Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social Support and Health and Medical Outcomes

Wayne State University, Detroit MI

Investigators

Abstract

SES-1068218 Janet Hankins Amy Peterson Wayne State University Childhood cancer is one of modern medicine's greatest success stories, with children surviving the disease at unprecedented rates. While treatment is often successful at eradicating the disease, the diagnosis and on-going treatment of pediatric cancer is major stressor for children and their parents. Treatment can last from several weeks to several years, and include repeated needle sticks and invasive and painful medical procedures. One potential way to buffer the distress of childhood cancer is through social support. Social support is the "emotional support, the provision of aid and security during times of stress that leads a person to feel she or he is care for by others." Abundant evidence exists indicating the benefits of social support in alleviating stress, facilitating coping, and enhancing health and medical outcomes. This dissertation research studies the role of social support in alleviating both child and parental distress and enhancing child cooperation during cancer-related medical procedures. Data will be analyzed from a National Institutes of Health study on "Resources, Parent-Child Communication and Adjustment to Pediatric Cancer." These data include self-report measures of social support including self-reports of both parent and child distress and child cooperation. Transcripts of video-recorded interactions in which a child undergoes a cancer-related medical procedure will be coded and analyzed for social support communication. The research will examine differences between self-reported social support and observed social support and will investigate the type of social support associated with decreased child and parent distress and increased child cooperation during medical procedures. Broader Impact This research will increase our current understanding of the role that social support plays during children's medical procedures and the process by which support alleviates child and parent distress and increases child cooperation. The broader impact of the research has the potential to improve the treatment of children being treated for cancer, as well as treatment for children undergoing treatment for other chronic diseases; the identification of successful social support methods will benefit both children and their parents. Results from this study will inform our understanding of how to better assist families whose children are subjected to frequent and distressing medical procedures. While the social support literature is vast, there is little research using observational data in which naturally occurring behavior can be coded and analyzed. This study provides the opportunity to examine social support behavior in an innovative and meaningful way and develop methods to coach parents as to which techniques are likely to reduce their distress and that of their children.