Social support and quality of life of patients prior to stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the positive and detrimental aspects of social support prior to allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation/stem cell transplantation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

METHODS

Patients completed the German version of the Illness-specific Social Support Scale (ISSS) and the Quality of Life (QoL) Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30).

RESULTS

Participants were 282 patients (62% autologous SCT, 39% women, 97% haematological malignancies, 72% with partner). We found satisfactory reliability values for both ISSS scales: positive support (Cronbach's alpha=.91) and problematic support (=.73). Patients living with a partner displayed higher scores in positive interaction than patients living alone (p<.001). Analysis showed a significant main effect of partnership, p<.001; F(1)=8.345, and better scores for women, p<1; F(1)=2.758. Furthermore, we determined a negative correlation between problematic interaction and emotional/social function (p<.001) and a positive correlation with insomnia, but no correlation between positive interaction, QLQ-C30, and Karnofsky's index.

CONCLUSIONS

We could distinguish between helpful and harmful support, and determine clinically important associations of problematic support. Partnership seems to be a major source of positive interaction.