AUTHOR=Ye Yansheng , Tong Zongwu , Li Changqiong , Gao Xiufang , Sun Yane , Xu Jianqing , Xu Qian , Song Chengrong 

TITLE=Social support as a mediator of the relationship between forgiveness and post-traumatic growth in hemodialysis patients: A structural equation modeling approach

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.974045

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2022.974045

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive psychological changes experienced with individuals after struggling with highly challenging life circumstances. Forgiveness can facilitate positive outcomes such as reduced distress, anxiety, and depression. Many studies have tested the relationships among forgiveness, social support, and PTG; however, a mechanism of social support has not been completely explored in haemodialysis patients.
Objective: To test the relationship between forgiveness and posttraumatic growth and verify the mediating factor of social support on the relationship between forgiveness and PTG in haemodialysis patients.
Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study using convenience sampling from March to May 2021, 497 haemodialysis patients from nine hospitals filled out the Perceived Social Support Scale, Heartland Forgiveness Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and general information. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and structural equation modelling was used to explore the relationships among forgiveness, social support, and PTG.
Results: Forgiveness was significantly positively associated with PTG (P < 0.01). The proposed model provided a good fit to the data. Social support was found to play a partial mediating role between forgiveness and PTG (a * b = 0.122, BCa 95%, CI: 0.078~0.181).
Conclusions: The results imply that forgiveness significantly directly and indirectly is related to PTG. Forgiveness in haemodialysis patients should be detected and effectively managed to ameliorate positive effects on PTG. It is necessary for nurses to consider implementing forgiveness interventions with an emphasis on building social support strategies to help haemodialysis patients enhance their PTG.