The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (14): 2269-2277.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.14.022

• Investigations • Previous Articles    

The relationship between social support and post⁃traumatic stress disorder in young and middle⁃aged spinal cord injury patients: The mediating role of rumination and coping styles

Songbo JIA,Zhenzhen WANG,Qiaoju YANG(),Yan′ge YANG,Jiayi GUAN,Lijun. MIN   

  1. School of Nursing,Henan University of Chinese Medicine,Zhengzhou 450046,Henan,China
  • Received:2025-03-17 Online:2025-07-25 Published:2025-07-29
  • Contact: Qiaoju YANG E-mail:yqjzz@sina.com

Abstract:

Objective The present study aims to explore the mediating role of rumination and coping styles in social support and post -traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) in young and middle-aged spinal cord injury(SCI)patients. The study will provide a basis for developing targeted interventions. Methods Two hundred and forty young and middle-aged SCI patients hospitalized for treatment were selected by convenience sampling and questionnaires were administered using the General Information Questionnaire, the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), the Event Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI), and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Self-assessment Scale (PCL-C),Mediation analysis using Model-6 with Process4.1 plugin in SPSS 25.0. Results The mean scores for PTSD, social support, rumination, positive coping, and negative coping in young and middle-aged SCI patients were 29.00 (26.00, 35.75), 67.00 (62.00, 70.00), and 37.00 (34.00, 4 1.00), and 36.00 (33.00,42.00), respectively. PTSD demonstrated a negative correlation (r = -0.553, r = -0.484, P < 0.001) and a negative correlation with positive coping and rumination (r = 0.499, r = 0.472, P < 0.001). The mediation modelling test demonstrated that rumination and positive and negative coping mediated significantly between social support and PTSD, with effect values of -0.078 1, -0.097 0 and -0.049 6, accounting for 17.81%, 22.12 % and 11.31% of the total effect, respectively. Furthermore, the chain mediation effects of rumination and positive coping and negative coping were also significant, with effect values of -0.026 3 and -0.026 2, accounting for 5.99% and 5.97% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusions The present study hypothesises that rumination, thinking and coping styles play a simple and chain-mediating role between social support and PTSD in young and middle-aged SCI patients. Medical professionals should focus on the mediating role of rumination and coping styles when developing interventions related to improving and preventing PTSD in patients, which can be done by increasing the level of social support for patients, decreasing the level of rumination, and guiding patients to positively cope with their illness.

Key words: spinal cord injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, rumination, coping style, social support, mediating effect

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