Resilience as a Lifeline: Mediating the Impact of Stigma on Body Image Concern in Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Body image concerns are a major psychosocial challenge for breast cancer (BC) patients. Patients facing physical changes often experience increased levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation as they struggle with feelings of inadequacy and a shift in their self-perception. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between cancer stigma and body image concern. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a correlational, descriptive design from February to June 2023, with a sample size of 298 women with BC through convenience sampling in Amol city. Inclusion criteria were age over 18 years, confirmed diagnosis of BC, and having undergone surgery as part of the treatment. We used the Breast Cancer Stigma Scale (BCSS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) in this study. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were utilized to analyze the data. Additionally, a mediation model was tested through the enter method with multiple linear regression analysis. The significance level was established at P < 0.05. Results: Breast cancer stigma positively correlated with body image concern (r = 0.405, P < 0.001) and negatively with resilience (r = -0.398, P < 0.001). Resilience mediated the relationship between stigma and body image concern (b = 0.024, P < 0.001). The mediation model explained 22.7% of the variance in body image concern, with a significant full effect of stigma on body image concern (b = 0.090, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Resilience plays a crucial role in helping cancer patients deal with body image concerns and stigma. A mediation model indicates that resilience significantly influences body image concern among cancer patients. This highlights the importance of interventions that promote resilience to improve body image outcomes in this population.