Understanding the Complexities in Providing Social Support to Lung Cancer Patients

Background and Purpose: Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed form of cancer, and it is responsible for more deaths each year than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined. Despite the large numbers of individuals affected by lung cancer, there is limited understanding of specific psychosocial needs. Empirical evidence indicates that patients identified with lung cancer have a greater need for social support due to reduced mobility and potential accelerated decline in overall health status. There is a need to better understand how specific factors of social support contribute to the overall psychological functioning of lung cancer patients. This investigation explored the relationship between social support and psychological functioning among lung cancer patients.

Methods: Lung cancer patients (N=131) were surveyed during intake at several national cancer centers across the United States.  As part of the intake, patients’ psychological well-being was assessed using the Behavioral Health Status (BHS) Scale (Grissom, Lyons, & Lutz, 2002).  Additionally, patients responded to several questions intended to measure various domains of social support.  The sample consisted of 70 male and 61 females patients with ages ranging from 38 to 89 (mean=63, SD=13.66). Regression modeling was used to examine the effect of social support on overall psychological well-being.

Results: The regression model indicated that the predictors explained 42% of the total variation in BHS scores (R²=.423, F(9, 121)=9.849, p<.001).  Four of seven domains of social support were shown to be related to significant change in psychological well-being.  Specifically, patients who reported having friends or family to help with everyday responsibilities (β=7.45, p=.025) and those who reported receiving advice from others (β=4.314, p=.019) were found to have better overall BHS scores.  On the other hand, higher levels of emotional support from others (β=-7.115, p<.001) and people that they could count on to help with medical treatment (β=-9.193, p=.007) were related to poorer outcomes.  There were no statistically significant differences in BHS scores relating to age or gender.

Conclusions and Implications: Consistent with the literature, social support factors influence psychological functioning among lung cancer patients. While findings from this study indicate that getting help and advice from other people and having family and friends to count on improved functioning, having family or friends help with medical treatment and getting emotional support from others decreased psychological functioning. These results suggest that there are differences in the way in which lung cancer patients view social support and the need for a less intense manner of social support. This also aligns with previous research, which has shown that stress factors may present differently in lung cancer patients, who may be more likely to perceive personal responsibility for their illness (Pujol, et al, 2013).  Due to the high symptom burden associated with lung cancer patients, the importance of identifying specific social support needs is critical to ensure that lung cancer patients have opportunities to have the highest possible quality of life.