Cloudy mirror: the stereotypes and discrimination toward patients with cancer

Abstract

Background: Cancer has been perceived as a horrible and deadly disease among some people, which may cause felling neglected and inadequate social support, but could these attitudes lead the persons of society to decrease their social support and avoid them? Aims: In order to discover the reasons for inadequate social support, this study investigated the attitude of the citizens of Tehran toward cancer patients. Method: This study was a correlational-descriptive design. One hundred and thirty-four people completed the attitude toward cancer patients scale (Cho and Colleague, 2012). Results: The results demonstrated that there was a positive relationship between the belief regarding the impossibility of the cancer treatment, stereotypes of cancer patients, and discrimination against them. Furthermore, people who had the experience of volunteering in the centers for supporting the cancer patients showed lower discrimination against these patients. Also men showed more negative attitudes toward the patients than women, but had lower discriminating actions against them than women. Conclusions: the findings showed that individuals with negative attitudes toward cancer patients were more likely to have discrimination against them and provided inadequate social support.

Keywords

• cancer
• attitude
• social support
• stereotypes
• discrimination