Influence of social support in stress and life quality in parents whose children have cancer from a multidimensional perspective

Abstract

Objective: To analyse how the social support of parents with children diagnosed with oncological disease influences stress perception and quality of life. Method: 112 parents whose children suffer oncological pathologies received treatment in Malaga. They belonged to an association of parents with children affected by this disease. Results: According to sources used, perception of family support decreases the stress frequency, friends support is also an important aid alleviating the stress. In addition, support from a partner improves parents’ well-being. There are different types of support: firstly, instrumental support, which reduces the frequency of parents’ stress; secondly, informational support reducing stress related to the effort that parents must exert; thirdly, the most important variable to get quality of life is emotional support. To conclude: The multidimensional analysis of social support allows us to analyse the complexity of social support taking place during oncological illnesses in children. Practical implications come as a result from this study.

Keywords

• padres de niños con cáncer
• apoyo social
• estrés
• satisfacción vital