Time perspective status and associated factors among young and middle-aged women with gynecologic malignancies who have parenting responsibilities

Objective Gynecologic malignancies in young and middle-aged women severely disrupt life plans and future expectations. While Time Perspective (TP) theory offers a valuable framework for understanding psychological adaptation, research on TP status and its associated factors in this population remains scarce. This study aimed to characterize TP status and identify associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 266 young and middle-aged patients with gynecologic malignancies who were married or cohabiting, had at least one minor child, and were hospitalized across three provincial hospitals in Changsha, China. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory was used to assess five TP dimensions. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, psychosocial and clinical variables were collected, and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with each TP dimension. Results Participants showed relatively higher scores for Past-Positive (3.65 ± 0.53) and Future (3.62 ± 0.65) orientations, relatively lower scores for Past-Negative (2.85 ± 0.63) and Present-Hedonistic (2.89 ± 0.78) orientations, and a moderate score for Present-Fatalistic orientation (3.13 ± 0.79). Multivariable regression analyses showed that the factors associated with TP varied across dimensions. Past-Negative orientation was associated with residence, education level, employment status, sense of coherence (SOC), distress disclosure (DD), perceived social support (PSSS), perceived partner responsiveness (PPRS), and parenting concerns. Past-Positive orientation was associated with residence and cancer stage. Present-Hedonistic orientation was associated with residence, education level, occupation, employment status, medical insurance, cancer stage, number of children, SOC, and DD. Present-Fatalistic orientation was associated with residence, occupation, SOC, DD, PSSS, PPRS, and financial toxicity. Future orientation was associated with residence, occupation, cancer stage, SOC, and PSSS. Conclusions In this specific cohort of young and middle-aged women with gynecologic malignancies display unique temporal status shaped by psychosocial, occupational, and residential factors. These findings suggest that internal psychological resources and relational support were associated with more adaptive future-oriented thinking, whereas structural and occupational vulnerabilities may be associated with stronger fatalistic orientation. These findings highlight the necessity of incorporating TP assessment into psychosocial screening and suggest that interventions targeting temporal reorientation may promote psychological adjustment in this population.