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Bani Hashemi Shishvan M, Bakshipour Rudsari A, Mahmoud Alilou M, Esmailpour K. Examining the Structural Relationships of Harm-Avoidance with Cancer-Prone Personality: Mediated by Emotion Regulation Strategies Among University Students. MEJDS 2024; 14 :113-113
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3228-en.html
Examining the Structural Relationships of Harm-Avoidance with Cancer-Prone Personality: Mediated by Emotion Regulation Strategies Among University Students
Mirreza Bani Hashemi Shishvan1 , Abbas Bakshipour Rudsari *2 , Majid Mahmoud Alilou2 , Khalil Esmailpour3
1- PhD Student in Clinical Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
3- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract:   (637 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Cancer is associated with some personality traits that may affect the development and incidence of cancer. Research has shown that cancer patients have characteristics such as denying and suppressing emotions, especially anger, intransigence, lack of self–expression, and defensiveness, which are the main characteristics of type C personality or cancer–prone personality. Cancer patients score higher in the harm–avoidance component. The results of recent research indicate that the structure that plays an important mediating role is emotion regulation strategies. The mediating role of emotion regulation with cancer–prone personality is highlighted when we consider the relationship of this structure with the components of personality, especially harm avoidance. In this regard, studies have shown that among the personality dimensions, innovation and persistence are related to efficient emotion regulation strategies, but harm avoidance and dependency reward are related to ineffective emotion regulation strategies. Researchers have not investigated the relationship between these variables in structural relationships, so the present study aimed to investigate the structural relationships between harm avoidance and cancer–prone personality mediated by emotion regulation strategies in university students.
Methods: The current research design was descriptive–analytical. The statistical population of the present study comprised all the students of Urmia University, Urmia City, Iran, studying in the second semester of 2022. A total of 330 of them were selected using multi–stage cluster sampling. Also, considering the minimum required sample size when the obvious variables of the model are between 10 and 15 variables (14 variables), the sample size should be between 200 and 400 people. The inclusion criteria were as follows: being a student, not taking psychiatric drugs, agreeing to participate in the research, and having enough time to answer the questionnaires. The exclusion criteria were unwillingness to complete the questionnaires. The research was conducted in accordance with the principle of confidentiality and keeping the participants' information. Any publication of data or information obtained from the participants is based on their informed consent, and they were given the choice to write down their email addresses in the questionnaires if they wished to receive the results. Data analysis was done using structural equation modeling. The tools and treatment sessions used in the research were the Temperament and Character Inventory (Cloninger, 1994), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2001), and the C personality Questionnaire (Hosaka et al., 1999). Data analysis was done using the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling using SPSS version 24 and AMOS version 24 software. The significance level was considered to be 0.05.
Results: The evaluation of the hypothetical model of the research using goodness of fit indices showed that the hypothetical model had a good fit with the measurement model (CFI=0.93, NFI=0.92, RMSEA=0.07, AGFI=0.91, GFI=0.92, χ2/df=2.37). The results of the study indicated that the coefficients of the direct paths of harm avoidance (β=–0.238, p=0.003), adaptive strategies (β=–0.200, p=0.007), and maladaptive strategies (β=0.198, p=0.003) on cancer–prone personality were significant. Also, adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies played a mediating role in the relationship between harm avoidance and cancer–prone personality.
 Conclusion: The study's findings confirm the role of the harm–avoidance nature in the cancer–prone personality and highlight more attention to the biological foundations of the cancer–prone personality. Also, the proposed cognitive cause model can help understand more the emotion regulation strategies in the cancer–prone personality and the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral treatments in people with cancer.

Keywords: Harm avoidance, Cancer–prone personality, Emotion regulation strategies
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Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology
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