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Outcomes 1. Discuss how mental health varies day-to-day for sexual and gender minority adults living with cancer. 2. Describe the relationship between social support, social isolation, and daily depression among sexual and gender minority adults living with cancer. Key Message Social support and social isolation influence the daily odds of depressive symptoms among middle-aged to older sexual and gender minority adults living with cancer. Importance Social support and connection are important factors that can influence the well-being of cancer patients. This is especially true for patient populations with a disproportionate cancer burden, such as sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). However, few studies have investigated how social support and connection influence the mental health of SGM adults living with cancer. Objective(s) This study examined the relationship between social support, social isolation, and the daily mental health of middle-aged to older SGM adults living with cancer. Scientific Methods Utilized A sample of 10 community-dwelling SGM adults living with cancer from an ongoing study completed online daily diary surveys for 14 consecutive days, resulting in 112 data entries. Multi-level models were used to examine associations between daily social support (emotional, tangible, and informational), perceived social isolation, and depressive symptoms (no/mild vs moderate/severe). Results Most participants identified as female (70%), with a mean age of 61 years (SD = 12.08). Higher-than-average perceived social isolation on a given day was associated with a 1.90 higher odds of moderate/severe depressive symptoms (odds ratio OR=1.90, 95% Confidence Interval CI: 1.13-3.19, p Conclusion(s) Social isolation and the type of social support received on a given day may influence the mental health of middle-aged to older SGM adults living with cancer. However, the direction of this relationship is uncertain as individuals experiencing more depressive symptoms may be more likely to seek instrumental support and feel isolated. Further research is needed to examine the temporal relationships between these factors and daily mental health. Impact The results from this study underscore the potential for palliative care interventions to enhance social support and connection to support the well-being of SGM adults living with cancer.
Puga et al. (Thu,) studied this question.