Predicting pain catastrophizing based on psychological resilience and mindfulness in patients with cancer: mediating role of positive emotions

Cancer is one of the most common diseases in the world today that in addition to causing physical problems causes psychological problems for patients. One of these problems is pain catastrophizing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of psychological resilience and mindfulness in predicting pain catastrophizing through mediating role of positive emotions in patients with cancer.

This study was a descriptive and correlational research. The statistical population included all Adult cancer patients (over 18 years old) in Kerman in summer and autumn of 2021, that a total of 141 patients were selected as the sample using purposive sampling. For data collection, Standard Pain Catastrophizing Scale, PANAS Positive Affect Schedule, short form of the Freiburg Mindfulness Questionnaire and Connor and Davidson Resilience Questionnaire, were used. For data analysis, path analysis and Pearson correlation methods were applied by using AMOS software version 24 and SPSS version 23.

Results showed that the direct path of resilience (-0.27) and positive emotions (-0.32) to pain catastrophizing and direct path of resilience (0.24) and mindfulness (0.16) to positive emotions were significant. Also, the results of path analysis showed that the final model of the research had the goodness of fit (CMIN=0.373, NFI=0.99).

The results showed that positive emotions mediate the prediction of pain catastrophizing based on psychological resilience and mindfulness. It is suggested that therapists and cancer-related institutions include treatment programs related to these factors.