Psychological well-being in breast cancer patients: the role of social support in managing anxiety and depression.

Objective: Aim: To investigate the role of social support in the relationship between psychological well-being, anxiety, and depression among breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study included 98 women with breast cancer. Measures used were the Psychological General Well-being Index (PGWBI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, and regression analyses with moderation and mediation were conducted. T-tests estimated statistical signif i cance in regression. Mediation effects were assessed using the quasi-Bayesian Monte Carlo method with bootstrapping.

Results: Results: The initial linear regression analysis showed a strong negative relationship between anxiety/depression (HADS) and psychological well-being (PGWBI), with higher HADS scores were linked to lower psychological well-being. The regression analysis for social support (MSPSS) indicated a positive but small ef f ect on psychological well-being. The moderation analysis showed no signif i cant interaction between social support and anxiety/depression on psychological well-being. However, the mediation analysis demonstrated that social support signif i cantly improves psychological well-being by reducing anxiety and depression, with a substantial proportion of the ef f ect mediated.

Conclusion: Conclusions: The study found that while social support does not moderate the relationship between anxiety, depression and psychological well-being, it signif i cantly enhances psychological well-being by reducing anxiety and depression.