Mental Health and Its Relationship to Perceived Social Support in Caregivers of Patients with Breast Cancer, 2014

Abstract

Abstract: Following the increase in cancer patients’ life expectancy, they are mainly cared for at home rather than in a hospital. Since caregivers of patients with breast cancer are at a high risk of developing mental disorders and depression, their social support can have significant effects on improving the quality of their provided care. This study recruited 232 main caregivers of patients being treated for breast cancer at Omid Hospital (Urmia, Iran) during 2014. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) 85-Part II were used to assess caregivers' mental health and perceived social support, respectively. Data analysis showed that the mean scores of perceived social support and mental health were significant. The mean scores of the GHQ-28 and its somatic symptoms and anxiety/insomnia subscales were inversely related to the mean score of perceived social support. Moreover, perceived social support was directly related with social dysfunction and depression. In fact, higher scores on the GHQ-28 suggested poorer mental health which was associated with lower social support. These relationships were significant in case of total scores of the GHQ-28 and all its subscales except somatic symptoms.