Article Title: Perceived Satisfaction with Social Support and Cancer Specific Psychological Stress in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Women
Author(s): Nighat Shaheen, Salma Andleeb and Farhat Naz
Institute(s): Department of Psychology, University of Peshawar; Department of Psychology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar; Department of Medicine, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottbad.
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2015, Vol. 13, No.2, 72-79
Correspondence Address: Nighat Shaheen, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Jinnah College for Women, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. E-mail: nighatshaheen96@gmail.com
Abstract
The present study examined effect of perceived satisfaction with social support on psychological stress in breast cancer women. The sample consisted of (N=80) diagnosed breast cancer women recruited from Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (IRNUM) of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The age range of sample was 40 to 65 years (Mage = 55.80). All these women were married, belonged to middle socio-economic class, had at least matriculated and were unemployed. Women who were pregnant, had past history of psychiatric disorders or were taking antidepressant drugs were not included. Convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample. The sample was assessed using two standardized scales; the Social Support Questionnaire (I.G,Sarason, Levien, Bahsan, & B.R, Sarason, 1983) and the Impact of Event Scale (Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979). The t-test analyses were computed to determine significance of difference between two groups of women. Results show that breast cancer women having higher perceived satisfaction with social support and more number of friends, relatives and family members available, experience low level of stress than those having low perceived satisfaction with social support and less friends, relatives and family members available. The data support hypotheses and findings conclude that social support mitigates harmful effects of stress in breast cancer women.
Key words: Breast Cancer, Perceived Satisfaction, Social Support, Psychological Stress
