The Mediating Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Between Anxiety and Body Image in Women With Breast Cancer Volunteer For Mastectomy

Background: Breast loss is a major concern for breast cancer patients because they feel that their femininity symbol has been damaged. In the present study, we investigate the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in the relationship between anxiety and body image in women with breast cancer volunteer for mastectomy. Methods: The research method is correlational, the study population consists of women with breast cancer volunteer for mastectomy. 350 volunteer mastectomy breast cancer patients referred to Imam Khomeini and Imam Hossein (AS) hospitals in Tehran were selected by available sampling method. The instruments used in the research are Beck Anxiety Questionnaire , Body Image Questionnaire of Hormes et al. and Emotional Cognitive Regulation Questionnaire Garnowski et al.. Structural regression equations were used to analyze the research hypotheses. Results: The results showed that anxiety had a positive effect on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (Beta = 0.654) and a negative effect on body image (Beta = 0.574) at the level of (P <0.001). The direct effect of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies on body image (Beta = 0.271) is positively significant at the level of less than 0.05. Also, the direct effect of anxiety with beta standard coefficient on adaptive emotion regulation strategies (Beta = 0.836) and on body image (Beta = 0.849) negatively at the level of less than (P <0.001) is significant. And the direct effect of adaptive emotion regulation strategies on body image (Beta = 0.266) is negatively significant at the level of less than (P <0.001). Conclusion: Patients who use more maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies experience more anxiety and negative body image, and conversely, those who use more adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies experience less anxiety and negative body image.