Mediating role of social support between social constraints and mental health among women with breast cancer

Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women. Patients with this type of cancer often experience social constraints, which are positively associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms, and a poorer quality of life. The underlying mechanisms by which social constraints affect these psychological outcomes remain unclear. Thus, this study analyzed the relationships between social constraints, depression, anxiety, and quality of life using a sample of 327 women diagnosed with breast cancer. We found that social constraints were predictors of anxiety, depression and quality of life. Further, social support fully mediated the relationship between social constraints and depression, and partially mediated the relationships between social constraints and anxiety, and between social constraints and quality of life. Therefore, enhancing social support for people with breast cancer can mitigate the negative psychological consequences caused by social constraints, and improve their quality of life.