ArticleBMC psychiatry2024
The relationship between fear of cancer recurrence and death anxiety among Chinese cancer patients: the serial mediation model.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Cancer patients' perceptions of the meaning in life: a qualitative meta-synthesis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Article
- Spiritual and Religious Beliefs, Behaviors, and Struggles in Relation to Death Anxiety: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Probability Sample.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- How young cancer patients cope with death anxiety: a qualitative study based on terror management theory.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Predictive Relationships Between Death Anxiety and Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
- The impact of fear of cancer recurrence on anxiety and depression in women with cancer: The chain mediating roles of financial toxicity and psychological distress - A multicenter investigative study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2025Article
- How family support alleviates death anxiety in breast cancer patients: the mediating role of meaning in life.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The Mediating Effect of Emotional Regulation Between Psychological Resilience and Psychological Distress in Young and Middle-Aged Lymphoma Patients.Psychology research and behavior management · 2025Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
aimsThis study aims to investigate the association between fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and death anxiety (DA) among Chinese cancer patients, while considering the mediating effects of experiential avoidance (EA) and meaning in life (MIL).
methodsFrom February to June 2023, convenience sampling was used to select newly diagnosed cancer patients in a tertiary Cancer Hospital in Chinese Hunan Province as the survey objects. A total of 436 cancer patients completed the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and the Templer's death anxiety scale. Descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 28.0 software. Serial mediation analysis was performed by Hayes' PROCESS macro.
resultsGender, age, educational level, marital status, residence, occupation, per capita monthly household income, tumor type, and cancer stage were controlled in the model. The results revealed that fear of cancer recurrence had a significant direct effect on death anxiety (Effect = 0.075, 95% CI: 0.064 to 0.087). Additionally, three indirect pathways were identified: (1) through experiential avoidance (Effect = 0.037, 95% CI: 0.026 to 0.049), (2) through meaning in life (Effect = 0.022, 95% CI: 0.014 to 0.031), and (3) through the serial mediators involving meaning in life and experiential avoidance (Effect = 0.016, 95% CI: 0.010 to 0.023). The total indirect effect of the three mediation paths was 63.56%.
conclusionFear of cancer recurrence is a significant psychological distress experienced by cancer patients, which not only directly contributes to death anxiety but also may triggers changes, such as experiential avoidance and meaning in life. Ultimately, this comprehensive psychological distress leads to death anxiety.
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