Self-Esteem and Coping Modes as Mediators of the Social Support-Stigma Relationship in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study.
Yi Zhang, Bo Gao, Yimin Ma and 3 others
PMID 42324729WHAT IT FOUND
Higher social support and self-esteem were linked with lower stigma in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Confrontation coping was linked with lower stigma; avoidance and acceptance coping were linked with higher stigma.
Key findings
01Stigma scores differed significantly by family history, income, education, morning stiffness, disease activity, and pain level.
02Higher social support was associated with lower stigma (r = -0.590; path coefficient β = -0.502).
03Self-esteem and coping modes accounted for 31.51% of the total association between social support and stigma.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design cannot show that social support, self-esteem, or coping caused lower stigma. All data were self-reported, so shared reporting bias may inflate associations. Participants were recruited from four tertiary hospitals in China, so results may not apply to other regions, primary care, or community populations. The sample was predominantly female. This may limit generalisability to male patients. Some associations, especially avoidance coping with stigma, were weak in bivariate correlations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that increasing social support or changing coping will reduce stigma. The study was cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot show cause and effect.