A one-year follow-up of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and perceived social support in cancer

Aims: Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in cancer patients fluctuates over the course of cancer according to the timing of assessment. In this longitudinal study, the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and the association between PTSD symptoms and the buffering variable of perceived social support were examined at one year follow-up. Procedure: People with different types of cancer were assessed (breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and colorectal tumor) on four occasions: pre-treatment, at the end of cáncer treatment, at six months post-treatment, and at one year post-treatment. Multivariate analyses were used to assess associations of perceived social support in patients with PTSD symptoms at the aforementioned four time points. Results: No significant differences in perceived social support were found at the various follow-up times. However, diagnosis of PTSD symptoms showed differences based on the time of assessment (F = 5.50, p = 0.02). At pre- and post-treatment, social support was negatively related to re-experiencing (p < 0.00) and numbing (p < 0.00) PTSD symptoms. At six months post-treatment, social support was negatively related to all symptoms of PTSD (p <0.00). Finally, at one year post-treatment, perceived social support was negatively related only to numbing symptoms (p < 0.00) of PTSD. Conclusion: Over the course of cancer, buffering effect of perceived social support had a specific influence on PTSD symptoms