Relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and fear of progression in stroke patients: the mediating role of perceived social support and coping styles.

Objective: Fear of progression (FoP) among stroke patients is closely associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), perceived social support, and coping styles. However, there is still limited research on the mechanism of interaction among these four factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of coping styles and perceived social support in the relationship between FoP and PTSD among stroke patients.

Methods: The study included 240 stroke patients and utilized a cross-sectional design. Data was collected using a general data questionnaire, the Fear of Progression-Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Check-list-Civilian Version (PCL-C). Structural equation modeling was used to assess the mediating relationship between PSSS and MCMQ between FoP and PTSD.

Result: A total of 112 (46.7%) patients exhibited mental dysfunction with FoP scores ≥34, and 89 (37.1%) patients presented with a PTSD score of at least 38 had certain PTSD symptoms. FoP was negatively correlated with PSSS and facing coping styles, and positively correlated with PTSD and yielding coping styles. PSSS, facing coping styles, and yielding coping styles partially mediated the relationship between FoP and PTSD, accounting for 42.69% of the total effect.

Conclusion: PTSD can impact FoP directly or indirectly through perceived social support, confrontation, and submissive coping styles. Therefore, it is important to urge patients to reasonably use social support and coping styles to increase well-being, and strive to mitigate the ongoing impact of PTSD symptoms, and reduce the risk of FoP.