Why Belonging to a Tribe Matters

June 28, 2022

Why does belonging to a tribe matter?

Social support is the strongest positive predictor of mental health among women with breast cancer followed by leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and maintaining a positive outlook on health status. Social support contributes to mending depressive symptoms and promotes positive feelings and emotions among women with breast cancer. Women with breast cancer who do not receive social support experience higher levels of anxiety and depression than those who receive it.

What do you need?

Researchers aim to understand the main needs of women with breast cancer and discovered that various unmet needs have emerged like emotional health, continuity of care, information, adverse effects, educational strategies, economics, and social support. Further, the most unmet needs are in psychological areas and information. According to research, caring for women with breast cancer should have a clear path from the moment of diagnosis to the end of therapy.

What is the impact of fear of recurrence?

Researchers discuss how illness uncertainty, fear of cancer recurrence, and perceived social support are connected. The psychological problems of breast cancer survivors cannot be ignored, and among them, fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the most commonly reported concern and the most frequently recognized unmet need. According to researchers, FCR is associated with the development of negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, which without timely intervention may affect the psychological functioning of cancer survivors, resulting in reduced quality of life and even increased risk of suicide.

How H4TG Helps!

Still, deciding on whether social support is something you need? Try joining our tribe at Here for the Girls social support programs linked HERE.

Further Reading:

  • To read more about social support, LTPA, and health perceptions read HERE.
  • To read more about unmet needs and breast cancer, click HERE.
  • To read more about the fear of recurrence, click HERE.

Sources:

Foà, C., Guarnieri, M. C., Basciu, V., Naldi, S., Scaravella, M., & Scirpoli, A. (2022). The Unmet Needs of Women with Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Research. Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 93(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v93iS2.12956

Kim, J., Kim, J., Han, A., & Nguyen, M. C. (2021). Leisure Time Physical Activity, Social Support, Health Perception, and Mental Health Among Women with Breast Cancer. Leisure Studies, 40(3), 352–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2020.1869290

Yu, Z., Sun, D., & Sun, J. (2022). Social Support and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Chinese Breast Cancer Survivors: The Mediation Role of Illness Uncertainty. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 864129. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.864129

Archives

Archives

Recent Post

© 2024 Here for the Girls, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity
EIN 26-0606190
1309 Jamestown Rd. Suite 204
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Contact us at info@hereforthegirls.org or at 757-645-2649

‌⁠If you are in a life-threatening situation, please do not use this website. Please use the list below for resources or call 911 to request crisis intervention, or other appropriate personnel, for immediate support. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-TALK (8255) Crisis Text Line – Text NAMI to 741-741
cross linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram