Prediction of suicidal ideation and rumination based on illness perception and social support in cancer patients: A cross-sectional study

Purpose According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular diseases and the third leading cause of death in Iran. It is generally accepted that suicidal thoughts and rumination affect the treatment process of cancer. As the rate of suicide in the first 6 months after cancer diagnosis has been reported seven times compared to the general population. On the other hand, it seems that patients' perception of their disease and social support are predictors of suicidal thoughts and rumination in these patients. In this study, we investigated the impact of disease perception and social support on the level of suicidal thoughts and rumination in cancer patients. Methods This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on the adult cancer patients of Hamadan city in 2024. A total of 250 patients were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), the Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow Rumination Questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and the Social Support Questionnaire (SS-A). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis with the application of SPSS-26 software. Results The findings indicate that social support (beta = - 0.458, p < 0.001 (and disease perception (beta = 0.168, p = 0.003) are significant predictors of suicidal thoughts. Additionally, increased disease perception (beta = 0.242, p = 0.000) can lead to increased rumination (beta = - 0.379, p = 0.000), while social support (beta = - 0.379, p = 0.000) plays a protective role in reducing rumination. Discussion The results of this study show that disease perception and social support can predict suicidal thoughts and rumination in cancer patients. Clinically, the findings emphasize the necessity of considering psychological factors such as disease perception and social support in the treatment process of cancer patients.