Illness behavior and social support in patients with chronic venous ulcers

Venous ulcers are a chronic and costly condition for providers and payors, as well as for patients, particularly the elderly. To examine the association between chronic venous ulceration, illness behavior, and levels of social support, patients drawn from a separate clinical trial (N = 74) were interviewed using the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire and the Social Support Questionnaire. Results indicate that women had higher hypochondriasis (1.70 versus 1.03, P = 0.19), affective disturbance (2.70 versus 1.42, P = 0.08), and number of supports (Social Support Questionnaire, 2.41 versus 1.81, P = 0.056) than men, although no score achieved a standard level of statistical significance. Patients under 70 years of age had significantly higher hypochondriasis (1.96 versus 1.17, P = 0.021) and irritability (1.38 versus 0.90, P = 0.026) scores than those older than 70 years, although denial was significantly higher in those older than 70 years (3.97 versus 3.46, P = 0.045). The level of satisfaction with social support was significantly higher in those under 70 years of age (5.13 versus 4.97, P = 0.042). These results underscore the psychological and social cost imposed by chronic venous ulceration on older women. They also support previous studies implying a greater psychological burden on younger patients. The association between illness behavior and social support remains unclear, but examining the association between illness behavior and social support among patients with venous ulceration provides an opportunity to increase understanding of the psychological, physical, and social dynamics of this chronic condition.