The structural model for prediction of perceived social support based on mindfulness in patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

Introduction: Considering the high prevalence of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), their high economic costs, and severe negative effects on the patients, the present study was conducted to investigate the structural model for prediction of perceived social support based on mindfulness in patients with ulcerative colitis. Method: This study was conducted in the form of a descriptive-correlational study using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study consisted of 720 patients with ulcerative colitis referred to gastrointestinal clinics in districts 4 and 7 of Tehran in the second half of February and the first half of March 2020, from which 270 cases were selected according to purposive sampling method. Among them, 261 patients completed questionnaires and were included in the study. The research instruments were Zimet's Perceived Social Support questionnaire, Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory- short form, and Garnovsky Cognitive Emotion Regulation questionnaire. The structural equation analysis method was applied to analyze the data. For this aim, SPSS and Amos softwares were employed. Results: The results showed that mindfulness was positively associated with perceived social support and cognitive emotion regulation in patients with ulcerative colitis. There was also a positive relationship between the cognitive emotion regulation and the perceived social support in these patients. In addition, mediated by the cognitive emotion regulation, mindfulness was associated with the social support in patients, and the assumed model was found to have a good fit. Conclusion: Since social support, with the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation, was inversely associated with mindfulness in patients with ulcerative colitis, paying attention to these variables could help researchers and therapists to design more efficient therapies.