Resilience in Men with Prostate Cancer: Relationship between Resilience, Social Support, and Distress

Prostate cancer (PCA) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in Iceland. While heightened levels of distress have been reported among PCA patients there is a group of patients that show low levels of distress. Therefore, it is important to find out what protects those men that show less distress, which would give suggestion for intervention. In this research we examined if resilience and social support were protective factors for distress, and if resilience mediated the relationship between social support and distress. Participants were comprised of 44 PCA patients. Baseline questionnaire assessing resilience, social support and distress was administered around the time of their diagnosis, and distress was assessed again three and six months later. Repeated measures ANCOVA (controlling for baseline distress) showed that PCA patients higher in resilience reported less distress at both the three and then six months follow-up assessments. High social support was not associated with distress; therefore it was not tested if resilience mediated the relationship between social support and distress. Result suggests that resilience is protective factor for distress among PCA patients. This finding raise the possibility that intervention aimed at increasing resilience might improve the mental health of PCA patients.

Author dc:creator

• Laufey Dís Ragnarsdóttir 1974-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Sálfræði
• Blöðruhálskirtilskrabbamein
• Streita
• Prostate cancer
• Symptom distress

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1946/12712

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/12712