The mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among patients with central system tumors in China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that can affect people following the experience of a traumatic event. Few studies have researched on PTSD symptoms of patients with central nervous system tumors. In this study, we aim to examine the association between social support and PTSD symptoms and to explore the mediating effect of self-efficacy in this relationship among patients with central nervous system tumors in China.

Methods: Questionnaires consisting of the Post-traumatic Stress Checklist-Civilian Version, the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as well as demographic and clinical factors were used to collect information of patients with central nervous system tumors in Liaoning Province, China. A total of 222 patients (effective response rate of 66.1%) became our subjects. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association between social support and PTSD symptoms and the mediating effect of self-efficacy.

Results: After adjusting for demographic characteristics and tumor type, social support was negatively associated with the total score of PTSD symptoms (β = -0.342, P < 0.01). Social support explained 8.8% of the variance in PTSD symptoms. Self-efficacy was found to partially mediate the relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions: Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms. Interventions focusing on both social support and self-efficacy might be more useful than interventions only targeting either of them.

Keywords: cancer; oncology; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); self-efficacy; social support.