Next Article in Journal
Workplace Impact of Menopause Symptoms Among Canadian Women Physicians
Previous Article in Journal
The Impact of Support Intensity Needs on Person-Centred Case Management
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Cancer Survivors: Validity, Levels, and Sociodemographic Correlates of CD-RISC-25 and MSPSS Scales

by
Goran Malenković
1,
Jelena Malenković
1,
Sanja D Tomić
1,
Silvija Lučić
1,
Armin Šljivo
2,
Fatima Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović
2 and
Slobodan Tomić
1,*
1
Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
2
Clinical Center of University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2025, 13(21), 2698; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212698 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 15 September 2025 / Revised: 22 October 2025 / Accepted: 24 October 2025 / Published: 25 October 2025

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Resilience and perceived social support are crucial factors influencing psychological well-being among breast cancer survivors. Understanding their levels and interrelations can inform psychosocial interventions aimed at improving survivorship outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between resilience and perceived social support, to evaluate the psychometric properties of the applied scales, and to explore their associations with key sociodemographic factors among breast cancer survivors. Materials and Methods: A total of 193 women in clinical remission, at least six months post-primary treatment, were recruited from the General Hospital Sombor. Participants completed sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and group comparisons (t-tests and ANOVA) were conducted to assess the relationships among study variables and sociodemographic factors. Results: Participants demonstrated moderate resilience (57 ± 18), with Coping and Hardiness as the strongest domains and Optimism the lowest. Perceived social support was also moderate (4.65–4.82) across all domains, highest for family and significant others. Resilience and perceived social support were positively correlated (r = 0.616, p < 0.001), with Hardiness most strongly associated with overall resilience (r = 0.899). Support from a significant other was particularly linked to adaptability (r = 0.617). Participants living in urban areas and those with higher income reported significantly higher resilience and social support, though with low effect sizes. No other sociodemographic associations were observed. Conclusions: Breast cancer survivors in this Serbian cohort reported moderate resilience and social support, with a strong interrelationship between the two. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening social support networks as a potential pathway to enhance resilience and psychological well-being in cancer survivorship care.
Keywords: breast neoplasms; resilience; social support; survivors; patient-reported outcomes measures breast neoplasms; resilience; social support; survivors; patient-reported outcomes measures

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Malenković, G.; Malenković, J.; Tomić, S.D.; Lučić, S.; Šljivo, A.; Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović, F.; Tomić, S. Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Cancer Survivors: Validity, Levels, and Sociodemographic Correlates of CD-RISC-25 and MSPSS Scales. Healthcare 2025, 13, 2698. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212698

AMA Style

Malenković G, Malenković J, Tomić SD, Lučić S, Šljivo A, Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović F, Tomić S. Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Cancer Survivors: Validity, Levels, and Sociodemographic Correlates of CD-RISC-25 and MSPSS Scales. Healthcare. 2025; 13(21):2698. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212698

Chicago/Turabian Style

Malenković, Goran, Jelena Malenković, Sanja D Tomić, Silvija Lučić, Armin Šljivo, Fatima Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović, and Slobodan Tomić. 2025. "Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Cancer Survivors: Validity, Levels, and Sociodemographic Correlates of CD-RISC-25 and MSPSS Scales" Healthcare 13, no. 21: 2698. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212698

APA Style

Malenković, G., Malenković, J., Tomić, S. D., Lučić, S., Šljivo, A., Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović, F., & Tomić, S. (2025). Resilience and Perceived Social Support in Cancer Survivors: Validity, Levels, and Sociodemographic Correlates of CD-RISC-25 and MSPSS Scales. Healthcare, 13(21), 2698. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212698

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop