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ABSTRACT: Objective
Many advanced cancer patients struggle with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and anger toward God and illness-related stressors. Patients may perceive their illness as an injustice (i.e., appraise their illness as unfair, severe, and irreparable or blame others for their illness), which may be a risk factor for poor psychological and spiritual outcomes. This study examined relations between cancer-related perceived injustice and psycho-spiritual outcomes as well as potential mediators of these relationships.Methods
Advanced lung (n = 102) and prostate (n = 99) cancer patients completed a one-time survey. Using path analyses, we examined a parallel mediation model including the direct effects of perceived injustice on psycho-spiritual outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger about cancer, anger towards God) and the indirect effects of perceived injustice on psycho-spiritual outcomes through two parallel mediators: meaning making and acceptance of cancer. We then explored whether these relations differed by cancer type.Results
Path analyses indicated that perceived injustice was directly and indirectly-through acceptance of cancer but not meaning making-associated with psycho-spiritual outcomes. Results did not differ between lung and prostate cancer patients.Conclusions
Advanced cancer patients with greater perceived injustice are at higher risk for poor psycho-spiritual outcomes. Acceptance of cancer, but not meaning making, explained relationships between cancer-related perceived injustice and psycho-spiritual outcomes. Findings support testing acceptance-based interventions to address perceived injustice in advanced cancer patients.
SUBMITTER: Secinti E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9732736 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Secinti Ekin E Wu Wei W Krueger Ellen F EF Hirsh Adam T AT Torke Alexia M AM Hanna Nasser H NH Adra Nabil N Durm Gregory A GA Einhorn Lawrence L Pili Roberto R Jalal Shadia I SI Mosher Catherine E CE
Psycho-oncology 20221111 12
<h4>Objective</h4>Many advanced cancer patients struggle with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and anger toward God and illness-related stressors. Patients may perceive their illness as an injustice (i.e., appraise their illness as unfair, severe, and irreparable or blame others for their illness), which may be a risk factor for poor psychological and spiritual outcomes. This study examined relations between cancer-related perceived injustice and psycho-spiritual outcomes as well as potential media ...[more]