Higher family and individual resilience and lower perceived stress alleviate psychological distress in female breast cancer survivors with fertility intention: a cross-sectional study

Relationship Between Illness Uncertainty and Family Resilience Among Caregivers of Stroke Patients in Chinese Nuclear Families: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

Purpose

Stroke is a major disease endangering the health of Chinese people, and patients need to rely on the care of family members, which brings heavy caregiving burdens and pressures to caregivers and families, thus disrupting the stable family structure. In view of this, this study was to analyse the current status of family resilience among caregivers of stroke patients in Chinese nuclear families, and to explore the correlation and mechanism of action among perceived stress, illness uncertainty and family resilience.

Patients and Methods

This study used a cross-sectional research design. A total of 350 carers of stroke patients in nuclear families from four tertiary hospitals in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China were selected by convenience sampling method and assessed by using demographic questionnaires, the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), the Parental Perceptions of Uncertainty Scale-Family (PPUS-FM), and a short Chinese version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS-C). Based on the above data, structural equation model was used to test the mediating role of perceived stress between illness uncertainty and family resilience.

Results

Family resilience among caregivers of stroke patients in nuclear families was at the medium lower level, illness uncertainty was at the medium level, and perceived stress was at the relatively high level. Illness uncertainty was positively correlated with perceived stress (P<0.01) and negatively correlated with family resilience (P<0.01). Illness uncertainty directly predicted family resilience (β = -0.516, p < 0.05). And the pathway between illness uncertainty and family resilience was partially mediated by perceived stress (Effect= -0.091, 95% CI [-0.141, -0.055]).

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals should pay adequate attention to the level of illness uncertainty and perceived stress among carers of stroke patients, with the need to take measures to reduce carers' illness uncertainty and perceived stress in order to improve family resilience.

Relationship between family resilience and dyadic coping in colorectal cancer patients and their spouses, based on the actor-partner interdependence model

PURPOSE

To explore the relationship between dyadic coping and family resistance in colorectal cancer patients and their spouses.

METHODS

178 pairs of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses hospitalized in a three tertiary hospital in Changsha were selected from July 2021 to March 2022. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale and the Dyadic Coping Inventory were used to investigate, which relationship was analyzed by APIM.

RESULTS

The total score of patients' dyadic coping was 121.51 ± 16.8, and spouses' score was 123.72 ± 16.6. The total score of family resilience was 176.42 ± 16.0, and spouses' score was 182.72 ± 17.03. There was a significant positive relationship between dyadic coping and family resistance of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses (r > 0.7, P < 0.001). The positive dyadic coping of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses had a positive effect on their own and their spouses' family resilience and the effect was the same. The negative dyadic coping of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses had a negative impact on their own family resilience, and the overall model showed a subject pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of family resilience of colorectal cancer patients and their spouses was affected by the level of dyadic coping. Medical workers should regard patients and their spouses as a whole and formulate mutually supportive coping strategies with family as the center, so as to increase positive coping behavior and enhance their family's ability to cope with cancer.

Factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy: A qualitative study

Objective

To explore the factors influencing family resilience in adult patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the development of strategies to strengthen their family resilience.

Methods

A descriptive phenomenological qualitative research method was used to select 11 adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi 7-step analysis and NVivo 12.0 were used to summarize information and refine themes.

Results

The main outcomes consisted of two themes and 11 sub-themes: protective factors for family resilience (positive traits, cognitive restructuring, positive family beliefs, organizational flexibility, clear communication, and social support) and risk factors for family resilience (symptom burden, self-concealment, role overload, economic distress, and social alienation).

Conclusions

Health care professionals should pay attention to screening protective and risk factors for family resilience in adult acute leukemia chemotherapy patients, affirming the positive role of internal and external resources available in the family in stressful situations, alleviating patients' negative experiences, and promoting the recovery of family function.

Social support, family resilience and psychological resilience among maintenance hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Psychological distress is common in maintenance hemodialysis patients, and high psychological resilience can promote psychological well-being. The current research focuses on psychological resilience protective factors such as family resilience and social support. However, the trajectories of psychological resilience, family resilience, and social support over time and their longitudinal relationships in maintenance hemodialysis patients have not been fully explored yet. Therefore, this study aims to explore the longitudinal relationship between these factors.

METHODS

Patients who received regular hemodialysis treatment for more than three months at dialysis centers of three tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang, China, were recruited from September to December 2020. A total of 252 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria completed three follow-up surveys, including social support, family resilience, and psychological resilience assessments. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to explore differences in their respective scores at different time points. The cross-lagged analysis was performed in AMOS using the maximum likelihood method to examine the the reciprocal predictive relationships between these factors.

RESULTS

Social support and psychological resilience remained relatively stable over time, whereas family resilience indicated a little increasing trend. According to the cross-lagged analysis, higher T1 social support predicted higher family resilience at T2 [β = 0.123, 95% CI (0.026-0.244)]. Further, the effects of T2 social support to T3 family resilience [β = 0.194, 95%CI (0.039-0.335)] and psychological resilience [β = 0.205, 95%CI (0.049-0.354)] were significant. Finally, the effects of T2 family resilience to T3 social support [β = 0.122, 95%CI (0.010-0.225)] and psychological resilience [β = 0.244, 95%CI (0.119-0.359)] were also significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that the directionality of the relationship appears to be from social support or family resilience to patients' psychological resilience but not vice versa. This finding reminds healthcare professionals to emphasize the vital role of social and family resources in providing appropriate support and interventions for maintenance hemodialysis patients to promote psychological resilience and mental health development.