Relationship between perceived social support and psychological hardiness with family communication patterns and quality of life of oncology patients.
Fatemeh Haj Hashemi, Foroozan Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, Parastoo Oujian and 2 others
PMID 33606919WHAT IT FOUND
Perceived social support strongly predicted better quality of life in cancer patients.
Family communication patterns, however, were linked to lower quality of life. Psychological hardiness showed no significant effect. Nurses should prioritize strengthening social support networks over assuming family closeness automatically improves patient well-being.
Key findings
01Perceived social support had a significant positive direct effect on quality of life.
02Family communication patterns had a significant negative direct effect on quality of life.
03Psychological hardiness did not have a significant effect on quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling, which limits how well the findings apply to other populations. Key factors such as chemotherapy type, religion, and knowledge of the illness were not measured, so their influence on quality of life is unknown. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that these factors cause changes in quality of life, only that they are associated. The negative link between family communication and quality of life contradicts some previous research, suggesting the finding may be specific to this cultural context or study population.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the negative association between family communication patterns and quality of life as evidence that talking with family harms patients. This is an observational study, so it cannot prove cause and effect, and the finding may reflect cultural factors or unmeasured variables rather than a direct harm from communication itself.