Background: Stress is inevitable in the nursing profession, and ways of coping are one of the solutions to reduce stress. Social support is one of the influencing factors on coping strategies, but there is probably a difference between the effects of received or perceived social support on coping strategies.
Objective: The aim was to investigate the relationship between received and perceived social support with ways of coping in nurses.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study. The sample consisted of 292 nurses by simple random sampling. The data collection tool included Zimmet's multidimensional perceived social support scale, McCain and Marklin's perceived social support questionnaire, and Lazarus' ways of coping questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression tests in SPSS v.22.
Results: The results showed that received social support (β= 0.20, p < 0.001) and perceived social support (β= 0.35, p < 0.001) are able to explain changes in the dimension of seeking social support. Received social support (β= 0.16, p = 0.005) and perceived social support (β= 0.22, p < 0.001) are able to explain changes after positive reappraisal, but only received social support could explain changes in accepting responsibility (β= 0.15, p = 0.01).
Conclusion: This study showed that received and perceived social support have a significant correlation with ways of coping, but only able to explain the changes in social support seeking dimensions, positive reappraisal, accepting responsibility. Both types of social support are necessary, but that received social support covered more adaptive coping strategies.
Keywords: Received social support; coping strategies; job satisfaction; mental health; nurse; perceived social support.