Social Support On Cancer

The Impact of Social Support on Cancer Research has shown that individuals who suffer from cancer fare better if they have a network of social support surrounding them. Social support may manifest itself by allowing cancer patients to personalize with their illness, express their emotions and receive supportive interactions. As a result, they may develop more effective and active coping skills. Bloom, Stewart, Johnston, Banks, and Fobair (2001) conducted a study which assessed the role of support in the physical and mental well-being of young women with breast cancer. Results indicated that emotional support played a significant role in protecting the patient from the negative effects of stress and, as such, improved their physical and
mental state of well-being. It can be interpreted that individuals who suffer from a life-threatening illness increase their chances of survival by having access to social resources. There are many factors which may come into play when assessing the role of social support in generating greater longevity. From Bloom et al.’s study it was shown that a patient’s state of well-being was improved through the presence of a social network. It can be deduced that a social group could lead a patient to adopt more assertive coping mechanisms, be more open to and have more access to the available medical information, and as a result, feel more secure in their ability to make better medical decisions. Setting up this frame of mind could result in the patient implementing positive changes in their health, for instance, by being increasingly aware of their diet. Low social support on the other hand, could hamper a cancer patient’s rate of survival by favouring the development of maladaptive responses to the illness.
Grassi and Rosti (1996) examined the role of psychosocial variables in fostering abnormal illness behaviour. Results showed that both psychological symptoms and personality characteristics were significantly correlated to the development of an illness-type behaviour. It was shown that the cancer patients became detrimentally aware of their cancer by denying other events in their lives. As a result, the progression of their cancer worsened and they were less likely to undergo chemotherapy. Following these results, it can be interpreted that social support benefits a cancer patient by allowing them to develop a more positive framework of their situation. Clearly, upon diagnosis of the disease, individuals may feel isolated and cheated by their own body. Social support may allow the patients to change their perception of the stresses in their life and consequently develop a more positive and optimistic view. By positively reframing their experience, biological changes could ensue as a result of the diminished stress. Therefore, social support could increase the patient’s awareness of the psychobiology of his or her situation and the benefits of a mind-body perspective may be
demonstrated. Turner-Cobb, Sephton, Koopman, Blake-Morimor, and Spiegel (2000) focused on the relationship between neuroendocrine function and social support.
Salivary cortisol levels in 103 women with metastatic breast cancer was measured. Results indicated that the mean salivary cortisol was negatively related to quality and quantity of social support. Knowing that lower cortisol concentrations are indicative of healthier neuroendocrine functioning, it can be inferred that social support not only benefits a patient’s mental well-being as demonstrated in both Bloom et al. and Grassi et al.’s studies, but also benefits a patient’s immune
system. By being more somatically aware and by integrating both mind and body issuers, cancer patients can influence biological mechanisms in their body. The stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine prepare the body for a fight or flight response and in doing so, suppress parts of the immune system. Since stress is associated with the release of these hormones, lowering it can be associated with longer survival in cancer patients by making the immune system abler to cope. Psychosocial factors such as social support impact survival rate in cancer patients by influencing psychobiological factors. This support helps the individual suffering from cancer to improve his or her psychological state, adopt a healthier mental well-being, and improve his or her physiological condition. It is through all of these manifestations that longevity may ensue.