Given that illness uncertainty is associated with worse
emotional and physical symptoms, it is important to understand factors that are associated with uncertainty. Uncertainty in illness theory has identified social support as an important influence on uncertainty [2]. According to theory, social support helps individuals make sense of their medical situation. For example, interacting with others who have had similar experiences is thought to provide an opportunity to gather information that can increase familiarity with the illness. Consistent
with theory, research has found that higher scores on
measures of social support are associated with less uncertainty [11–16]. However, not all social contact is experienced as being supportive, and dissatisfaction with social interactions has been associated with greater illness uncertainty [17]. To more fully understand how the social environment is associated with uncertainty, it is necessary to include a broad range of measures that capture the quality and type of social interaction
that the patient experiences.