A Network Analysis of Social Integration and Subjective Well-Being in Young and Middle-Aged Lymphoma Patients.

[OBJECTIVE] To explore the network relationships between social integration and subjective well-being (SWB) and to identify key nodes within this network among young and middle-aged lymphoma patients.

[METHODS] This study was conducted at a tertiary cancer hospital in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. From February to November 2025, a total of 315 young and middle-aged lymphoma patients were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected via a general information questionnaire, the Social Cohesion Scale, and the General Well-Being Schedule. We used network analysis to identify core and bridge nodes in the social integration and SWB network. A network comparison test (NCT) was performed to examine potential gender differences.

[RESULTS] The network analysis revealed that "Daily integration" demonstrated the strongest edge weight with "Relaxed or tense". In terms of node centrality, "Depressed or happy mood" and "Daily integration" emerged as the core nodes with the highest strength centrality, while "Daily integration" and "Intimate integration" were identified as the pivotal bridge nodes connecting different network clusters. No gender differences were observed in the association network between social integration and SWB.

[CONCLUSION] This study explores the network associations between social integration and SWB in young and middle-aged lymphoma patients. The findings suggest that intervention strategies may focus on improving emotional regulation, daily social interaction, and intimate relationships to enhance social integration and SWB in this population. Given the heterogeneity in clinical characteristics among lymphoma patients, future studies are warranted to validate the present findings across different subtypes and treatment backgrounds.