Professional Med J 2015;22(2): 235-243. www.theprofesional.com HEART AND KIDNEY PATIENTS 235 The Professional Medical Journal www.theprofesional.com HEART AND KIDNEY PATIENTS; CORRELATIONAL PATTERNS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT WITH COPING STRATEGIES AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING Dr. Bushra Yasmeen 1 , Dr. Muhammad Zohaib Khan 2 , Dr. Nermeen Jamshaid 3 , Dr. Munnaza Salman 4 Safdar Abbas 5 ORIGINAL PROF-2671 ABSTRACT… The prevalence of chronic diseases is exceptionally high (37.9%) among the adult population of Pakistan. Social support could play a signifcant role in shaping the coping strategies and determining the subjective wellbeing of chronically ill patients. Objectives: This research documents the correlation patterns of social support with coping strategies and subjective well-being among Heart and Kidney Patients. Methods: The primary data was collected from four major hospitals in Lahore by using purposive sampling method. For the collection of quantitative data, a hospital-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 275 admitted patients (131-heart and 144-kidney) 184 male and 91 female (20 to 110 years of age) by using a structured interview schedule. Pearson Product-moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis were performed on the data set. Results: Strongest correlation was found between emotional and informational social support (r=.853). Instrumental social support also indicates strong relationship with the emotional social support (r=.838). There was a moderate positive correlation (r=.339) between behavioral coping, emotional social support and informational social support (r=.424). Data show a negative relationship between physical coping and subjective well-being (r=.381). Results of the study suggest that emotional (β=.230) and informational (β=.217) social support affect the patients’ ability to actively engage in behavioral and physical coping for the subjective well-being; however, physical coping indicated negative effects (β=-.225) on the subjective feelings of well-being. Conclusions: A strong correlations among four types of social support exists and behavioral coping has the strongest impact on the subjective well-being (β=.629). Key words: Chronic Illness, Coping Strategies, Social Support, Subjective well-being. 1.Ph.D from Institute of Social & Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore 2.Lahore Dental and Medical College, Lahore. 3. Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Lahore. 4.University of Health Sciences, Lahore. 5.MPhil Sociology, Institute of Social & Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore. Correspondence Address: Dr. Bushra Yasmeen 689-N Block, Samanabad, Lahore. bushrayasmeen@gmail.com Article received on: 04/10/2014 Accepted for publication: 11/11/2014 Received after proof reading: 21/02/2015 Article Citation: Yasmeen B, Abbas S, Khan MZ, Jamshaid N, Salman M. Heart and kidney patients; correlational patterns of social support with coping strategies and subjective well-being. Professional Med J 2015;22(2):235-243. Chronic illnesses cause dependency in physical, psychological, and social domains of life 1 . Social scientists have been focused their attention at different levels of chronic illness. They analyzed social, psychological, physical and behavioral dimensions of adjustment with chronic illnesses. Disease management and coping strategies account for the reduction of the severity of both the symptoms and the impact of illness and enhance the subjective well-being. Studies assert that psychosocial variables accounted for 59% of the variance in disability associated with chronic pain 2 . Potential social support works to change the behavioral patterns or altering perceptions of illness. It builds an environment which helps to shape the coping responses. It has been found that social resources play an important role in improving life satisfaction and well-being 3 . Researchers assert that support is uniformly positive because of its effects on well-being 4 . Social support from the family also assists an individual to build the environment by changing the situation, the meaning of the situation, and the emotional reactions to change the situation 5 . This environment helps to understand the problem, enhances internal control, reduces the negative effects and protects the patients from the consequences of chronic illness 6 . Individuals suffering from chronic illness are at a high risk and are vulnerable to the complications from disease. Social support results in the encouragement of chronic patients’ to deal with the symptoms of illness, enable them to change the situation, and