Search Results (2,504)

Background: As understanding of addiction extends beyond substance misuse, various behavioral disorders may emerge as recognized mental health conditions, including social media use disorder (SMUD). To date, however, empirical research supporting SMUD as a distinct disorder is limited and inconsistent. The present study set out to compare the relative prevalence of elevated symptoms suggestive of SMUD between those with no mental health history and affective disorders (both unipolar depression and bipolar disorder). Methods: Participants were recruited online and completed questionnaires measuring social media use (SMU), symptoms of SMUD, depression and various psychosocial factors associated with social media use (i.e., loneliness, social support). Among those with affective disorders, we set out to identify sociodemographic and clinical features that distinguish those with comorbid SMUD (i.e., above the cut-off on the SMUD screening measure). Results: Five main findings emerged from our analyses: (1) SMUD appears unrelated to known forms of SMU; (2) Among those with no mental health history, SMUD does not present independently of elevated depressive symptoms; (3), No sociodemographic or clinical features distinguish those with clinical depression reporting comorbid SMUD; (4), Among those with bipolar disorder (BD), symptoms of hypo/mania do not distinguish those also reporting elevated SMUD symptoms; (5) And SMUD symptoms no longer differ across clinical groups after adjusting for depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that SMUD is unrelated to active or passive SMU. Symptoms suggestive of SMUD may instead be a contemporary manifestation of depressive symptomology. These findings do not support the existence of SMUD as a bona fide mental health condition. Full article

Background and Objectives: Quality of life (QoL) has become an essential outcome in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, particularly in the era of androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies. Although these agents improve survival, their differential impact on QoL and the role of psychological factors remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate QoL, functional outcomes, and psychological status, and to identify factors associated with poor QoL in a real-world cohort. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional, single-center observational study included 130 patients with metastatic prostate cancer receiving AR-targeted therapies (abiraterone, enzalutamide, or apalutamide/darolutamide). QoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, and psychological status was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients were stratified according to treatment groups, and comparisons were performed using appropriate statistical tests. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors independently associated with poor QoL. Results: Exploratory differences in global QoL were observed among treatment groups (p = 0.007), with lower global QoL scores in the abiraterone group and numerically higher emotional and cognitive functioning scores in the enzalutamide group. Symptom analysis demonstrated higher nausea/vomiting scores in the abiraterone group (p = 0.022), whereas other symptom domains were comparable across treatment groups. In multivariable analysis, anxiety (odds ratio [OR]: 6.62) and depression (OR: 3.40) were independently associated with poor QoL, while treatment type was not independently associated with poor QoL after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: Although unadjusted QoL scores differed across AR-targeted therapy groups, psychological factors—particularly anxiety and depression—were significantly associated with poorer QoL in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. These findings highlight the importance of integrating routine psychosocial assessment and supportive care strategies into clinical practice to optimize patient-centered outcomes. However, given the cross-sectional and exploratory nature of the study, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Full article

Background/Objectives: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious public health and forensic issue, associated with significant psychological, psychiatric, and social consequences. However, data from forensic psychiatric evaluations regarding victims of this type of abuse are limited, especially in Romania. This study primarily aimed to profile the demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics of minors who were victims of sexual offenses and underwent forensic psychiatric evaluation. Secondary objectives included examining relationships between demographic and clinical variables, describing patterns of victimization, and analyzing the co-occurrence of vulnerability factors. Methods: This study was retrospective, descriptive, and analytical, including 51 minors (under 18 years of age) examined at the Mina Minovici National Institute of Legal Medicine (INML), between 2013 and 2025. Data extracted from forensic psychiatric reports included demographic variables, the type of offense, psychiatric diagnosis, psychological issues, intellectual functioning, family environment, and relationship with the aggressor. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson χ² and Fisher’s exact tests, binary logistic regression, and nonparametric tests for cumulative vulnerability. Results: The sample was predominantly female (94.1%), with a mean age of 13.75 years. Rape was the most frequent offense (45.1%). Most victims originated from disorganized family environments or were institutionalized (70.6%), and 60% had below-normal intellectual functioning. A psychiatric diagnosis was present in 56.9% of cases, while 70.6% exhibited psychological issues. Within an exploratory logistic regression model that did not reach overall statistical significance (omnibus likelihood ratio test χ² = 9.31; p = 0.097), the presence of a psychiatric diagnosis showed the strongest individual association with psychological issues (OR = 5.17; 95% CI, 1.22–21.85; p = 0.026). Cases in which the aggressor was not related to the family environment were the most frequent (60.8%), followed by cases involving family members (23.5%). Most subjects displayed multiple co-occurring vulnerability factors. When the cumulative vulnerability score was recalculated to exclude psychological issues (to avoid construction-induced circularity), higher vulnerability remained significantly associated with extrafamilial victimization (Kruskal–Wallis H = 6.93; p = 0.031), but was no longer associated with psychological issues themselves (Mann–Whitney U = 298.0; p = 0.56), indicating that the originally observed association was an artefact of the score’s construction. Conclusions: Minors who are victims of sexual abuse often face multiple overlapping vulnerabilities, including unstable family environments, cognitive impairments, and psychiatric conditions. These factors frequently coexist in victims evaluated in forensic psychiatric settings and are associated with psychological issues and complex victimization profiles. The findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and victim-centered methods in forensic psychiatric evaluations. Full article

Background: Understanding the psychological and spiritual needs of family caregivers, including their experiences of death anxiety and levels of death literacy, is essential for delivering holistic palliative care. This study aimed to examine the relationships between death anxiety, spiritual well-being, and death literacy among relatives of patients receiving palliative care in Türkiye. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 160 relatives of patients receiving treatment in a palliative care unit in Türkiye. The participants had a mean age of 47.56 ± 12.33 years, and 62.5% were male. Data were obtained using the Abdel-Khalek Death Anxiety Scale (ASDA), the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), and the Death Literacy Index (DLI). Results: The mean scores were 61.34 ± 17.45 for ASDA, 122.94 ± 15.84 for SWBS, and 96.13 ± 16.36 for DLI. Participants exhibited relatively elevated death anxiety scores, comparatively higher spiritual well-being scores, and moderate death literacy scores within the study sample. Correlation analyses showed that death anxiety was positively associated with spiritual well-being and negatively associated with death literacy, whereas death literacy was positively associated with spiritual well-being. Regression analyses further indicated that spiritual well-being was independently and positively associated with both death anxiety and death literacy, whereas death literacy was independently and negatively associated with death anxiety. Conclusions: The findings suggest that psychosocial, spiritual, and informational dimensions should be considered together in holistic palliative care. Supporting death literacy and spiritual well-being may contribute to better coping with death-related concerns among relatives of patients receiving palliative care. Full article

As the global population continues to age, mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and social isolation among older adults are receiving increasing attention. The built environment is closely associated with older adults’ daily mobility, environmental perception, social participation, and mental health and well-being, but the evidence remains heterogeneous across spatial contexts, environmental indicators, and study designs. Previous umbrella reviews have summarized broad links between the built environment and healthy aging, but less attention has been paid to recent original empirical studies published after the COVID-19 pandemic, the distinction between objective environmental exposure and subjective environmental perception, and the role of social participation as a pathway linking environmental conditions to mental health and well-being. This study employs a systematic literature review approach, searching and screening peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and January 2026 that focus on the associations between the built environment and older adults’ mental health and well-being. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were used for searching, supplemented by manual searching. After title and abstract screening and full-text evaluation, a total of 60 studies were included. Subsequently, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on aspects such as research design, spatial scale, environmental indicators, types of mental health outcomes, and potential pathways of action. In this review, core mental health and well-being outcomes included negative outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, loneliness, and social isolation, and positive outcomes, such as life satisfaction, subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and mental well-being. Social participation was examined as a behavioral and psychosocial pathway rather than as a core outcome. Emerging methods, including street-view image analysis, FCN-based semantic segmentation, and XGBoost-SHAP, were examined because they can refine environmental exposure measurement and support variable-importance interpretation, rather than because they provide causal evidence. The main synthesis suggests that several built environment factors are associated with older adults’ mental health and well-being, although the strength and consistency of evidence vary across outcome types, spatial contexts, and study designs. (1) Exposure to green and blue spaces, quality of public open spaces, walkability and accessibility, accessibility of neighborhood facilities and services, housing and living conditions, and positive environmental perception are mostly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, as well as higher levels of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and psychological well-being. (2) Conversely, adverse environmental exposures such as proximity to roads, pollution, non-vegetated spaces, and high-intensity urbanization are more likely to exacerbate negative psychological outcomes. Existing evidence also suggests that social participation is one of the important behavioral pathways through which the built environment is linked to the mental health of older adults, but it is not the only mechanism. (3) In addition, the direction and intensity of environmental associations remain heterogeneous under different spatial scales, indicator types, and research methods. Overall, this review contributes by organizing recent empirical evidence into a built environment–social participation–mental health and well-being framework, while emphasizing that most findings should be interpreted primarily as evidence of association rather than as stable or uniform causal effects. Full article

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a grave mental health condition that can result in significant health and social consequences. The medications Naltrexone and Nalmefene are indicated for the treatment of AUD, with Naltrexone having received the most extensive research attention. Methods: The majority of papers assessing universal measures of alcohol consumption employed two primary metrics: total alcohol consumption (TAC) and the number of days per month where individuals engaged in heavy drinking (HDD). Indicators pertaining to the maintenance of complete abstinence were excluded due to the absence of sufficient data. The safety of both substances was also assessed, as were the frequency of side effects and independent patient dropout. The study also incorporated practical factors of the therapy, such as the route of administration, dosage regimen, and the drug’s patient convenience, which can have a significant impact on adherence to therapy. Results: Nalmefene, administered in an “as needed” regimen, demonstrated statistically significant activity in reducing HDD and total alcohol consumption (TAC) among patients with AUD, particularly those with elevated World Health Organization (WHO) DRL risk. Preliminary findings from the ESENSE1 (Efficacy of Nalmefene in Alcohol Dependence; the first phase III study), ESENSE 2 (Efficacy of Nalmefene in Alcohol Dependence, the second phase III study), and SENSE (the final phase III long term-safety and cost-effectiveness study) studies indicate a substantial decrease in HDD and TAC following the initial month of treatment. These effects persist throughout the subsequent follow-up period. Several Japanese studies have corroborated the effectiveness of Nalmefene, demonstrating its efficacy across both short-term and long-term applications. Furthermore, these studies have substantiated its safety profile, indicating that there is no inherent risk of addiction or the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. The mild nature of adverse events (most commonly nausea and dizziness) led to a relatively low discontinuation rate of Nalmefene treatment. A subsequent study, employing a recognized methodology, corroborated the efficacy of psychosocial support in enhancing treatment outcomes. Meta-analyses demonstrate that Naltrexone exhibits comparable efficacy in reducing the frequency and severity of alcohol consumption. In select populations, the injectable form (LAI) of this pharmaceutical agent facilitates less frequent dosing, which is advantageous for the treatment process. A comparison of Nalmefene and Naltrexone reveals that the latter does not demonstrate a significant impact on the likelihood of individuals returning to heavy alcohol consumption. Conclusions: In the treatment of AUD, both naltrexone and nalmefene have been shown to yield positive outcomes, particularly in terms of reducing the HDD and TAC. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, Nalmefene is indicated for individuals with a high risk of developing serious conditions. It has been demonstrated to produce rapid and sustained results while exhibiting a favorable safety profile, characterized by the absence of significant adverse effects. Naltrexone is a medication that has proven to be effective. LAI may have a positive impact on the efficacy of treatment. Full article

Background: Quality of life (QoL) after spinal cord injury (SCI) is influenced by psychosocial factors, yet less is known about how these factors are examined across national contexts. Objective: This scoping review mapped studies examining depression, employment, and social participation in relation to QoL or health-related QoL (HRQoL) among individuals with SCI in the United States and South Korea. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, five databases were searched for peer-reviewed English- and Korean-language studies published between 2007 and 2025. Results: Sixteen studies were included: nine from South Korea and seven from the United States. Depression and psychological distress were associated with lower QoL/HRQoL in both countries, although South Korean studies more often examined depression with stress and functional concerns, whereas U.S. studies situated depression within participation, spirituality, and youth psychosocial functioning. Employment was linked to QoL/HRQoL in both contexts, with South Korean studies emphasizing economic activity, vocational rehabilitation, and financial strain, and U.S. studies emphasizing employment status and vocational outcomes. Social participation was important in both countries, but South Korean studies focused more on community transition, functional independence, and social attitudes, whereas U.S. studies emphasized participation contexts, accessibility, and social relationships. Conclusions: Across the three domains, depression, employment, and social participation emerged as recurring psychosocial domains associated with QoL/HRQoL after SCI in both countries. These differences suggest that psychosocial adaptation after SCI should be understood within cultural and rehabilitation contexts. Full article

In Türkiye, working life operates within a hybrid structure in which modern production relations and traditional gender roles intertwine. The automotive sector, in particular, where hegemonic masculinity and conservative values are reproduced, creates a breeding ground for discriminatory practices and safety issues affecting LGB employees. This study aims to analyze the psychosocial and organizational mechanisms underlying LGB individuals’ decisions to disclose or conceal their identities in the context of neoconservative social pressure and industrial masculine culture in Türkiye. Using a qualitative research design grounded in the social constructivist paradigm, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 LGB individuals working at different levels of the sector. Data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The findings revealed themes of controlled openness, emotional labor, defense mechanisms, organizational silence, micro-solidarity, and ordinary visibility. It was determined that identity management is experienced as “strategic risk management” rather than an act of liberation, that hierarchical advancement increases the “glass closet” effect, and that employees constantly exhaust their cognitive capacity in a state of “hyper-vigilance”. In conclusion, the study examines the divergence between multinational corporations’ global inclusion policies and local practices and explores the structural factors that sustain organizational silence. Full article

Background: Diabetes-related stigma is an underrecognized psychosocial factor that may contribute to emotional burden among individuals with diabetes. In Saudi Arabia, where the prevalence of diabetes is among the highest globally, limited evidence exists on how stigma across different social contexts influences interpersonal diabetes distress. We aimed to assess the association between diabetes-related stigma and interpersonal diabetes distress and to determine whether these associations differed across family, workplace, and healthcare stigma domains among adults with diabetes in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data collected from 438 patients with diabetes. Diabetes-related stigma was measured using an adapted 12-item diabetes stigma scale covering family, workplace, and healthcare domains, while interpersonal diabetes distress was assessed using the Interpersonal Distress subscale of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS). The relationships between stigma and distress were estimated using multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age, gender, education level, years since diagnosis, and presence of complications. Results: Participants reported moderate levels of stigma (mean: 2.50, SD: 1.08) and interpersonal distress (mean: 2.31, SD: 1.23). Higher stigma scores were strongly associated with greater interpersonal distress (β = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.66). Domain-specific analysis showed that workplace (β = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.42) and healthcare stigma (β = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.38) were significantly associated with distress, while family stigma was not. Individuals with diabetes complications had higher distress (β = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.73). No evidence of effect modification by gender or education was observed. Spline models confirmed a positive and strengthening association at higher levels of stigma. Conclusions: Diabetes-related stigma is a strong and consistent factor associated with interpersonal diabetes distress in Saudi Arabia, with workplace and healthcare stigma demonstrating the strongest associations. These findings highlight the importance of addressing stigma within both social and healthcare environments and suggest that stigma reduction strategies may help alleviate the psychosocial burden associated with diabetes. Full article

Introduction: Low back pain is one of the commonly overlooked late complications of an intestinal stoma. Its severity may be associated with impaired quality of life across multiple dimensions of patient functioning. Objective: This cross-sectional study evaluated the impact of low back pain on self-reported health-related quality of life in colostomy patients. Material and Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional questionnaire-based design across 12 regional branches of the Pol-ILKO Association in Poland between December 2023 and September 2024. The study sample consisted of 95 patients. The standardized Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire, which assesses the level of disability in patients with back pain, and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which assesses health-related quality of life, were used in the survey. In addition, detailed data on medical history, past surgical interventions, and stoma self-care skills were collected using an author-developed tool. Results: Greater disability due to back pain is associated with lower self-rated quality of life. The higher the degree of disability as assessed by the Oswestry questionnaire and the higher the number of postoperative complications, the worse the subjective rating of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (p < 0.05). Factors associated with a significantly (p < 0.05) increased risk of lower back pain include postoperative complications, irrespective of the time since stoma creation, as well as avoidance or restriction of full trunk movements. Preoperative agreement on the stoma site was associated with greater independence in stoma hygiene. Conclusions: The results underscore the importance of early and targeted interventions to improve physical and psychosocial well-being in the subject population, especially at the preoperative stage. More attention should be paid to the needs of colostomy patients, both in hospitals and in outpatient specialty care centers, to improve their overall quality of life and self-assessment of their condition. Full article

Emotional exhaustion has been discussed as a major contributor to work ability problems, with substantial economic, individual, and social consequences. Research largely focuses on specific professions and sometimes overlooks that exhaustion and work overload problems are partly distinct. This study uses a differential analysis to explore working conditions and individual characteristics in employees with emotional exhaustion or perceived work overload, aiming to identify potential common risk factors. A representative German cross-sectional sample of 2289 employees aged 15–67, working at least 10 h per week, was analyzed. Employees with and without treatment for exhaustion, and with and without perceived work overload, were compared using variance analysis. Overloaded employees reported more work demands, while exhausted employees appear to be more often female and not in their preferred occupation. Several psychosocial work factors (e.g., responsibility) were more consistently associated with the overload and exhaustion groups than many of the physical work conditions. Employee characteristics such as openness and internal locus of control appeared to be similarly distributed across groups. Overload without exhaustion can be distinguished from combined exhaustion and overload, suggesting that work overload may occur with or without exhaustion, in relation to individual psychosocial resources. Preventive interventions for work ability may benefit from addressing overload as a distinct risk factor, besides illness-related exhaustion. Full article

Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a neurotropic virus associated with lifelong latency and stress-induced reactivation. Its role in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear. This study investigated the association between HHV-6 infection and MDD and evaluated interaction effects with psychosocial and clinical factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2403 university students in Thailand, including 52 participants with physician-diagnosed MDD and 2351 healthy controls. HHV-6 DNA was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using saliva. Logistic regression and interaction analyses were performed. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 50.7% of participants. HHV-6 infection was not significantly associated with MDD (OR = 1.335, 95% CI: 0.766–2.328, p = 0.309). Multivariable analysis identified congenital disease, high-fat food consumption, stress, and depressive symptoms as independent predictors of MDD. Significant interaction effects were observed between HHV-6 and several factors. HHV-6 was not independently associated with MDD; however, exploratory interaction analyses identified potential relationships with selected psychosocial and host-related factors that require further validation. Full article

Background: The increasing use of e-cigarettes among adolescents is a growing public health concern in Thailand, where they are prohibited but remain accessible. This study aimed to examine the psychosocial correlates of preventive behaviors regarding e-cigarettes among adolescents in central Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 383 secondary school students (Grades 7–12) selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from two government schools in Ongkharak District, Thailand. Data were collected using a validated self-administered online questionnaire assessing attitudes toward e-cigarettes, peer influence, family attachment, and preventive behaviors. Item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and factor-score regression with bootstrapped indirect-association analysis (k = 5000) were performed to examine direct and indirect associations. Results: The four-factor measurement model demonstrated acceptable absolute fit (SRMR = 0.069) but weaker incremental fit (CFI = 0.70), expected given the large number of ordinal indicators estimated via maximum likelihood, with standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.621 to 0.926 (p < 0.001). The structural model explained 44.2% of the variance in preventive behaviors (R² = 0.442). Family attachment showed the strongest total association (β = 0.456), including both direct and indirect associations through attitudes (β = 0.116) and peer influence (β = 0.162), consistent with a pattern of statistically significant indirect associations. Conclusions: Family attachment was associated with self-reported e-cigarette preventive behavior, with statistically significant indirect associations through attitudes and peer influence. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as model-consistent associations rather than causal mediation, and may inform future family- and peer-oriented prevention research in comparable settings. Full article

Background: Burn injuries are increasingly being recognized as chronic conditions with long-term physical, emotional, and social consequences. As survival after acute burn trauma improves, greater attention has shifted toward health-related quality of life (QoL) in survivors, particularly in regions where data remain limited. Methods: This study included burn survivors treated between January 2022 and December 2023 in the Department of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery of the Emergency Clinical Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni,” Bucharest, Romania. Patients who survived hospitalization and follow-up were invited to complete a Romanian-adapted version of the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B). Demographic and clinical data were collected from medical records, including burn type, total body surface area (TBSA), burn depth, burn localization, and access to rehabilitation services. Statistical analysis included descriptive methods, chi-square tests, t-tests, Kendall’s tau-b, Cramer’s V, Cronbach’s alpha, and exploratory factor analysis. Results: Thirty-eight patients were included. Most burns were thermal (94.74%), while burns involving <10% TBSA were most frequent (60.53%). Functional outcomes were generally favorable, with most patients reporting no difficulty in basic daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and writing. However, fine motor activities and return to previous work were more frequently affected. Emotional recovery appeared less complete, with persistent mild-to-moderate loneliness, sadness, and emotional distress reported by many participants. Women reported higher levels of loneliness (p = 0.015), while third-degree burns were associated with more frequent depressive symptoms (p = 0.008). Depressive symptoms were also significantly associated with functional limitations (such as getting dressed, p = 0.002) and work impairment (p < 0.001). The adapted functional and emotional subscales showed excellent internal consistency. Conclusions: Post-burn recovery extends beyond physical healing. Although most patients regained functional independence, emotional distress and occupational difficulties often persisted. These findings support the need for multidisciplinary long-term burn care integrating physical rehabilitation, psychological screening, and psychosocial support. Full article

Background: Breast cancer survivorship extends beyond physical recovery to include psychological and social adjustment, particularly how women construct and perceive their identity as survivors. While survivor identity has been widely studied in high-income countries, there is limited evidence from African contexts. This review synthesizes existing literature on breast cancer survivor identity in Africa, with a focus on patterns of self-perception, associated psychosocial factors, and implications for survivorship care. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, African Index Medicus, and grey literature for studies published between 2010 and 2026. Eligible studies reported primary data on survivorship and survivor identity among African women with Breast Cancer. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Confidence in qualitative findings was evaluated using the CERQual approach. Results: Of 32 records identified, seven studies met the inclusion criteria, representing Nigeria, Ethiopia, Botswana, and South Africa. Most studies employed qualitative methodologies, including grounded theory, phenomenology, interviews, and focus groups, with two incorporating quantitative or mixed methods. Key psychosocial domains included self-identity, coping strategies, social support, quality of life, and body image. Three overarching survivor identity patterns were identified: (1) Embracing/Constructive, characterized by acceptance of the survivor identity and its integration into personal growth and empowerment; (2) Ambiguous/Fluctuating, reflecting uncertainty and shifting between patient and survivor identities; and (3) Non-salient/Resisting, where the survivor identity was rejected or deemed irrelevant. Methodological appraisal indicated generally high study quality, with strong credibility and confirmability, though transferability was moderate. CERQual assessments indicated high confidence in findings related to embracing identity, moderate-to-high confidence for ambiguous identity, and moderate confidence for resisting identity. Conclusions: Breast cancer survivor identity among African women is diverse and shaped by cultural, psychosocial, and healthcare contexts. Constructive identity formation is associated with empowerment and personal growth, whereas ambiguous or resistant identities suggest ongoing psychosocial challenges. Interventions should incorporate psychosocial support, peer engagement, and culturally responsive survivorship programs to promote positive identity development. Future research should prioritize rural populations and longitudinal designs to better understand identity trajectories over time. Strengthening survivorship care in Africa requires a holistic approach that addresses both psychological and physical dimensions to enhance overall quality of life. Full article