Impact of social support on psychosocial symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients: results of a multilevel model approach from a longitudinal multicenter study

Authors

  • Christina Sauer Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics and National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Joachim Weis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Self-Help Research, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
  • Hermann Faller Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
  • Florian Junne Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany;
  • Klaus Hönig Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU), Ulm University Clinic, Ulm, Germany
  • Corinna Bergelt University Clinic Center, Hubertus Wald, University Cancer Center (CCC), Hamburg, Germany
  • Beate Hornemann Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Clinic Center Dresden, Dresden, Germany
  • Barbara Stein Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Paracelsus Medical University, General Hospital Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany
  • Martin Teufel Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Comprehensive Cancer Center Essen (WTZ) and LVR Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
  • Ute Goerling Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Berlin, Germany
  • Yesim Erim Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Clinic Center Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
  • Franziska Geiser Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Clinic Center Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  • Alexander Niecke Department of Psychosomatic Medicine & Centre Psychooncology (CePO), University Clinic Center Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • Bianca Senf University Clinic Center Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
  • Dorothea Weber Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University Clinic Center of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Imad Maatouk Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics and National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2019.1631471

Abstract

Background: This prospective multicenter study aimed to investigate the courses of positive support (PS) and detrimental interaction (DI), two different aspects of social support, and the relation between social support and psychosocial distress and/or health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large sample of patients with different cancers.

Methods: For this observational study, we enrolled adult patients with cancer from 13 comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) in Germany. We included a total of 1087 patients in our analysis. We assessed the outcomes via standardized self-report questionnaires at three measurement points: at admission for acute care (T1), 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3) thereafter. Our outcome variables included PS and DI, depression and anxiety symptoms, distress, mental quality of life (MQoL) and physical QoL (PQoL). Data were analyzed using three-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and group-based trajectory modeling.

Results: During the first year after the cancer diagnosis, both PS and DI decreased in our sample. Baseline depression symptom severity was a significant predictor of PS and DI. Further analyses revealed significant associations between PS, DI and the course of depression and anxiety symptoms, and MQoL. PS buffered the negative effects of DI with regards to these variables. Low DI was associated with better PQoL, whereas PS was not. In general, the impact of social support on psychosocial outcomes was weak to moderate.

Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for the influence of PS and DI on psychosocial symptoms and HRQOL, and emphasize the importance of psycho-oncological interventions that strengthen PS and prevent or reduce DI for patients with cancer and their relatives.

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Published

2019-09-02

How to Cite

Sauer, C., Weis, J., Faller, H., Junne, F., Hönig, K., Bergelt, C., … Maatouk, I. (2019). Impact of social support on psychosocial symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients: results of a multilevel model approach from a longitudinal multicenter study. Acta Oncologica, 58(9), 1298–1306. https://doi.org/10.1080/0284186X.2019.1631471

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 9 (2019): Acta Oncologica

Section

Articles