ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1600287
Stigma and Social Withdrawal Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors with Permanent Stomas: The Mediating Role of Social Motivation in Psychosocial Adaptation
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
- 2School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
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Purpose Social withdrawal is common among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors with permanent stomas, and stigma can play an important role in the development of social withdrawal. However, the underlying psychological mechanisms are understudied. The current study examined the associations of stigma with social motivation, and social withdrawal among CRC survivors with permanent stomas. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 305 CRC survivors with permanent stomas. The mediation model was conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS to explore the pathways through which stigma can be associated with CRC survivors' social withdrawal, mediated by social motivation. Results Stigma was negatively associated with social motivation (β = -0.192, P < 0.01) and positively associated with social withdrawal (β = 0.345, P < 0.001). Additionally, social motivation was negatively associated with social withdrawal (β = -0.229, P < 0.001). The mediating effect of social motivation was 0.044, accounting for 11.3% of the total effect. Conclusion This study is the first to validate the mediating role of social motivation in this population, highlighting its significance in understanding the psychosocial adaptation of CRC survivors with permanent stomas. Future interventions aimed at preventing social withdrawal in this group should focus on tailored motivation activation strategies, particularly by actively fostering social interaction and encouraging new social connections.
Keywords: Social withdrawal, stigma, social motivation, Colorectal cancer survivors, permanent stomas
Received: 26 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yao, Li, Dong, Liu and Dong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaoling Dong, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
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