Association Between Perceived Social Support, Illness Perception, Life Orientation, Life Satisfaction, and Quality of Life Within a Sample of Cancer Patients

INTRODUCTION. The impact of cancer represents a severe crisis for both patients and relatives. The implications of social support on well-being were well studied but several classifications have been proposed. OBJECTIVE. The present cross-sectional study was aimed at examining the association between perceived social support (PSS) from family, friends, and significant other and psychological well-being (illness perception, life orientation, life satisfaction, and quality of life). METHOD. Participants were 138 cancer patients recruited during waiting time for medical treatment or examination, mostly diagnosed for more than six months. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire were administered. Multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS. Patients reported fatigue and loss of energy, and environmental pollution and change or bad luck as probable illness causes. Associations between (i) PSS from family and optimism, (ii) PSS from friends and personal control, coherence of disease, optimism, and physical functioning, (iii) PSS from significant other and life satisfaction were found. CONCLUSIONS. Our results revealed a specific role for each different PSS source.