant coping in postoperative 1 month and 3 months between two groups(P＜0.05).③The trend of significant decrease in evasive,fatalistic,emotive and palliative subcores was found in intervention group than in control group(P＜0.01).It is evident that there were statistical differences in evasive,fatalistic,emotive and palliative coping between two groups since 1 month after surgery(P＜0.05).④The HRQOL total score in intervention group were decreased more significantly compared to control group within six months(P＜0.001),indicating an improving of HRQOL in intervention group.However,there were no statistically significant differences in the matital relationship domain of HRQOL between two groups(P＞0.05).⑤It is evident that there were statistical differences in HRQOL total score between two groups since 1 month after surgery(P＜0.001).However,there were no statistical differences in sexual domain as well as in marital relationship domain1 month after surgery between two groups(P＞0.05).⑥General quality of life(GQOL) score increased greater in intervention group than in control group(P＜0.05).It is evident that there were statistical differences in GQOL between two groups since 1 month after surgery(P＜0.05).Conclusion The comprehensive social support could promote the perceived social support for breast cancer patients,enhance their positive coping styles and improve their HRQOL. Meanwhile,the comprehensive social support program could be regarded as an effective model for intervention.
|
PDF Full Text Request