| Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 護理學系碩士班 === 103 === Cancer is one of the most important healthy issues all over the world. Head and neck cancers are the fourth common cancer in Taiwan according to the Taiwan Cancer Registry report in 2009 and are still rapidly increasing in recent years. Head and neck cancer patients usually suffer from depression more than other cancer patients. According to previous literature, the severity of depression may be determined by social support. The aim of this study is to explore whether the effect of social support on head and neck cancer patients’ depression can be adjusted by the consistency of social support demand and supply.
This prospective and cross-sectional study recruited 117 primary head and neck cancer patients, who received complete treatment during this admission at ear, nose and throat (ENT) ward of a teaching hospital in Taipei between October 2013 and March 2014. The data were collected by reviewing of the medical record and face to face interviewing the patients. The results revealed that (1) the demand and supply of social supports which patients had were consistent during the treatment; (2) patients had mild to moderate depression in average during the treatment; (3) there was no correlation between depression and the supply of social support; (4) patients’ depression was affected by consistency of the social support demand and supply; (5) The only factor which affected the consistency of the social support demand and supply was that patients lived with their family or not. Patients who lived with family had a better consistency of the social support demand and supply.
In conclusion, consistency of the social support demand and supply is the major determining factor of depression of head and neck cancer patients and can be an important factor when nurses evaluate patients’ depression and for studies on the social support and depression in the future.
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