Stressors in hospitalized patients and their associations with mental health outcomes: testing perceived social support and spiritual well-being as moderators

BACKGROUND: Although hospitalization can be a burdensome experience for all patients, research into the sources of this distress and potential protective factors has so far been scattered, specifically among the broad hospitalized population across all disease types and inpatient units. The present study explores the frequency and nature of the foremost experienced hassles among a sample of Lebanese hospitalized patients, tracing their correlations with depression and anxiety while also investigating positive coping (i.e., perceived social support and spiritual well-being) as potential moderator of these relationships. METHODS: A total of 452 Lebanese inpatients from all medical units filled a survey composed of a list of 38 stressors experienced during hospitalization and other measures assessing depression, anxiety, perceived social support, and spiritual well-being. RESULTS: Pain was the most common stressor experienced by the patients (88.9%), followed by the feeling of being overwhelmed (80.3%). When conducting a factor analysis, 18 stressors loaded on 4 distinct factors, hence yielding 4 main stressor groups (i.e., Illness Apprehension, Hopelessness/Uselessness, Social Isolation, and Spiritual Concerns). The multivariable analysis showed that increased illness apprehension (Beta = 0.69) and hopelessness (Beta = 1.37), being married (Beta = 1.17) or divorced (Beta = 1.38) compared to single, being admitted in a two-bed room compared to one-bed (Beta = 1.59), higher financial burden (Beta = 0.24), and lower socio-economic status (Beta = 1.60) were significantly associated with higher anxiety. Additionally, increased hopelessness (Beta = 0.82) and being married (Beta = 0.79) compared to single were significantly associated with higher depression. However, among patients experiencing high levels of stressors, those with high spiritual well-being and perceived social support had lower depressive/anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our study characterized the principal stressors encountered during hospitalization, underscoring their associations with Lebanese inpatients’ mental health. On the other hand, as perceived social support and spiritual well-being acted as negative moderators of these associations, intervention programs aimed at enhancing such adaptive coping techniques are strongly called upon to palliate the psychological distress of patients in hospital settings.