The need of social support among women after surgical treatment for breast cancer. What kind of support do patients expect? From whom do they expect?

Introduction
Chronic somatic illness is understood as a stressful situation so adequate social support is important in order to organise help for ill patients. It is important that both the source of support and its type (e.g. emotional) should be in accordance with the needs of the individual. It is important to assess not only the received support, but also the expected support.

The aim of the study
The aim of the research is to assess the need of social support (type and resources) among women after mastectomy.

Material and methods
Eighty-two post-mastectomy women, a member of the Amazon club, and 71 healthy women were examined in order to assess their need for social support, including its source and type. It was conducted using a modified version of the Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ) by J.S. Norbeck in a translation by J. Kirenko and a sociodemographic survey for basic demographic and clinical data. There were a few extra questions about expected emotional, affirmative and practical support as a modification of the questionnaire.

Results and conclusions
Women after mastectomy expected significantly more social support of each type compared to the group of healthy women. They also indicated a greater number of people they could count on. Interesting data were obtained by analysing the sources and type of support expected in the group of women after mastectomy, which may help in planning therapeutic interventions for patients and their families. F.g., surveyed women after mastectomy receive more emotional support than they expect, and at the same time have a greater need for affirmative support than they receive.