Fluctuation in physical symptoms, coping, and mood in patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: assessing mediation effects using a daily diary approach

Abstract

This study examines the indirect effect between parallel fluctuation in daily physical symptoms, symptom-related coping, and mood in patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Two models were analyzed with a within-person mediating role of coping and mood, respectively. Physical symptoms, coping (brooding, reflection, co-rumination, positive reframing, venting, acceptance, and active coping), and positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) were reported by 229 patients for 28 consecutive evenings after post-transplant hospital discharge. The mediating role of coping fluctuation was partially supported since a competitive model assuming coping reactivity was more reliable. Fluctuation in daily PA and NA mediated relationship of physical symptoms with brooding, co-rumination and venting. Daily changes in positive reframing, acceptance and reflection, partially mediated the association between changes in physical symptoms and mood. The study results indicate the usefulness of intervention addressed to the management of daily mood and stimulation of positive reframing and acceptance in post-HSCT patients.