AUTHOR=Gui Gui , Yang Dajun , Liu Yujie , Yao Yisong , Xie Xinling , Liu Ruining , Liu Mingye , Liu Heming , Zhou Fangfang 

TITLE=How family support alleviates death anxiety in breast cancer patients: the mediating role of meaning in life

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1567485

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1567485

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Previous studies have predominantly focused on the relationship between death anxiety and quality of life in breast cancer patients, with limited exploration on how to alleviate their death anxiety. To address this gap, we recruited 533 breast cancer patients and utilized structural equation modeling and Process Model 4 to analyze the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions between family support and death anxiety. The study results indicated that family support significantly negatively impacts death anxiety in breast cancer patients; similarly, meaning in life also significantly negatively impacts death anxiety. More importantly, we found that meaning in life plays a full mediating role between family support and death anxiety. This study suggests that by enhancing family support levels and strengthening patients’ perception of meaning in life, we can significantly improve the psychological health status of breast cancer patients, thereby potentially improving their quality of life.