The purpose of this study was to test a moderated mediation model. We first looked into whether fear of a cancer recurrence mediated the effect of time since diagnosis on trauma centrality, a concept rendering the impact of cancer on one’s self-identity. Secondly, we looked into whether the indirect effect would depend on the stage of diagnosis. We expected a more pronounced indirect effect for early stages as opposed to late stages. We acquired data from 234 cancer survivors (78.02% female; Mage= 35.58), who received a cancer diagnosis, were undergoing cancer treatment or had finished their treatment. Together with demographics and basic medical information, participants completed the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory Short Form (FCRI-SF) and the Centrality of Event Scale – the Short - Form (CED-SF). In line with our expectations, the results confirmed an indirect effect of fear of cancer recurrence which was stronger for survivors in the early stage of diagnosis (i.e., I, II) as compared to those in the late stage (i.e., III, IV). Conclusions and Future Directions. The study emphasizes the significance of taking into account both the disease stage at diagnosis and the length of time since diagnosis when creating interventions to help cancer survivors address their fear of cancer recurrence. Theoretical ramifications and interpretive limitations are presented.
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