Abstract

• The purpose of the present study is to identify the mediation effect of hope between fatigue and psychosocial adjustment in women with breast cancer. The framework for this study was guided by concepts and propositions derived from the theoretical and empirical literature on fatigue, hope and adjustment. The design of this study is a descriptive correlation study using a cross-sectional design. One hundred and twenty two outpatients with early breast cancer, receiving post-surgical radiation therapy or chemotherapy, were selected from three major medical centers in Seoul, Korea. A packet including PABCF (Psychosoical Adjustment to Breast Cancer Factor), revised RPFS (Revised Piper Fatigue Scale), HHI (Herth Hope Index), and self-addressed return envelope was given to the participants at seven to eight weeks post surgery. The questionnaires were to be completed at home and returned to the researcher by mail. The obtained data were analyzed using three regression equations guided by Baron and Kenny (1986); first, hope was regressed on fatigue; second, psychosocial adjustment was regressed on fatigue; and third, psychosocial adjustment was regressed on fatigue and hope, simultaneously. In the first equation, fatigue explained 4% of the variance in hope. In the second equation, fatigue explained 47% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. In the last equation, hope and fatigue significantly explained the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Therefore, all conditions for the test of mediation effect of hope were satisfied. For the test of the mediation effect, the beta coefficients of fatigue on psychosocial adjustment on the second and third regression equations were compared. The beta coefficients were decreased from .69 (p < .001) on the second regression equation to .63 (p < .001) on the third regression equation. Thus, the hypothesis of this study was supported. As a result of this study, the negative Influence of fatigue on psychosocial adjustment is dampened through the mediator effect of hope in women with breast cancer. Therefore, when planning care for the adverse effect of fatigue on psychosocial adjustment, oncology nurses should consider hope as a mediator between fatigue and psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer.
• Keywords: Breast Cancer; Psychosoical Adjustment; Fatigue; Hope; Mediation Effect

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