Life orientation and social support in patients with colostomy for colorectal cancer

The concept of sense of coherence (SOC) seeks to explain the relationship between support and health. Another important resource which directly influences patients’ health is social support. Sense of coherence (SOC) is a factor influencing the ability to cope with stress. The aim of the study was to estimate the level of SOC and coping styles in people with colostomy for colorectal cancer. The study included 47 people who took part in a periodic meeting of POL-ILKO, the Polish Ostomy Association, in Voivodship Hospital, Bydgoszcz. The SOC level was assessed using Antonovsky’s SOC-29 questionnaire and social support was measured using the Kmiecik-Baran scale. The population has lowered levels of SOC and its components and receives different amounts of emotional support. There is a need for the therapeutic team’s supportive and educational actions adjusted to the life situation of a patient. Such actions should help increase the level of SOC and positively influence the level of satisfaction with the amount of social support the patient receives, which in turn will provide better convalescence. colorectal cancer, colostomy, social support, sense of coherence (SOC).