The mediating effect of distress disclosure and recovery experiences on perceived social support and psychological distress in patients with lung cancer and COPD

Background: This study examines the factors contributing to psychological distress in elderly patients with lung cancer and comorbid COPD, while also investigating the mediating roles of distress disclosure and recovery experience in the relationship between perceived social support and psychological distress. The findings aim to inform clinical interventions for this population. Methods: From December 2021 to December 2024, 162 elderly patients diagnosed in our hospital with lung cancer accompanied by COPD were recruited as the research subjects. The general information Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ) and Kessler Psychological Scale K10 (Kessler10) were used to conduct a cross-sectional survey. The data were statistically analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistics regression and linear regression, and the mediating effect was tested by Hayes’ SPSS-Process program model 6. Results: 162 lung cancer patients with COPD were included in this study, of which 98 patients had psychological distress, accounting for 60.5%. The results showed that self-paid medical treatment, advanced cancer, and the presence of complications were the covariates affecting the psychological distress of patients. Results of the correlation analysis demonstrated that patients is perceived social support exhibited a positive correlation with distress disclosure and recovery experience, while showing a negative correlation with psychological distress. Bootstrap mediating effect test demonstrated that the total effect value of perceived social support on psychological distress in COPD patients with lung cancer was −0.890. Distress disclosure and recovery experience had a partial mediating effect between perceived social support and psychological distress, accounting for 19.3% and 22.9% of the mediating effect, respectively. Conclusion: Negative psychological problems such as psychological distress are still serious in elderly lung cancer patients with COPD. distress disclosure and recovery experience play a chain mediating role between perceived social support and psychological distress in elderly patients. Therefore, by improving distress disclosure and recovery experience, our efforts can enable them to better recognize the role of social support in relieving psychological distress and ultimately elevate their mental health status.