The Potential Mediating Effect of Symptom Burden on Demoralization Through Locus of Control and Coping Strategies in Chinese Patients With Cancer.
Xiaoxin Liu, Yanhua Li, Lezhi Li and 6 others
PMID 38598755WHAT IT FOUND
In 273 Chinese patients with cancer, higher symptom burden was linked to more demoralization.
Resignation coping was associated with both. Locus of control was linked to demoralization only through coping, and the internal-control route was not supported.
Key findings
01Approximately 42.1% of patients had demoralization scores above the study's cut-off.
02The model found direct links from symptom burden to demoralization and to resignation, and from resignation to demoralization.
03The indirect route from symptom burden to demoralization through resignation was supported, while the chain through internal control was not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The design measured everything at one time, so it cannot show that symptom burden, coping, or locus of control caused demoralization. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling during ward duty hours at a single hospital, so the sample may not represent other patients. Patients completed many self-report questionnaires soon after admission, which can be burdensome and may introduce reporting errors. The model did not include factors such as cancer type, stage, surgery, ethnicity, or social support. Missing item scores were replaced with sample mean scores for 9 participants. The final model was modified after a path involving internal control was not statistically significant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that teaching coping or symptom management lowers demoralization. The study is cross-sectional, used convenience sampling, and only tested statistical links, so cause and effect are not established.