| Summary: | 碩士 === 義守大學 === 管理研究所碩士班 === 94 === The purpose of this study is to understand cancer patients and their families concerning the illness uncertainty and coping strategies, investigate the relation of the illness uncertainty and social support, as well as discuss the level of social support and the effect factor from the medical providers. The individual interview was used to investigate about the relationship between illness uncertainty and social support. Twelve patients and two familiars took part in the study. A structural questionnaire was also used to measure the level of social support from the medical providers. There were 250 questionnaires floated and 213 were used as basis for gathering data. The return rate was 84.8%. Afterwards, data was keyed in the computer and analyzed by SPSS 11.0. T-test, ANOVA, and correlation were used to statistically test the effect factor of social support. The cancer patients had more illness uncertainty than their familiars. The patients felt no choice, little security, lonely and out of control. The familiars felt no choice and little security. The patients would use both problem-focused and emotional-focused coping strategies. The familiars would only adapt emotional-focused coping strategy. In major social support, the patients accepted the tangible support by spout and their family, and the information support by medical providers and friends. The familiars accepted the tangible support by parents and their siblings, and the information support by medical providers. In the questionnaire, the patients and their familiars were not significantly statistic difference from the social support given by the medical providers. The age (p=0.04), the region (p=0.00) were statistically significant in influencing the emotional support from medical providers. The education (p=0.02) would affect the information support from medical providers. The marriage (p=0.00) was statistically significant in influencing the emotional support, the appraisal support, and the entire support. The medical providers could be suggested to give the cancer patients and their families support by specific stages. The initial stage is information support. The middle and later stages are emotional and appraisal support. By offering different supports, the cancer patients and their families could discharge illness uncertainty and have a better quality of life.
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