Does anybody support the supporters? Social support in the cancer patient-caregiver dyad
Authors:
- Grażyna Dębska,
- Małgorzata Pasek,
- Ewa Joanna Wojtyna
Abstract
Background. Cancer and its treatment enforce changes in patient functioning. The principal objective of each patient is to efficiently cope with the disease, i.e. to completely recover or at least to slow its progression. Under such circumstances, patients and their relatives require various forms of support: emotional, informational and instrumental. Objectives. The aim of the study was to determine the level and sources of support available for cancer patients and their close relatives, who deal with the latter on a daily basis. Material and methods. The cross-sectional self-inventory study, conducted at cancer centers in Krakow and Tarnow, included 193 pairs of cancer patients and their caregivers. The study was based on the Berlin Social Support Scales and a sociodemographic-clinical survey. Results. Cancer patients had more perceived and received social support than their caregivers. Patients identified more sources of available support than their caregivers. When the level of support was stratified according to the caregiver’s relation with the patient, caregivers-partners and caregivers-children presented higher levels of perceived support than caregivers-siblings and caregivers-parents. Caregivers received less support than patients from medical personnel. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the level of social support among patient and their caregivers leads to further research on the patient-caregiver dyad, especially with regard to the consequences for the whole family’s quality of life. In connection with a deficit of support for caregivers from oncologists, GP’s may constitute a valuable source of support, especially emotional and informational.
- Record ID
- USLef47f6cef0bf47f7bd173d7563476612
- Author
- Journal series
- Family Medicine & Primary Care Review, ISSN 1734-3402, e-ISSN 2449-8580
- Issue year
- 2017
- Vol
- 19
- No
- 2
- Pages
- 110-113
- Publication size in sheets
- 0.20
- Keywords in English
- Cancer; Caregiver; Patient; Social support; adult; aged; Article; Berlin Social Support scale; cancer center; cancer patient; caregiver; cross-sectional study; disease course; emotion; female; human; major clinical study; male; nurse; oncologist; quality of life; satisfaction; sibling; social support; social support assessment
- DOI
- DOI:10.5114/fmpcr.2017.67863 Opening in a new tab
- Handle.net URL
- hdl.handle.net/20.500.12128/286 Opening in a new tab
- URL
- https://www.termedia.pl/Does-anybody-support-the-supporters-Social-support-in-the-cancer-patient-caregiver-dyad,95,29979,1,1.html Opening in a new tab
- Language
- eng (en) English
- Score (nominal)
- 12
- Score source
- BIBLIOGRAFIA DOROBKU PRACOWNIKÓW UŚ
- Publication indicators
- Uniform Resource Identifier
- https://opus.us.edu.pl/info/article/USLef47f6cef0bf47f7bd173d7563476612/
- URN
urn:uni-kat-prod:USLef47f6cef0bf47f7bd173d7563476612
* presented citation count is obtained through Internet information analysis, and it is close to the number calculated by the Publish or PerishOpening in a new tab system.