Stigma as a mediator in the impact of cancer-related symptoms on social relationships in survivors

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of perceived stigma in the relationship between cancer-related symptoms and social relationships among cancer patients. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 250 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in an oncology hospital in Ankara, Türkiye. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form, the Nightingale Symptom Assessment Scale, the Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale, and the Social Relationship Scale. Descriptive analyses, group comparisons, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis were performed with SPSS v27.0 and DataTab web-based analysis platform. Results The findings revealed significant positive correlations between cancer-related symptoms and perceived stigma ( r = 0.51, p < .001), and negative correlations between both cancer-related symptoms and social relationships ( r = −0.24, p < .001) and stigma and social relationships ( r = −0.54, p < .001). The mediation analysis suggested that perceived stigma may play a mediating role in the relationship between cancer–related symptoms and social relationships, as indicated by a non–significant direct effect and a significant indirect effect. Cancer-related symptoms significantly predicted perceived stigma (B = 0.58, p < .001), and stigma was a significant predictor of decreased social relationship quality (B = −0.72, p < .001). The indirect effect of cancer-related symptoms on social relationships via stigma was statistically significant (B = −0.42, p < .001), while the direct effect was not (B = −0.27, p = .182). Conclusions Perceived stigma is a critical psychosocial factor that may mediate the adverse impact of cancer-related symptoms on social relationships in this study. Therefore, addressing stigma may play a crucial role in maintaining social functioning in cancer care.