Relation Between Social Support Received and Provided by Parents of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer and Stress Levels and Life and Family Satisfaction.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aims at analysing how social support received and provided by parents of children, adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer, as well as their sociodemographic and clinical variables, affect those parents' stress levels and life and family satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 112 parents of children and AYAs who had been diagnosed with cancer and who received treatment in Malaga participated in the study. In the study, participated all parents who voluntarily agreed to fulfil the questionnaire. The main inclusion criterion was that their child had cancer. Instruments used were Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS), Paediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP), Life Satisfaction Scale and Family Satisfaction Scale. RESULTS: In the mean difference analyses, male parents showed 3.38 (SD = 0.56) in social support received and female parents showed M = 3.08 (SD = 0.72). Conversely, in social support provided, female parents showed 3.22 and male parents showed M = 3.55 (p = 0.020). Significant differences were also found in family satisfaction, where female parents (M = 3.64) feel more satisfied than male parents (M = 3.06; p = 0.027). Parents of children aged between 0 and 14 years (M = 3.06) feel more stress than those parents of children aged 15-21 (M = 2.61; p = 0.021). The correlation analysis shows that there is a negative and significant relation between stress levels experienced by parents when facing different situations related to the child's disease and both types of support, received r = -0.411, p < 0.001 and provided r = -0.282, p < 0.01. There is also a positive and significant relation between life satisfaction and social support received r = 0.292, p < 0.01, and social support provided r = 0.409, p < 0.001. There is a positive and significant relation between family satisfaction and social support received r = 0.330, p < 0.01, in the same way as with social support provided r = 0.222, p < 0.05. The regression analysis related to stress levels of parents indicates that social support received predicts levels of stress significantly p < 0.001, with the variable of number of children being the one that showed to be significant p < 0.05. Social support provided showed the most significant results p = 0.001, meaning that social support provided increased life satisfaction. Social support received explains family satisfaction (p = 0.50), as it increases the family satisfaction of parents of children with cancer. DISCUSSION: Analysing social support received and provided, as well as sociodemographic and clinical variables, allowed us to broaden the knowledge on the effect social support has on stress levels, life satisfaction and family satisfaction in parents of children and AYAs diagnosed with cancer. This may have relevant practical implications for the design of interventions that would improve parents' lives.

The Association of Sources of Support, Types of Support and Satisfaction with Support Received on Perceived Stress and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study is to carry out a multidimensional analysis of the relationship of social support with quality of life and the stress perceived by cancer patients. METHODS: The participants were 200 patients with cancer. Data was gathered on sociodemographic characteristics, health, quality of life, social support and perceived stress. RESULTS: Frequency of and satisfaction with different sources and types of support are related positively with improvement of quality of life and negatively with perceived stress. The emotional support from the partner and the emotional and informational support from the family are significant predictors of quality of life. Emotional support from the family reduces patients' perceived stress. Satisfaction with emotional support from the partner and with the informational support from friends and family increases quality of life. Satisfaction with emotional support from the family and with informational support from friends decreases patients' perceived stress. Instrumental support and support provided by health professionals are not good predictors of quality of life and perceived stress. Satisfaction with the support received is more significantly related with quality of life and stress than the frequency with which the sources provide support. CONCLUSIONS: These results have important practical implications to improve cancer patients' quality of life and reduce their perceived stress through social support. Designing intervention strategies to improve satisfaction with the support provided to patients by their closest networks results in a global benefit for the patient's quality of life.