A closer look at Self Esteem and Perceived Social Support: Their role in Depression among Women with Chronic Illnesses

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1842397/v1

Abstract

Chronic illnesses not only bring physical strains but also affect one's psychological health. Long-term treatments and variations in severity demand psychological resources to cope up with these illnesses. Cancer and heart diseases are among those illnesses which are quite prevalent and tax one’s resources to fight with illnesses. A cross sectional study design was used to carry out this study which aims to find the predictive association of depression with self-esteem and perceived social support among women with chronic illness (breast cancer and angina). A sample of 102 women diagnosed with breast cancer (51) and Angina (51) with the age ranges between 30-60 years (Mean age = 47.6, SD=10.68), were taken. They were recruited from different hospitals including Sindh Government Hospital, Dar-ul-Sukoon and Dow university Hospital Karachi, Pakistan using purposive sampling technique. 

Patients’ Health Questionaire-9, Rosenberg Self-Esteem, and Multidimensional Perceived Social Support was administered. Findings show that self-esteem has contributed to lowering depression in women diagnosed with cardiac illness (Angina) as well as cancer (breast Cancer).Perceived social support has a significant effect on depression in women with cardiac illness (Angina) however it has a non-significant contribution in the reduction of depression in women with cancer (breast cancer).

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