Psychological resilience and fear of disease progression among hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention: implications for nursing practice.
Han X, Wang W, et al. • Frontiers in public health • 2026
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.
Key Findings
Results
One-third of hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention were classified as having high fear of disease progression.
Total sample included 215 patients recruited at a tertiary teaching hospital in China.
71 patients (33.0%) were classified into the high FoP group (FoP-Q-SF score ≥ 34).
144 patients (67.0%) were classified into the non-high FoP group (FoP-Q-SF score < 34).
Classification was based on the established cut-off score of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF).
The study used a cross-sectional, nurse-led observational design during the pre-treatment evaluation and treatment decision-making period.
Results
Higher levels of psychological resilience were independently associated with lower overall fear of disease progression scores.
Association was examined using multivariable linear regression analyses.
Psychological resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.
Fear of disease progression was measured using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF).
The association remained significant after controlling for other variables in the multivariable model.
The study describes this as an independent association, implying other covariates were accounted for.
Results
Psychological resilience was significantly associated with lower scores on the emotional responses to disease-related uncertainty subdimension (FoP-ER) of fear of disease progression.
The FoP-Q-SF contains subdimensions including emotional responses (FoP-ER), concerns related to functional impairment, and social or family roles.
Multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations with each subdimension separately.
The association between psychological resilience and FoP-ER was statistically significant.
This suggests psychological resilience particularly buffers the emotional component of fear of progression.
Results
Psychological resilience was not significantly associated with fear of disease progression subdimensions related to functional impairment or social and family roles.
No significant association was observed between psychological resilience and concerns related to functional impairment.
No significant association was observed between psychological resilience and concerns related to social or family roles.
These null findings were identified through subdimension-level multivariable linear regression analyses.
This pattern suggests the protective effect of resilience is specific to emotional responses rather than functional or social concerns.
Background
The authors identified fear of disease progression as a substantial concern arising from uncertainty during pre-treatment evaluation and treatment decision-making in this patient population.
Patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms face uncertainty regarding disease progression prior to endovascular intervention.
The authors note that fear of disease progression 'can have a substantial impact on patients' psychological health and quality of life.'
Psychological resilience is described as 'a key psychological resource for coping with stress and uncertainty.'
The role of psychological resilience in fear of disease progression in this specific population was described as 'insufficiently explored' prior to this study.
Conclusions
The authors recommend assessing psychological resilience and fear of disease progression in routine nursing care for this patient population.
Findings highlight 'the importance of assessing psychological resilience and fear of disease progression in routine nursing care.'
The study was nurse-led and framed around implications for nursing practice.
The authors call for future studies to evaluate 'whether nurse-led, emotionally focused supportive approaches may improve psychological outcomes in this population.'
The focus on emotional responses (FoP-ER) as the key associated subdimension informs the proposed nursing intervention direction.
What This Means
This research suggests that among patients hospitalized in China with unruptured brain aneurysms who were waiting for a procedure to seal the aneurysm, a significant minority — about one in three — experienced high levels of fear about their disease getting worse. This fear, sometimes called 'fear of disease progression,' reflects the anxiety and uncertainty patients feel when facing a serious diagnosis before treatment. The study found that patients who had greater psychological resilience — meaning a stronger inner capacity to cope with stress and bounce back from adversity — tended to report lower levels of this fear overall.
Interestingly, the protective effect of resilience was not uniform across all types of fear. It was most strongly linked to lower emotional distress related to disease uncertainty, but did not significantly reduce worries specifically about losing physical function or about the impact on family and social roles. This suggests that resilience may help patients manage the emotional weight of uncertainty, but may not address more concrete concerns about practical life consequences of the disease.
This research suggests that nurses caring for this type of patient could benefit from routinely screening for both psychological resilience and fear of disease progression, as these are distinct and measurable psychological factors. The findings point toward a potential role for nurse-led, emotionally focused support strategies — though the authors note that future studies are needed to test whether such interventions actually improve patient outcomes. Understanding these psychological dynamics may help healthcare teams better support patients during the stressful period between diagnosis and treatment.
Han X, Wang W, Xu X, Zhu L, Huang X. (2026). Psychological resilience and fear of disease progression among hospitalized patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms scheduled for endovascular intervention: implications for nursing practice.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1845542