Effects of Death Anxiety on Perceived Stress in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis and the Role of Self-Transcendence.

Stress is a commonly reported concern of individuals with chronical diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). This study sought to investigate the relationships between self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress among individuals with MS from Iran. A second aim of the study was to assess the buffering effect of self-transcendence in the relationship between death anxiety and perceived stress. Two hundred and fifteen participants with MS from four hospitals completed measures assessing self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress. Using structural equation modeling, death anxiety was found to be positively related to perceived stress. In addition, there was a negative relationship between self-transcendence and perceived stress. Results of the study suggest that self-transcendence is a buffer in the link between death anxiety and perceived stress for individuals with MS. The findings demonstrate the importance of self-transcendence in decreasing the effects of death anxiety on perceived stress and have clinical implications for health professionals.

The effects of perceived stress on hope in women with breast cancer and the role of psychological hardiness.

OBJECTIVE: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are psychologically stressful events, and hope and hardiness have been found to be important constructs for women with breast cancer. Therefore, this research sought to examine the relationships of perceived stress and hardiness with hope, and the buffering role of hardiness in the link between perceived stress and hope among Iranian women with breast cancer. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty Iranian women with breast cancer from three hospitals completed online measures evaluating perceived stress, hardiness, and hope. RESULTS: Using structural equation modelling, perceived stress was found to be negatively related to hope. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between hardiness and hope. The findings indicate that hardiness is a buffer in the link between perceived stress and hope for women with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the importance of hardiness in reducing the effects of perceived stress on hope and have clinical implications for health professionals.