Discussion

Our study represents a pivotal exploration into the mediating effects of resilience and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on the influence of self-compassion (SC) as a determinant of reduced depression levels in patients diagnosed with a malignancy.This pattern aligns with prior research that showcases the notable emotional turmoil in this group, a consequence of the intricate dynamics associated with the treatment trajectory, persistent fears of relapse, and the existential dilemmas spurred by the affliction [26,27].In the context of resilience, it transcends mere endurance; it is a repository of protective attributes and personal strengths that facilitate successful adaptation, encompassing elements such as optimism, strong coping mechanisms, and robust social support systems.Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), another focal point of the study, showed that cancer patients were more prone to self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing, while demonstrating lower scores in adaptive strategies like positive refocusing and positive reappraisal.Our findings robustly emphasize the significant contribution of SC in mitigating depression severity, reinforcing its validity as a primary predictor in our analysis.Specifically, individuals with cancer diagnoses who exhibited diminished self-compassion, resilience, and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies presented with heightened depression scores.Of note, resilience and cognitive emotion regulation strategies not only demonstrated their own merits as protective factors but also acted as vital mediators in the relationship between SC and depression, as measured by the BDI.Beyond the role of SC, the mediating influences of resilience and cognitive emotion regulation strategies suggest their value as key targets in therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing depression.Alexithymic traits were investigated among the cancer patients in the study, as evidenced by the scores from the Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) and Difficulty in Describing Feelings (DDF) components of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS).Further research by Yeung et al. underscored the role of alexithymic characteristics such as these in influencing functional well-being, particularly noting the barriers created in emotional processing due to difficulties in identifying and describing feelings [13].Notably, participants reporting higher pain levels often exhibited lower self-compassion scores and relied more heavily on maladaptive cognitive emotional regulation strategies.We observed a distinct variation in BDI scores across various cancer types, with pancreatic cancer patients presenting the most elevated scores, which indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms in this subgroup.The study delved into the psychological turmoil often encountered by individuals grappling with a cancer diagnosis, a scenario that potentially escalates the symptoms of anxiety and depression.These scores indicate potential challenges in recognizing and expressing emotions, which could obstruct effective emotional processing and hinder adaptive coping mechanisms.It is noteworthy that resilience is a dynamic attribute, potentially fluctuating due to a variety of factors including evolving life circumstances and situational challenges.Mediational analyses provided crucial insights into the complex relationships among self-compassion, resilience, cognitive emotion regulation, depression, and anxiety.Consistent with our hypotheses, self-compassion, resilience, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies emerged as protective bulwarks against depression.Given the marked impact of self-compassion on depression, there's a compelling argument for embedding compassion-centric modules within therapeutic frameworks to augment their efficacy.Individuals diagnosed with cancer exhibited diminished scores on SCS subscales, including self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.This deviation accentuates the deleterious psychological sequelae of the illness, where patients might harbor feelings of isolation, augmented self-criticism, and a reduced capacity to remain grounded in the present [28].????????????