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The following is a summary of “Role of social comparative orientation in social anxiety among breast cancer survivors: a moderated mediation model of body image and self-concept clarity,” published in the April 2025 issue of BMC Psychiatry by Chen et al. 

Social anxiety is common among survivors of breast cancer and hinders their social rehabilitation and quality of life. Understanding the factors influencing this anxiety is essential for improving recovery outcomes. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine how body image and self-concept clarity mediate and moderate the relationship between social comparison orientation and social anxiety in survivors of breast cancer. 

They employed a convenience sampling method to survey 382 survivors of breast cancer, aged 30–69 years (28.01% aged 69–56 years, 39.53% aged 45–55 years, and 32.46% aged 30–44 years). Data was collected using a general information questionnaire, the Social Anxiety Scale, the Body Image Scale, the Social Comparison Orientation Scale, and the Self-Concept Clarity Scale. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using the SPSS macro program PROCESS plug-in. 

The results showed a partial mediation effect of body image between social comparison orientation and social anxiety (β = 0.100, 95% CI [0.052, 0.162]), accounting for 27% of the total variance. Self-concept clarity moderated the effect of social comparison orientation on social anxiety through body image, with the influence weakening as self-concept clarity increased. 

Investigators found that social comparison orientation influenced social anxiety in survivors of breast cancer through body image. Self-concept clarity moderated the effect, reducing the impact of social comparison on body image and social anxiety. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06821-4