Psychosocial Factors and Patient Activation in Ocular Trauma: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Path Analysis

Ocular trauma can affect not only visual function but also psychological adjustment and engagement in care. This study examined social support, general self-efficacy, illness acceptance, and patient activation among patients with ocular trauma and tested whether a hypothesized observed-variable path model linking these constructs was supported.

A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted among 184 hospitalized patients with ocular trauma recruited using convenience sampling. Social support, general self-efficacy, illness acceptance, and patient activation were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, Kruskal-Wallis tests with Benjamini-Hochberg-adjusted pairwise comparisons, multivariable linear regression, and exploratory observed-variable path analysis were performed.

The mean scores for social support, general self-efficacy, illness acceptance, and patient activation were 41.03 ± 7.51, 31.85 ± 5.09, 27.76 ± 6.18, and 65.69 ± 17.91, respectively. No statistically significant correlations were observed among the four psychosocial variables. Illness acceptance differed significantly across age groups after Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment, whereas social support, general self-efficacy, and patient activation did not. In the adjusted regression model, older age remained associated with higher illness acceptance. The exploratory path analysis did not support the hypothesized direct or indirect pathways. The serial indirect effect of social support on patient activation through general self-efficacy and illness acceptance was not statistically significant.

In this single-center cross-sectional study, social support, general self-efficacy, illness acceptance, and patient activation were not significantly associated with one another among patients with ocular trauma. Older age was associated with higher illness acceptance, but this finding requires confirmation in studies that include ocular trauma-specific clinical and psychological factors. Future longitudinal research is needed to clarify psychosocial adjustment and patient engagement after ocular trauma.