The need for social support and the health condition of parents of children with cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Parents of children with cancer are exposed to severe stress which is caused by the process of medical treatment of their child. Mental stress and physical exhaustion are related to the level of support received, provided by different social groups. Health problems are mainly visible in the incidence of somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, functional disorders or symptoms of depression. Objective: Searching for the relationship between the level of support experienced and the health condition in parents of children with cancer. Patients and methods: The surveyed group consisted of N = 86 parents of children with cancer aged from 21 to 53 years (M = 38.70, SD = 6.48). Women constituted 75.6% of the respondents, whereas men 24.4%. Social Support Scale by K. Kmiecik-Baran and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) by D. Goldberg were used in the survey. Results and conclusions: The analyses conducted allowed to detect a link between support and health condition. It transpired that instrumental, valuing and emotional support from family and friends as well as informational and valuing support from professionals are of great importance for well-being.