Psychological resilience and fear of disease progression among hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention: implications for nursing practice.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention often experience uncertainty regarding disease progression during pre-treatment evaluation and treatment decision-making. Fear of disease progression arising from this uncertainty can have a substantial impact on patients' psychological health and quality of life. Psychological resilience, as a key psychological resource for coping with stress and uncertainty, has been shown to be associated with various psychological outcomes; however, its role in fear of disease progression among patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms and the related implications for nursing care remain insufficiently explored.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, nurse-led observational study was conducted among hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms who were scheduled to undergo endovascular intervention at a tertiary teaching hospital in China. Psychological resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and fear of disease progression was measured using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF). Based on the established FoP-Q-SF cut-off score, participants were classified into a high FoP group (FoP-Q-SF ≥ 34) and a non-high FoP group (FoP-Q-SF <34). Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between psychological resilience and overall FoP, as well as its subdimensions.

RESULTS: A total of 215 patients were included, of whom 71 (33.0%) were classified into the high FoP group and 144 (67.0%) into the non-high FoP group. Higher levels of psychological resilience were independently associated with lower overall FoP scores. Psychological resilience was also significantly associated with lower FoP-ER, whereas no significant association was observed with concerns related to functional impairment and social or family roles.

CONCLUSION: Psychological resilience is inversely associated with fear of disease progression among hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention, particularly with emotional responses to disease-related uncertainty. These findings highlight the importance of assessing psychological resilience and fear of disease progression in routine nursing care. Future studies are warranted to evaluate whether nurse-led, emotionally focused supportive approaches may improve psychological outcomes in this population.