An Investigation into the Association between Fear of Recurrence, Spousal Emotional Support, and Self-Disclosure in Patients with Cerebral Glioma

Objectives: Fear of recurrence (FoR) is a common psychological burden in cerebral glioma patients. Spousal emotional support and self-disclosure may help mitigate FoR, yet their roles in this population are unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between FoR, spousal emotional support, and self-disclosure in patients with cerebral glioma. Methods: Patients with cerebral glioma were assessed using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among the scale scores, while multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing FoR in these patients. A structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to analyze the pathways of influence among FoR, spousal emotional support, and self-disclosure. Results: FoR was significantly negatively correlated with spousal emotional support, self-disclosure, and psychological flexibility (r = −0.3986, −0.3206, −0.4547, respectively; all p < 0.05), while spousal emotional support and self-disclosure were significantly positively correlated with psychological flexibility (r = 0.2457, 0.2776, respectively; all p < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that self-funded medical insurance, unmarried/other marital status, lack of religious belief, and lower scores of spousal emotional support, self-disclosure, and psychological flexibility were risk factors for increased FoR. The SEM demonstrated an acceptable model fit. Psychological flexibility was found to mediate the relationship between self-disclosure and FoR, indicating that self-disclosure not only had a direct negative effect on FoR but also exerted an indirect negative effect through its positive influence on psychological flexibility. Conclusion: FoR is prevalent among patients with cerebral glioma. Spousal emotional support and self-disclosure were identified as independent influencing factors of FoR. While spousal emotional support directly affected FoR, self-disclosure influenced it both directly and indirectly through the mediation of psychological flexibility.