Moderating Role of Social Support Between Financial Hardship and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors
Jean C. Yi, Gabrielle Paras, Matt J. Barnett, Nora B. Henrikson, Laura E. Panattoni, Diana Lowry, Renae Lydum, Salene M. W. JonesABSTRACT
Objective
Financial hardship is common for cancer survivors. Little is known about the relationships between financial hardship, social support (emotional, informational and instrumental) and quality of life and mental health.
Methods
Cross‐sectional, secondary analyses of survey data from breast cancer survivors that included financial hardship, social support and quality of life. The survivors needed to be diagnosed within 2 years prior to approach and were part of a cancer registry. The patient reported measures included a financial hardship measure our team developed for cancer survivors, the FACT‐G7, PROMIS mental health and social support and the Cancer and Treatment Distress scale. Interaction terms were computed to test for moderation. Separate hierarchical regressions assessed how much if any variance was accounted for in these moderation analyses.
Results
A total of 598 breast cancer survivors completed the survey. Participants were predominantly over age 40 (97%), 98% female and 83% White. The correlations between financial hardship, mental health, quality of life and social support were in the moderate range. There were no significant associations with emotional or informational social support. However, instrumental social support moderated the relationships between financial coping and quality of life, financial depression and mental health and financial anxiety and mental health.
Conclusions
Instrumental social support moderated the relationships between financial hardship and quality of life and mental health outcomes but emotional and informational social support did not. For financial hardship, it may be useful to increase instrumental social support.