Perceived Social Support and Coping among People with Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

Abstract

Objective: Identify the association between perceived social support and coping on the part of people with chronic nonmalignant pain in the city of Tunja (Colombia). Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive, correlational study with a quantitative, cross-sectional design. The sample included 340 persons with chronic nonmalignant pain. The analysis was done using descriptive statistics and the correlation was determined with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The persons with chronic nonmalignant pain who took part in the study were mostly women; specifically, housewives ages 36 to 59 who are in the low socio-economic bracket and have different levels of education. The majority had neurosurgical or neurological diseases, followed by those of bone or joint origin. They had been in pain for more than three years and its intensity was severe. A high perception of social support was found, along with considerable use of coping strategies, particularly religion. The study revealed a weak statistically significant correlation between perceived social support and coping in persons with chronic pain, and between perceived social support and active coping. Conclusions: Social support interventions tailored to the contexts and environments users find themselves in should be considered as initiatives to strengthen the coping strategies of persons with chronic nonmalignant pain.