Depression Burden, Self-Help Interventions, and Social Support in Women Receiving Treatment for Breast Cancer

The purpose of this article is to describe the interaction effects of depression burden (depressive symptoms experienced as a burdensome side effect) with a set of oncology support interventions on social support for women receiving treatment for breast cancer. A repeated measures design was used with measurement occurring at three points in time: T1 (baseline after adjuvant medical treatment was initiated), T2 (six to eight weeks after T1) and T3 (three months after T2). Two hundred forty-seven women were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 194) or control (n = 53). The treatment group consisted of women participating in three different, but complimentary self-help interventions. Depression burden, even at low levels, influenced the critical dimensions of social support structure, function, and nature.