Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025.
World J Psychiatry. May 19, 2025; 15(5): 104979
Published online May 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i5.104979
Table 1 Participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics (n = 320)
Characteristics
Variable
Frequency
Percent (%)
GenderMale17755.3
Female14344.7
Age40-4913441.8
50-5914745.9
> 603912.3
Educational levelPrimary or below8727.2
Junior high13140.8
Senior high6119.1
University or above4112.9
Occupational statusNot working6420
working16050
Retired9630
IncomeLow-income15448.1
Middle-income15949.8
High-income72.1
Marital statusMarried30896.3
Divorced/widowed123.7
ResidenceRural14445.1
Urban17654.9
Cancer stageStage I3611.2
Stage II17153.5
Stage III6821.3
Stage IV4514
Table 2 Correlations among uncertainty in illness, social support, coping style and fear of progression
Outcome variables
mean
SD
1
2
3
4
Uncertainty in illness62.110.11.00
Social support67.614.6-0.791a1.00
Coping style41.812.8-0.741a0.652a1.00
Fear of progression36.39.20.724a-0.746a-0.635a1.00
Table 3 Regression results in the chain mediation analysis
Criterion
Predictors
R
R2
F
Coefficients
β
t
95%CI
Social supportUncertainty in illness0.8110.65769.147-0.290-0.761-23.634-0.245-0.321
Coping styleUncertainty in illness0.8050.64873.362-0.162-0.421-8.643-0.221-0.125
Social support0.4060.4118.2430.323-0.521
Fear of progressionUncertainty in illness0.9010.811155.6730.0450.2857.4150.031-0.056
Social support-0.127-0.325-8.276-0.094-0.157
Coping style-0.138-0.347-9.679-0.162-0.111
Table 4 Test results of bootstrap mediation effect
Effect relationship
Effect size
Effect ratio
Boot LLCI
Boot ULCI
Total effect0.5390.4240.643
Direct effect0.22441.560.1360.408
Total indirect effect0.31558.440.1710.373
Uncertainty in illness → social support → fear of progression0.12823.810.0450.153
Uncertainty in illness → coping style → fear of progression0.11521.250.0480.157
Uncertainty in illness → social support → coping style → fear of progression0.07213.380.0450.120