Acceptance of Chronic Pain in Cancer Patients in Iran: the Role of Anxiety Sensitivity, Emotional Suppression, and Learned Helplessness.

BACKGROUND: Acceptance of pain is one of the most significant topics in the field of chronic pain due to its influence on the adaptation and response of people. Also, chronic pain and pain caused by the progress of cancer have a high prevalence in all stages and types of cancer. AIMS: The present study aimed to predict the acceptance of chronic pain in patients with cancer based on anxiety sensitivity and emotional suppression with the mediating role of learned helplessness. METHODS: The current research method was descriptive-correlation and structural equation modeling. A number of patients with cancer (400), admitted to the oncology department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil City of Iran in the second half of 2022, were selected as the convenience sample and responded to McCracker et al.'s chronic pain acceptance scale, Rees et al.'s anxiety sensitivity scale, Roger and Nasho's emotional control questionnaire, and Quinles and Nielson's learned helplessness questionnaire. RESULTS: Based on the obtained results, the causal relationship between anxiety sensitivity, emotional suppression, learned helplessness, and acceptance of chronic pain in patients with cancer was confirmed based on various fit indices. Anxiety sensitivity, emotional suppression, and learned helplessness had a direct effect on the acceptance of chronic pain in patients with cancer. Moreover, anxiety sensitivity and emotional suppression through learned helplessness had indirect effects on pain acceptance in patients with cancer (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, anxiety sensitivity, emotional suppression, and learned helplessness play an essential role in the level of pain acceptance in patients with cancer, and targeting these three components through psychological treatments can be effective in the level of pain acceptance in these patients.

Mediating role of relational aggression in the association between infertility stigma and marital relationship distress in infertile women.

Infertility is a multifaceted problem that can cause significant impairments with emotional, social, and psychological consequences, including problems in the marital relationship. This study aimed to mediate the role of relational aggression in the association between infertility stigma and marital relationship distress in infertile women. The research method was descriptive and path analysis. The statistical population of the study consisted of all infertile women who were referred to infertility centers and obstetrics and gynecology medical centers in Tehran in 2021 (July to October), and due to lack of full access to them, 300 people were selected by available sampling method who participated in the research through an online questionnaire. Data were collected using the Marital Self-Reporting Questionnaire, Infertility Stigma, and Relational Aggression Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that the causal model of the relationship between infertility stigma, relational aggression, and marital relationship distress in infertile women was confirmed based on different fitting indices. Infertility stigma and associated aggression directly affect the marital turmoil of infertile women. On the other hand, infertility stigma indirectly affects infertile women's marital distress through relational aggression (P < .05). Therefore, the infertility stigma and relational aggression play an important role in marital distress in infertile women, and targeting these two components in psychological therapies can effectively reduce marital chaos.

Intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive fusion, coping self-efficacy and self-perceived burden in patients diagnosed with cancer.

BACKGROUND: As the proportion of older people worldwide increases, cancer cases and deaths from cancer are rising. Suffering from cancer has a profound impact on the daily lives of patients and their families. Cancer patients often perceive themselves as a burden, which affects their quality of life; therefore, this study investigated the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive fusion, and self-perception as burdens and the mediating role of coping self-efficacy in patients diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: In this descriptive, correlational, and structural equation modeling study, 400 patient diagnosed with cancer who were hospitalized in the oncology ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil in the first half of 2022 were selected as the sample and answered Casino et al. self-perceived burden questionnaire, Gillanders et al. cognitive fusion questionnaire, Carleton et al. uncertainty intolerance scale, and Merleau et al. cancer behavior scale. RESULTS: Based on the results, the fitting indices of the research conceptual model were confirmed. Intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive fusion, and coping self-efficacy had a direct and significant relationship with self-perceived burden in patients diagnosed with cancer (p < 0.01); also, intolerance of uncertainty and cognitive fusion through coping self-efficacy had an indirect effect on self-perceived burden in patients diagnosed with cancer (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive fusion, and coping self-efficacy plays a substantial role in the incidence of self-perceived burden in patients diagnosed with cancer and targeting these three components by psychological therapies can reduce the perception of self-perception as burden which is effective in patients diagnosed with cancer.

Spirituality, Trait Gratitude, and Post-Traumatic Growth in Iranian Veterans with PTSD: The Mediating Role of Ego Resilience.

In Iran, spirituality is one of the most critical factors affecting veterans' health. The present study aimed to determine the mediating role of ego resilience in the relationship between spirituality and trait gratitude with post-traumatic growth in Iranian veterans with PTSD. In the present descriptive and correlational study, 300 veterans with PTSD were hospitalized and treated at Isar Psychiatric Hospital in Ardabil in 2021 and were selected as the sample. Data were collected using Tedeschi and Calhoun's Traumatic Developmental Questionnaire, Parsian and Dunning, Mc Cullough et al.'s Trait Gratitude Questionnaire, and Block et al.'s Ego Resilience Questionnaire. Based on the obtained results and various fit indices, the direct and indirect relationships between spirituality, trait gratitude, ego resilience, and post-traumatic growth in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were confirmed (p < 0.01). Also, spirituality and trait gratitude through ego resilience indirectly affected the post-traumatic growth of veterans with PTSD (P < 0.05). Thus, targeting these three components through psychological therapies may effectively increase post-traumatic growth in veterans experiencing trauma.