The Relation Between Psychological Adaptation of Cancer Survivors and Receiving and Providing Social Support in Community-based Self-help Groups

The relation between psychological adaptation of cancer survivors and receiving and providing social support in community-based self-help groups (SHGs) were investigated. Members of SHGs for cancer survivors (N=347) completed a questionnaire inquiring their background. They also responded to several scales, including the scales on receiving and providing social support, and Benefit Finding Scale-Revised (BFS). Results indicated that both receiving and providing social support had a direct buffering effect on BF domains. Moreover, the members of SHGs who scored high on both receiving and providing social support scales scored higher on the BFS compared to those with low scores of both types of support. These findings suggested that the levels of receiving and providing social support and an appropriate balance between these support, affected on psychological adaptation of cancer survivors.本研究は，平成24年度日本学術振興会科学研究補助金基盤研究（C）「がん医療現場の臨床心理士と患者会の協働を促すコミュニティ心理学的試み」（研究代表者兒玉憲一）の一環として行われた