The Role of Cognitive Flexibility, Psychological Hardiness, and Self-Compassion in Predicting the Role of Perceived Stress in Women with Breast Cancer

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases among women.The present study aimed to predict perceived stress in women with breast cancer based on cognitive flexibility, psychological hardiness, and selfcompassion. Materials and Methods:This descriptive-analytical study of a correlational type was conducted on 150 women with breast cancer in related treatment centers in Shiraz in 2023.Data were collected using Cohen et al. (1983) perceived stress questionnaire, Dennis and Vanderwal's (2010) cognitive flexibility questionnaire, Neff et al. ( 2011) self-compassion questionnaire, and Ahvaz Psychological Hardiness Scale (1999).The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 26) with descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Results:The results indicated a significant relationship between selfcompassion, psychological hardiness, and cognitive flexibility in women with breast cancer and their perceived stress (P<0.001).Regression results showed that the variables of self-compassion, psychological hardiness, and cognitive flexibility can predict perceived stress in women with breast cancer, collectively accounting for 45% of the variance in perceived stress.The coefficients of influence for cognitive flexibility (=-0.41),self-compassion (=-0.31),and psychological hardiness (=-0.30)indicate that these three variables play a significant role in the level of perceived stress in women with breast cancer (P<0.001). Conclusion:Self-compassion, cognitive flexibility, and psychological hardiness can help reduce perceived stress in women with cancer.Therefore, it is recommended that mental health practitioners consider these variables when developing therapeutic models or preventive interventions for this group of patients.