Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation
<b>Background</b>: The research indicates that painful experiences can significantly affect the fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors, which is a distressing concern that influences both physiological and psychological recovery. This cross-sectional study aims to advance our c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/7/1974 |
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| author | Dariusz Krok Ewa Telka Adam Falewicz Małgorzata Szcześniak |
| author_facet | Dariusz Krok Ewa Telka Adam Falewicz Małgorzata Szcześniak |
| author_sort | Dariusz Krok |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b>: The research indicates that painful experiences can significantly affect the fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors, which is a distressing concern that influences both physiological and psychological recovery. This cross-sectional study aims to advance our comprehension of the associations between total pain and the fear of recurrence in post-treatment cancer patients by examining two potential mediators: psychological flexibility and mentalization. <b>Methods:</b> Three hundred and thirty-five participants (aged 22 to 88, 49.1% female) who had finished their cancer treatment completed self-report assessments of total pain, their fear of recurrence, psychological flexibility, and mentalization. <b>Results:</b> The serial mediation analysis showed that all dimensions of total pain were positively and indirectly related to the fear of recurrence through psychological flexibility and mentalization in serial. Additionally, gender was found to moderate these serial mediational effects. <b>Conclusions:</b> In line with the psychological flexibility model, personal capacities to face difficult internal/external problems and interpret one’s behavior in motivational terms can counterbalance a patient’s negative emotions and feelings related to the illness. Gender factors also determine the way in which post-treatment cancer patients manage potential future anxiety and fears. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:41:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cf577e1292b487eb8ef300449cc90fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:41:22Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cf577e1292b487eb8ef300449cc90fc2024-04-12T13:21:11ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832024-03-01137197410.3390/jcm13071974Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender ModerationDariusz Krok0Ewa Telka1Adam Falewicz2Małgorzata Szcześniak3Institute of Psychology, University of Opole, 45-040 Opole, PolandDepartment of Radiotherapy, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, 44-101 Gliwice, PolandInstitute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, PolandInstitute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland<b>Background</b>: The research indicates that painful experiences can significantly affect the fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors, which is a distressing concern that influences both physiological and psychological recovery. This cross-sectional study aims to advance our comprehension of the associations between total pain and the fear of recurrence in post-treatment cancer patients by examining two potential mediators: psychological flexibility and mentalization. <b>Methods:</b> Three hundred and thirty-five participants (aged 22 to 88, 49.1% female) who had finished their cancer treatment completed self-report assessments of total pain, their fear of recurrence, psychological flexibility, and mentalization. <b>Results:</b> The serial mediation analysis showed that all dimensions of total pain were positively and indirectly related to the fear of recurrence through psychological flexibility and mentalization in serial. Additionally, gender was found to moderate these serial mediational effects. <b>Conclusions:</b> In line with the psychological flexibility model, personal capacities to face difficult internal/external problems and interpret one’s behavior in motivational terms can counterbalance a patient’s negative emotions and feelings related to the illness. Gender factors also determine the way in which post-treatment cancer patients manage potential future anxiety and fears.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/7/1974total painfear of recurrencepsychological flexibilitymentalizationpost-treatment cancer patients |
| spellingShingle | Dariusz Krok Ewa Telka Adam Falewicz Małgorzata Szcześniak Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation Journal of Clinical Medicine total pain fear of recurrence psychological flexibility mentalization post-treatment cancer patients |
| title | Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation |
| title_full | Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation |
| title_fullStr | Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation |
| title_short | Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation |
| title_sort | total pain and fear of recurrence in post treatment cancer patients serial mediation of psychological flexibility and mentalization and gender moderation |
| topic | total pain fear of recurrence psychological flexibility mentalization post-treatment cancer patients |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/7/1974 |
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