Does social support buffer the impact of stress on health among people living with sickle cell disease? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

In this cross-sectional study, we examined the contributions of social support in mitigating the burden that sickle cell disease (SCD) has on the well-being of patients living with the condition. SCD patients (n = 139) in Nigeria completed measures of sickle cell distress, social support, and quality of life. Although we found that SCD distress was strongly associated with poorer quality of life, across domains; social support did not mitigate the impact that SCD distress had on the quality of life of patients. Unlike many health conditions where social support helps patient, SCD distress bears down hard on patients regardless of social support structures.