Older adults with serious illness may live longer if they have a strong social network, new research suggests.
Investigators found that postmenopausal women who reported low or moderate social support before diagnosis with colorectal cancer had 42% higher mortality from the disease when compared with their better-connected peers.
The women with higher mortality specifically lacked:
- Emotional support: caring and concern
- Informational support: help provided through information
- Tangible support: help with tasks, chores, or tangible needs
- Positive interaction: someone for the patient to have fun with and take their mind off their illness
Care providers may be able to help improve outcomes by identifying people whose social support systems are lacking, said study lead Candyce Kroenke, MPH, ScD, from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. Resources might include a therapist to assist with the emotional burden of cancer treatment and social services to provide logistical help such as rides to the doctor, she added.
Data was obtained for more than 1,400 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative long-term survey.
The study was published online Thursday in the journal Cancer.
