To construct a structural equation model of posttraumatic growth in patients with autoimmune diseases, guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and examine the associative pathways among key factors.
Approach:
Key Findings:
The total score of posttraumatic growth was 52.20 ± 13.87.
The structural equation model accounted for 49.3% of the variance in posttraumatic growth.
Fear of disease progression was directly positively associated with posttraumatic growth (β = 0.290).
Three significant mediating pathways were identified: fear of disease progression → social support → posttraumatic growth; fear of disease progression → patient-reported disease activity → posttraumatic growth; fear of disease progression → avoidance coping → posttraumatic growth.
The mediating effects of resignation coping and illness perception were not statistically significant, indicating the need for further exploration of these pathways.
Interpretation:
Fear of disease progression is positively associated with posttraumatic growth, with indirect associations through social support and avoidance coping, highlighting the complexity of these relationships.
Limitations:
The study's cross-sectional design limits the ability to infer causal relationships.
The sample was limited to patients from three hospitals in Anhui Province, which may affect generalizability and the robustness of findings.
Conclusion:
Addressing fear of disease progression and enhancing social support through targeted interventions may promote posttraumatic growth in patients with autoimmune diseases.
