Determination of Social Support Needs and Expectations of Mothers of Children With Cancer

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the social support needs of mothers of children with cancer and their expectations regarding nurses. The sample consisted of 88 mothers of children aged 0 to 18 years. The data were collected by a questionnaire and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used. The variables were investigated using visual methods (histograms and probability plots) and the Mann–Whitney U, Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman tests. All the mothers stated that they needed social support but only 73.9% received it. Support was obtained mostly from families (83.0%), physicians (44.6%), nurses (38.4%), friends (30.7%), and neighbors (24.6%). Most of the social support was emotional (76.9%) and informational (49.2%). A total of 54.5% of the mothers expected social support from nurses. The mean total MSPSS score was 51.18 ± 25.30. In conclusion, all mothers felt that they needed social support, but their rate of receiving social support was lower than their needs.