Perception of socialsupport in patients with cancer and its influence on depression

Abstract

Introduction: Different factors influence the appearance of depression in the oncological population, not all of them are modifiable. However, interaction with social networks can be an element that avoids or dampens depression instead of being a generator or maintainer of this disorder.

Objective: To study the relationship between "perceived social support" and "depression" in adult patients with cancer.

Material and Method: This is a transversal, quantitative, descriptive, correlational study; with a non-probabilistic sample of 112 patients, 22 men and 85 women, from a cancer hospital. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) short version and the MOS-SSS (Social Support Survey) questionnaire were used.

Results: Social support was found to be associated with depression [p = 0.007 <? = 0.05], in an inverse manner. The most perceived types of support, according to their functionality, are "emotional support", followed by "instrumental support", the first understood as manifestations of affectivity, andthe second as social aid, material and provision of services by the environment. Depression is moderate in 14% of cases, mild in 24% and severe with 4.7%. The same ones that experience different degrees of sadness, despair and unhappiness, isolation, indecision, feelings of guilt, fatigue, among others.

Conclusions: Cancer patients studied who perceive poor social support have depression. The majority of people investigated consider that they have adequate support, some of them present depression because there are multiple factors that are related to depressi