ompensatory control over health crises: Belief in a just world and resilience among cancer patients and residents in pandemic

Background:?Recent research suggests that belief in a just world (BJW), in which good deeds get rewarded and bad evils were punished, could provide compensatory resources among those lacking control over their lives. However, little is known whether BJW could function in coping with medical disorder and how the sense of control was restored in promoting resilience, especially in the suffering from cancer and pandemic. Therefore, two studies were conducted to examine the association between BJW and resilience among those lacking control during the cancer treatment and the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore the mediating role of meaning in life.Method: Using the 6-item BJW scale and the 10-item resilience scale, Study 1 tested the effect of BJW on resilience among cancer patients (n = 83) as compared with individuals suffering from chronic diseases (n = 131). Study 2 focused on the effects of BJW on resilience among residents (n = 638) two months after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, life meaning and sense of control were also measured.Results: Study 1 found that BJW was positively associated with resilience, with a stronger effect among cancer patients compared to those with chronic diseases. In Study 2, a similar positive association between BJW and resilience was found, especially among those lacking control in pandemic. In both studies, meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between BJW and resilience.Conclusions: The current findings demonstrate that BJW serves as a compensatory resource in coping with health-related challenges, underscoring the importance of integrating social-psychological factors into medical care and health promotion.