Latent transition analysis of resilience in breast cancer patients and its association with sense of meaning in life: a longitudinal follow - up study

Background Breast cancer is a highly prevalent malignant tumor among women, showing a trend of younger onset. The disease - related stress can easily trigger an existential crisis and reduce the sense of meaning in life. However, the sense of meaning in life and psychological resilience are key psychological resources crucial for disease adaptation. Nevertheless, previous studies have mostly adopted cross - sectional designs, which limits the ability to clarify the dynamic evolution of these constructs. Aim To explore the changes of latent categories of resilience over time in breast cancer patients and their correlation with the sense of meaning in life. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 223 breast cancer patients. Measurements using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Chinese version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire were conducted at post-surgery (T1) and 3 months post-surgery (T2). Results At T1 and T2, there were two latent profile categories of psychological resilience, namely the low psychological resilience group (C1) and the high psychological resilience group (C2). The results of Latent Transition Analysis showed that 31.48% of breast cancer patients continued to be in the C2 group (persistent low - risk group), 25.25% of breast cancer patients continued to be in the C1 group (persistent high - risk group), 38.63% of breast cancer patients changed from the C1 group to the C2 group (Resilience Enhancing Group), and 5.64% of breast cancer patients changed from the C2 group to the C1 group (resilience decline group). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the persistent low - risk group, breast cancer patients in the persistent high - risk group (OR = 9.488), the Resilience Enhancing Group (OR = 1.667), and the resilience decline group (OR = 4.899) had an increased risk of low life meaning (all P < 0.001). Conclusions The latent change in resilience is significantly related to the meaning in life of breast cancer patients. Early identification and continuous psychological intervention are required to enhance the meaning in life of breast cancer patients.