Social and Spiritual Aspects Affecting Psychosocial Well-Being Among Early- and Late-Stage Oral Cancer Patients Presenting with Restricted Oral Functioning
Abstract
Objective: There is increasing awareness of the diverse negative effects of cancer stage on the psychosocial well-being of patients with oral cancer. This study examined the role of social support and spiritual aspects in predicting psychosocial well-being among the early- and late-stage Malaysian oral cancer patients with restricted oral functioning, to inform a holistic model of cancer care.
Material and Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed based on a health-related quality of life dataset among 96 oral cancer patients, collected from the Functional-Assessment of Cancer-Therapy–Head and Neck, Version 4.0 instrument between 2008 and 2015. Descriptive analyses, including correlation, were performed, followed by a hierarchical multiple regression using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25.0.
Results: The multivariate analyses indicated moderate-strong relationships between the mean scores for oral functioning, social support, spiritual aspect, and psychosocial well-being among a cohort of both early (n=31) and late-stage (n=65) patients attending three visits: pre-treatment, 1 month, and 3 months post-treatment. However, only oral functioning and social support were found to be significant predictors of patients’ psychosocial well-being; with
social support being the most significant predictor for both groups. In addition, social support was a mediator of oral functioning at pre-treatment among the late-stage group.
Conclusion: These findings provide insights into how social support and spiritual aspects can contribute to improved psychosocial well-being among patients with compromised oral functioning. The results could potentially outline new provisions for a better holistic care model for oral cancer patients in Malaysia.
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