Impact of social support on body image during chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: The chain mediating role of depression and self-efficacy
Xiaoyan Yu, Qingmei Huang, Yang Yang, Lingling Wang, Fulei Wu, Yuanqi Ding, Xuqian Zong, Anni Wang, Changrong Yuan
Abstract
Objective To explore the mediating roles of depression and self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and body image in patients with breast cancer during chemotherapy. Methods A convenience sampling method was employed to survey 647 breast cancer chemotherapy patients. The survey included validated scales assessing social support, depression, self-efficacy, and body image. The chain mediation model was established using Mplus 8.3 software. Results Social support was negatively correlated with depression ( P < 0.001) and poor body image ( P < 0.001) and positively correlated with self-efficacy ( P < 0.001). Social support indirectly affected body image through three mediating pathways: depression ( β = −0.084, P < 0.001), self-efficacy ( β = −0.060, P < 0.01), and the depression-self-efficacy pathway ( β = −0.058, P < 0.001). The indirect effect accounted for 55.96% of the total effect. Conclusions The results support our hypothesis. Enhancing social support, alleviating depression, and improving self-efficacy through psychological interventions are recommended to improve body image in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy.