The relationship between pain and psychological resilience and perceived social support in liver cancer surgery cases

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between pain, psychological resilience, and perceived social support in liver cancer surgery cases. This is a descriptive and correlational study with a cross-sectional design. The research was conducted between May 2025 and August 2025 in the liver transplant unit and outpatient clinics of Y Medical Center, with a total of 45 patients. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). For data analysis, independent samples t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and simple linear regression analysis were used. The study revealed a strong negative correlation between psychological resilience and pain levels (<i>r</i> = -0.842, <i>p</i> = 0.001), and a strong negative correlation between perceived social support and pain levels (<i>r</i> = -0.821, <i>p</i> = 0.002). In addition, a strong positive correlation was found between perceived social support and psychological resilience (<i>r</i> = 0.873, <i>p</i> = 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that perceived social support predicted 32% of the variance in pain levels and 42% of the variance in psychological resilience. The study found that as psychological resilience and perceived social support increased, pain levels decreased in liver cancer surgery cases. Furthermore, higher levels of perceived social support were associated with increased psychological resilience. Therefore, a holistic approach that includes not only physical but also psychological and social care should be adopted in the postoperative care process of these patients.