The Relationship Between Social Support and Hope in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy in Hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Breast cancer greatly affects the life expectancy of patients. Since social support can greatly improve complications in chronic diseases, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between social support and hope in patients with breast cancer. In this cross-sectional study, 100 women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy in hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences were studied. Samples were selected using convenience sampling and according to inclusion criteria. After collecting data using Snyder’s Adult Trait Hope Scale and Sherburne and Stewart’s Social Support Scale, data analysis was done using the SPSS software. According to the findings, 80% of the studied women reported high levels of social support and 53% had moderate levels of life hope. The findings also showed that the participants received the most support in the emotional dimension (30.83 ± 31.40), the least support in the social interaction dimension (11.79 ± 3.60). Findings showed a direct and significant relationship between hope and social support (r = 0.278, P = 0.004). Strengthening and promoting social support in women with breast cancer can be a good way to create hope for life and thus better tolerance of and compromise with problems associated with the disease and its treatments.