Resilience and Its Predictors Among Chinese Liver Cancer Patients Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization

BACKGROUND: Although resilience has many positive effects on cancer patients, little is known about the level of resilience and its predictors in Chinese liver cancer patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to evaluate resilience level and identify its predictors among Chinese liver cancer patients undergoing TACE. METHODS: Two hundred fifty-one patients were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. According to Kumpfer's resilience framework, participants were assessed with Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Demographic and Disease-Related Information, Family Apgar Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, Herth Hope Index, General Self-efficacy Scale, and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to find predictors of resilience. RESULTS: The average score for Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was 70.33 (11.70). Multiple regression identified that educational level, time span since diagnosis, family function, social support, hope, self-efficacy, and positive coping strategies predicted higher resilience, whereas metastasis predicted lower resilience. These predictors accounted for 61.8% of the total variance in resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience in liver cancer patients undergoing TACE needs to be further improved, which was positively predicted by educational level, time span since diagnosis, family function, social support, hope, self-efficacy, and positive coping strategies, but was negatively predicted by metastasis. Hope had the largest influence on resilience. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Interventions aimed to improve hope are crucial to patients' resilience. Additional attention should be given to patients who had lower educational level or had metastasis. Family-centered interventions and strategies used to strengthen self-efficacy and positive coping strategies are also important in improving patients' resilience.