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Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 1/2010

01-02-2010 | Original Article

Direct and Buffering Effects of Social Support Among Gynecologic Cancer Survivors

Authors: Kristen M. Carpenter, Ph.D, Jeffrey M. Fowler, M.D., G. Larry Maxwell, M.D., Barbara L. Andersen, Ph.D.

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

There are few studies of QoL among long-term gynecologic cancer survivors; available data suggest significant sequelae of disease and treatment. Research clarifying circumstances that improve difficult survivorship trajectories is lacking.

Purpose

The present study examines whether social support moderates the relationship between physical functioning and psychological outcomes by testing the stress-buffering hypothesis.

Methods

Participants (N = 260) were gynecologic cancer survivors (cervical, n = 47; endometrial, n = 133; ovarian, n = 69; vulvar, n = 11). Compromised physical health was conceptualized as multidimensional. Social support (SNI, PSS-Fa, PSS-Fr, ISEL) was tested as a buffer of adverse psychological outcomes (IES-R, CES-D).

Results

Results for traumatic stress provided evidence for buffering; whereas social support was of general benefit for depressive symptoms. Effects varied by source and type of support.

Conclusions

These results suggest that circumstances for gynecologic cancer survivors burdened with physical symptoms may be worse for those with fewer support resources, providing needed insight into a common target of psychosocial interventions for cancer survivors.
Footnotes
1
Because participants were consecutive clinic patients, these data could be considered missing completely at random, i.e., bias was not an issue. As a precaution, we replicated the regression analyses for the other social support measures (ISEL, PSS-Fa, PSS-Fr) restricting the sample to the subset of participants who completed the SNI. The pattern of results was identical; thus, we elected to include all available data in the primary analyses.
 
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Metadata
Title
Direct and Buffering Effects of Social Support Among Gynecologic Cancer Survivors
Authors
Kristen M. Carpenter, Ph.D
Jeffrey M. Fowler, M.D.
G. Larry Maxwell, M.D.
Barbara L. Andersen, Ph.D.
Publication date
01-02-2010
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 1/2010
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9160-1

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