Jutagir, D. R., Gudenkauf, L. M., Stagl, J. M., Carver, C. S., Bouchard, L. C., Lechner, S. C., Gluck, S., Blomberg, B. B., & Antoni, M. H. (2016). Differences in types of social support from multiple sources after breast cancer surgery: The role of ethnicity. Ethnicity & Health, 21, 411-425. Objectives: Diagnosis of and treatment for breast cancer (BCa) may result in psychological distress. Several types of social support are positively related to psychological adaptation to BCa, and negative support is associated with poorer adaptation. Although Hispanic women report greater distress than NH White women after diagnosis of BCa, no studies have examined ethnic differences in types of social support received from varying sources after surgery for BCa. Design: Hispanic (N=61) and non-Hispanic (NH) White (N=150) women diagnosed with early-stage BCa self-reported emotional, informational, instrumental, and negative support from five sources. Ethnic differences in levels of social support were compared using multiple regression analysis. Results: There were no ethnic differences in levels of emotional support from any source. Hispanic women reported greater informational support from children and male adult family members than did NH Whites. In contrast, instrumental support from friends was lower among Hispanic women than among NH Whites. Hispanic women reported higher negative support from husbands/partners and from children and male adult family members. When number of years in the U.S. was controlled, Hispanic women again showed greater informational support from children and male adult family members, but also reported greater informational support from adult women family members and friends. Conclusion: Family is a greater source of informational support for Hispanic than NH White women, who received more assistance from sources outside the family. Hispanic women reported higher negative support from male sources than NH Whites. Level of support from different sources may also be related to time spent in the U.S. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether patterns and sources of social support shift over the course of treatment for BCa.

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