Social support, coping methods and quality of life in hemodialysis patients

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the relationships between social support and coping methods, and their contribution to the prediction of quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Although there are many studies about social support, coping methods, and quality of life, no studies explored the relationship among the three variables. Few studies have explored with ESRD sufferers their views about quality of life or how opportunities to recognize QoL experiences while living with chronic disease influence a patient's disease management and sense of well being. Selected concepts from stress and coping theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) were used as a conceptual framework for this study.; The major research question addressed was: What are the relationships among social support, coping behaviors and what are their contribution to predicting the quality of life in hemodialyis patient? An exploratory correlational research design was used in this cross-sectional study to explore the relationships among the study variables. Data in this study were collected from 80 clients at a dialysis center with quantitative instruments, a biographic data questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview guide. The participants completed four instruments: (a) Social Support Resource Measure, (b) Personal Resources Questionnaire 85 (Weinert, 1987), (c) Jalowiec Coping Scale (Jalowiec, 1991), and (d) Cantril's Ladder (Cantril, 1965). The participants were 80 adults who ranged in age from 20–80 years old. Of the sample, seventy-two percent was African American.; The results of this study show that the availability of social support was associated with problem-oriented coping. Satisfaction with social support resources was not associated with the use of problem-oriented coping or with the use of emotion-oriented coping. Perceived social support was significantly associated with the use of problem-oriented coping. Social support variables, problem oriented coping, and emotion-oriented coping did not predict the present of quality of life among hemodialysis patients. Participants' ratings of present quality of life were lower than their retrospective and future ratings. The qualitative method employed purposive sampling of those participants who could best provide answers to questions presented in the interview guide. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Emergent category techniques provided four categories related to the meaning of quality of life, social support and coping methods: (a) Life Restricted, (b) Staying Alive, (c) Feeling Good, (d) Healing Happens. Future research should target significant predictors of quality of life. Findings of this study may assist health care providers in planning and implementing strategies that improve the quality of life of chronically ill clients.