The experience of being hospitalized: stress, social support and satisfaction

In this paper, an exploratory study, relationships among patient stress, social support and satisfaction are discussed. During 1980, 100 medical patients on two companion units of a large northeastern teaching medical center were given the Volicer Hospital Stress Scale. Several questions about satisfaction and the support of family/friends and other patients were asked. Other variables descriptive of the experience of being hospitalized are also looked at. Stress scores for patients on both units were high. Black patients, specifically those on one unit, had higher mean stress scores than whites; items on which the racial groups differed focused upon environment and staff-patient interaction. Relationships were found between (a) the potential social support of family/friends and of other patients, (b) family/friends' support and overall satisfaction level and (c) other patients' support and stress. Other relationships among descriptive variables of the hospitalization experience were also identified. It is recommended that the identified race-stress, family/friends' support-satisfaction and patients' support-stress relationships be further explored.