Title : Investigating the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance in the relationship between emotional distress and cognitive and emotional components in breast cancer survivors
Abstract:
Introduction: The results of many studies have shown the effect of cognitive variables on emotional distress, depression and anxiety. Breast cancer survivors often experience emotional distress and cognitive problems that can negatively impact their quality of life. Tolerance of ambiguity, or the ability to comprehend ambiguous situations, may play an important mediating role between emotional distress and cognitive and emotional components. This knowledge can contribute to a better understanding of the complex interaction between psychological factors and illuminate potential interventions or strategies to help individuals effectively cope with emotional distress. Therefore, this study investigates the mediating role of tolerance of ambiguity in the relationship between emotional distress and cognitive and emotional predictors in women with breast cancer.
Methodology: The research method of this correlational predictive study included 118 patients with a history of breast cancer selected through convenience sampling. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Koubasa Psychological Hardiness Questionnaire, Ambiguous Scenarios Test for Depression, 18-item Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Dennis and Vander Wal Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and Simons and Gaher Distress Tolerance Scale online. Data were analyzed using correlational and backward regression analyses and Hayes regressions in SPSS26 software.
Result: Regression analysis results indicated that while cognitive flexibility, psychological hardiness, and cognitive regulation were significant predictors of emotional distress in women with breast cancer, their effect sizes did not increase with the inclusion of tolerance of ambiguity as a mediator. On the other hand, Pearson correlation and backward linear regression results showed that the correlation between psychological hardiness and emotional distress and other study predictors was highly significant.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed for the first time that tolerance of ambiguity cannot act as a mediator between emotional distress and cognitive flexibility, psychological hardiness, and cognitive emotion regulation in women with breast cancer. This study also demonstrated that psychological hardiness can play a mediating role in the relationship between emotional distress and cognitive flexibility, positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation in women with breast cancer.
Keywords: Tolerance Of Ambiguity, Psychological Hardiness, Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Flexibility, Breast Cancer
