A Structural Equation Model of Resilience in Patients Undergoing Lung Cancer Surgery During the Acute Survival Phase: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study was conducted to establish and verify a hypothetical structural model and for identifying factors that affect the resilience of patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. Methods: A survey was conducted with 223 patients through face-to-face interviews at the outpatient clinics of two university hospitals from January 26 to April 27, 2023. Ultimately, data from 206 participants were included in the analysis, after the exclusion of data from 17 participants who chose not to complete the survey. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8. Results: The suitability of the hypothetical model was shown to be good (CFI=.97, RMSEA=.06, SRMR=.05). Hope was the only factor that directly affected resilience, and symptom distress had a double mediating effect on resilience through perceived social support and hope. Spirituality had a simple mediating effect on resilience through hope, while it had a double mediating effect on resilience through perceived social support and hope. Conclusion: These findings suggest that it is necessary to strengthen spirituality and properly manage symptom distress in order to increase resilience in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery. It is also necessary to increase the degree of perceived social support and to develop and apply nursing interventions that can enhance hope.