The mediating role of self‐efficacy in the association between perceived stigma and psychosocial adjustment: a cross‐sectional study among nasopharyngeal cancer survivors. Issue 5 (3rd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yan, Ming‐hui; Fan, Yuying; Chen, Minlin; Zhang, June
• Is Part Of: Psycho-oncology. Volume 31:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 806
• Page End: 815
• Publication Date: 2022-01-03
• Subjects: cancer survivors -- nasopharyngeal carcinoma -- psychosocial adjustment -- radiotherapy -- self‐efficacy -- stigma; Cancer -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- psychology -- Periodicals; 616.9940019
• DOI: 10.1002/pon.5865
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-9249

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: This study aims to examine the levels of and associations between perceived stigma, self‐efficacy, and psychosocial adjustment (PA) among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) survivors, and to identify the mediating role of self‐efficacy between stigma and PA and explore the influencing factors of PA. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted and 307 NPC survivors were recruited by convenience sampling method in Southern China from July 2019 to January 2020. Data analyses were performed with the SPSS WIN 25.0 program and PROCESS macro version 3.3. Results: Stigma and self‐efficacy were positively associated with PA among Chinese NPC survivors. Tumor‐free survival time, late toxicities (fatigue, dizziness and headache, and hearing loss), stigma, and self‐efficacy entered the final regression model and explained 55.9% of the variance of PA. The total and direct effects of stigma on PA and its subscales were significant ( p < 0.05). Positive indirect effects were found for stigma on PA via self‐efficacy (point estimate = 0.159, SE = 0.032, 95% CI [0.102 to 0.229]). Conclusions: Stigma and self‐efficacy are significantly associated with PA, and self‐efficacy is also a mediating variable between stigma and PA among NPC survivors. Medical staff could improve the PA of NPC survivors by alleviating their stigma, enhancing their self‐efficacy, and relieving their late toxicities (fatigue, dizziness and headache, and hearing loss).