Perceived stress, social support and cancer-related quality of life of cancer patients: a cross-sectional study of Chinese with cancer

Abstract

Background: Quality of life predicts responses to medical treatment, mental and physical health status, and longevity of people with cancer. Western literature suggested that the presence of stress and the lack of social support predict poor quality of life, nevertheless little known about how these factors contribute to cancer-related quality of life of Chinese. This study is to explore the associations between stress, social support and quality of life of Chinese cancer patients. Methods: This study adopts a cross-sectional survey study design utilizing self-report data. A total of 231 Chinese with cancer were surveyed (F = 137; M = 94). Participants completed an inventory packet composing of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General Scale (FACT-G), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Regression analyses were performed to identify the relationship between cancer-related quality of life, stress, and perceived social support. Results: Findings of this research suggested that patients’ perceived stress was associated with physical well-being (β = -.487, p ≤ .05), social/family well-being (β = -.123, p ≤ .05), emotional well-being (β = -.649, p ≤ .01), and functional well-being (β = -.592, p ≤ .01). Participants who reported higher level of stress were also those who reported compromised quality of life in general. Our study also suggested that only emotional well-being is associated with perceived social support from the family; (β = -.267, p ≤ .01) as such, support from the family, mediated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional well-being. Conclusion: Consistent with existing literature on stress coping, cancer patients who are relatively more stressful suffer from compromised quality of life. Also consistent with literature on the buffering role of social support, our findings indicated that emotional well-being is only associated with perceived social support from the family. Chinese cancer patients who are relatively less stressful reported better emotional well-being because they have better social support networks from the family. Research Implications: The association between social support and cancer-quality of life should not be taken for granted. To better understand the role of social support and perceived stress in affecting the different aspect of quality of life of people with cancer, further research in dismantling the relationships among these factors are necessary. Clinician Implications: Perceived stress is detrimental to cancer patients’ subjective well-being; and thus there is an imminent need to provide psychosocial support that enhances mood management, nurture strengths in stress coping and facilitate emotion ventilation. To enhance emotional well-being of cancer patients, it would be effective in relieving stress vis-à-vis the enhancement of social support networks within the family.