Social Support and Pain Self-efficacy as Predictors of Distress Tolerance in Cancer Patients

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AuthorHoma Mashhadien
AuthorMahmoud Shirazien
OrcidHoma Mashhadi [0009-0001-7402-238X]en
OrcidMahmoud Shirazi [0000-0002-9139-6607]en
Issued Date2026-07-31en
AbstractBackground: Distress tolerance is a fundamental component of psychological adaptation among individuals diagnosed with cancer. It may be significantly influenced by psychosocial factors, particularly perceived social support and pain self-efficacy. Empirical evidence suggests that access to supportive social networks, together with a strong belief in one’s ability to manage and regulate pain, is associated with greater psychological resilience and more adaptive coping with illness-related stressors. Despite the established relevance of these constructs, limited research has concurrently examined the predictive roles of perceived social support and pain self-efficacy in explaining distress tolerance among patients with cancer. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the extent to which perceived social support and pain self-efficacy predict distress tolerance in individuals with cancer. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 2024 - 2025 among cancer patients referred to the Department of Radiotherapy at Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Hospital in Zahedan, Iran. Based on sampling recommendations for regression analysis, 50 eligible patients were selected using purposive sampling. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years, a confirmed cancer diagnosis for at least 3 months, the ability to read and write, and provision of informed consent. Patients with severe psychiatric disorders or the inability to complete the questionnaires were excluded. Data were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the Distress Tolerance Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses in SPSS version 26 at a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: Correlation analyses indicated that distress tolerance was positively associated with all social support subcomponents, including positive social interaction (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), informational support (r = 0.73, P < 0.001), tangible support (r = 0.61, P < 0.001), emotional support (r = 0.44, P < 0.001), and affectionate support (r = 0.15, P < 0.001), as well as pain self-efficacy (r = 0.28, P = 0.04). Stepwise regression showed that positive social interaction was the strongest predictor of distress tolerance (β = 0.84, R2 = 0.70), with incremental contributions from informational support (β = 0.73, R2 = 0.82), tangible support (β = 0.61, R2 = 0.86), emotional support (β = 0.44, R2 = 0.92), and affectionate support (β = 0.15, R2 = 0.94). Pain self-efficacy independently predicted distress tolerance (β = 0.28, R2 = 0.08). These findings suggest that social support and pain self-efficacy are significant predictors of distress tolerance in patients with cancer. Conclusions: Positive social support and pain self-efficacy significantly predict distress tolerance in patients with cancer. Enhancing social support networks and patients’ confidence in managing pain may improve distress tolerance and promote psychological resilience during cancer treatment.en
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5812/jjcdc-169083en
URIhttps://brieflands.com/journals/jjcdc/articles/169083en
KeywordSocial Supporten
KeywordPain Self-Efficacyen
KeywordDistress Toleranceen
KeywordPatients With Canceren
KeywordPsychological Adaptationen
KeywordOncologyen
KeywordCoping Strategiesen
PublisherBrieflandsen
TitleSocial Support and Pain Self-efficacy as Predictors of Distress Tolerance in Cancer Patientsen
TypeResearch Articleen

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