Illness perception, social support, and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer and a history of intimate partner violence: a mediation analysis

Background/objectives Breast cancer involves physical, emotional, and psychosocial challenges, particularly among women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study aimed to determine whether social support mediates the association between illness perception and manifestations in women with breast cancer who had a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) prior to cancer diagnosis. Methods A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional correlational study was conducted. The sample comprised 107 women aged 40–59 years diagnosed with breast cancer, selected through non-probability sampling. Results High levels predominated in illness perception (54%) and social support (73.8%), while severe depressive manifestations predominated (45.8%). Mediation analysis showed a statistically significant indirect effect through perceived social support, indicating a pattern of indirect association consistent with the proposed statistical mediation model (95% CI [0.01, 0.23]). Conclusion Perceived social support was associated with lower levels of depressive manifestations and was statistically consistent with an indirect association between illness perception and depressive manifestations. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should not be interpreted as evidence of causal relationships.