The Impact of Resilience on the Psychological Well-Being of Cancer Patients: A Mediating Role of Self-Compassion
Background: Resilience and self-compassion are key factors believed to enhance the psychological well-being of individuals with cancer. Existing literature lacks empirical studies on the relationship between resilience and psychological well-being, particularly considering self-compassion as a mediating factor.
Methods: This study involved 221 patients undergoing chemotherapy for various cancers at public hospitals in Tehran. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzed the data with AMOS software to assess the relationships among resilience, self-compassion, and psychological well-being.
Results: The findings demonstrated a significant positive correlation between resilience and both self-compassion and psychological well-being. Self-compassion showed a strong positive effect on psychological well-being and served as a significant mediator between resilience and psychological well-being. The model explained 42% of the variance in psychological well-being and 36% in self-compassion.
Conclusion: The study concludes that resilience positively influences the psychological well-being of cancer patients by fostering self-compassion. These findings highlight the importance of integrating resilience-building strategies into cancer care to enhance patients' mental health. However, limitations include the homogeneity of the sample from public hospitals in Tehran and reliance on self-reported measures, suggesting the need for further research.
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