Experiences of women with ovarian cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining intolerance of uncertainty and fear of COVID-19 in relation to psychological distress
Erin M. Hill, Andriana Frost, Jamie D. Martin
Abstract
PURPOSE: Our research aimed to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in psychological distress (PD) among women with ovarian cancer. Fear of COVID-19 (FCOV) was examined as a mediator, and participant health status and the reopening status of their geographic region were examined as moderators. DESIGN: A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed. PARTICIPANTS: 100) were recruited through various online sources and completed the study via Qualtrics. METHODS: Moderated mediation models and post-hoc linear regression analyses were used to determine the role of predictor variables in PD. RESULTS: No significant moderators or mediators were found. Despite a strong correlation between FCOV and IU, both variables explained unique variance in the anxiety and stress models, while FCOV was not significant in the depressive symptoms model. IMPLICATIONS FOR PROVIDERS: Both IU and FCOV should be considered in helping women with ovarian cancer manage their PD during the COVID-19 pandemic.