AUTHOR=Sun Di , Mao Zhihui , Zhang Xu , Li Jiaojiao , Zhang Lijuan 

TITLE=Relationship Between Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Anticipatory Grief in Family Caregivers of Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: The Mediation Role of Illness Uncertainty

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914862

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914862

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>To explore the interrelationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), illness uncertainty (IU), and anticipatory grief (AG).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Structural equation modeling with bootstrapping estimation was conducted using data from a convenience sample of 254 family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer in China. Participants were recruited from a public cancer hospital in Shenyang, China. The family caregivers completed the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, Uncertainty in Illness Scale Family Caregiver Version, and Anticipatory Grief Scale.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The measurement model has good reliability and validity, and the final model fit the data well. PTSS positively influenced AG (direct effect estimate = 0.391, <italic>p</italic> = 0.002). Moreover, IU was found to mediate the relationship between PTSS and AG (Indirect effects estimate = 0.168, <italic>p</italic> = 0.005). The mediating effect of IU accounted for up to 30.1% of the total effect.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>IU mediated the relationship between PTSS and AG. Healthcare professionals should continuously assess PTSS, IU and AG levels in FCs and provide effective intervention options for mitigation.</p></sec>