Exploring the relationship between illness perception, self-transcendence, and demoralization in patients with lung cancer: A latent profile and mediation analysis.
Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing December 1, 2025 Chunyan He, Shuhui Liu, Xiaoping Ding et al.
Among 477 lung cancer patients in three Chinese hospitals, three distinct patterns of illness perception emerged: low (27%), moderate (40%), and high (33%). Patients with more negative illness perceptions experienced greater demoralization, but this relationship was partially explained by lower self-transcendence—the ability to find meaning beyond oneself. Promoting self-transcendence may help reduce the demoralizing effects of negative illness perceptions in lung cancer care.