Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
201,818 studies31 sourcesUpdated 2 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

Claustrophobia during diagnostic imaging examinations, doctor–patient communication quality, and doctor–patient trust: a cross-sectional mediation and latent profile analysis

  • Qianqian Liu1
  • Liwen Zhou2
  • Xin He1
  • Aixi He1
  • Yawen Zhang1
  • Ke Pan1
  • Lixing Lei1
  1. 1Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
  2. 2Department of Radiology, Sichuan Science City Hospital
Open at sourceDOICite

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of patient-perceived doctor–patient communication quality in the association between claustrophobia and doctor–patient trust in the context of diagnostic imaging examinations, and to further identify latent profiles of patients’ claustrophobic experiences from a person-centered perspective.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted. Patients undergoing diagnostic imaging examinations (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computed tomography [CT]) at two tertiary Grade-A hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, completed a self-report questionnaire assessing claustrophobia, doctor–patient communication quality, and doctor–patient trust, together with demographic and examination-related characteristics.

Results: Claustrophobia was significantly and negatively correlated with both doctor–patient communication quality and doctor–patient trust. Bootstrap analysis indicated a statistically significant cross-sectional indirect effect via doctor-patient communication quality (unstandardized effect = -0.095, 95% CI [-0.170, -0.028]); this indirect effect corresponded to 29.91% of the total effect, a descriptive proportion that does not itself imply causal mediation. Latent profile analysis identified two subgroups—a low-claustrophobia profile and a high-claustrophobia profile—with average posterior classification probabilities of 0.99 for both profiles. The two profiles did not differ significantly in doctor–patient communication quality, whereas a significant difference emerged in doctor–patient trust, with patients in the high-claustrophobia profile reporting significantly lower trust than those in the low-claustrophobia profile.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that radiology departments should prioritize the early screening and stratified management of claustrophobia, and should employ clear, supportive, and patient-centered communication strategies to enhance patients’ sense of safety, perceived control, and trust, thereby improving the imaging examination experience and facilitating successful examination completion.

Related

  1. Simulated consultation room based on acceptance and commitment therapy combined with virtual reality in brain MRI examinations for claustrophobia patients
    Wang Feng, Xue-mei Cao, Zhi-ming Zhou +6
    Frontiers in PsychiatryPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textPsychiatry & mental healthCrossrefDOAJ
  2. Physician Communication, Repeated Healthcare Encounters, and Diagnostic Delay in Endometriosis: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis.
    Cristina-Elena Mandici, Daniela Roxana Matasariu, Irina Draga Căruntu +8
    Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsEurope PMC
  3. Communication, privacy and interpersonal care in non-obstetric gynaecological examinations: a scoping review
    Xiaoting Yan, Yue Zhang, Yunhuan Sun +2
    Frontiers in MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral medicinePMC
  4. Performance and Hallucination Analysis of Large Language Models on European Anesthesiology Examinations: Cross-Sectional Comparative Study
    Stefan Andrei, Thibault Giet, Alexis Belouard +5
    JMIR Formative ResearchPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthHAL
  5. Association between ZJU index and concurrent hypertension and hyperuricemia among adults undergoing health examinations in Wuhu, China: a cross-sectional study
    Errui Song, Huan Wu, Tao Wu +8
    Frontiers in Cardiovascular MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthCrossrefPMCEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{liu2026claustrophobia,
  title = {{Claustrophobia during diagnostic imaging examinations, doctor–patient communication quality, and doctor–patient trust: a cross-sectional mediation and latent profile analysis}},
  author = {Qianqian Liu and Liwen Zhou and Xin He and Aixi He and Yawen Zhang and Ke Pan and Lixing Lei},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1987848},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1987848/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Claustrophobia during diagnostic imaging examinations, doctor–patient communication quality, and doctor–patient trust: a cross-sectional mediation and latent profile analysis
AU  - Qianqian Liu
AU  - Liwen Zhou
AU  - Xin He
AU  - Aixi He
AU  - Yawen Zhang
AU  - Ke Pan
AU  - Lixing Lei
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/09
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1987848
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1987848/full
AB  - Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of patient-perceived doctor–patient communication quality in the association between claustrophobia and doctor–patient trust in the context of diagnostic imaging examinations, and to further identify latent profiles of patients’ claustrophobic experiences from a person-centered perspective.  Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted. Patients undergoing diagnostic imaging examinations (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computed tomography [CT]) at two tertiary Grade-A hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, completed a self-report questionnaire assessing claustrophobia, doctor–patient communication quality, and doctor–patient trust, together with demographic and examination-related characteristics.  Results: Claustrophobia was significantly and negatively correlated with both doctor–patient communication quality and doctor–patient trust. Bootstrap analysis indicated a statistically significant cross-sectional indirect effect via doctor-patient communication quality (unstandardized effect = -0.095, 95% CI [-0.170, -0.028]); this indirect effect corresponded to 29.91% of the total effect, a descriptive proportion that does not itself imply causal mediation. Latent profile analysis identified two subgroups—a low-claustrophobia profile and a high-claustrophobia profile—with average posterior classification probabilities of 0.99 for both profiles. The two profiles did not differ significantly in doctor–patient communication quality, whereas a significant difference emerged in doctor–patient trust, with patients in the high-claustrophobia profile reporting significantly lower trust than those in the low-claustrophobia profile.  Conclusions: These findings suggest that radiology departments should prioritize the early screening and stratified management of claustrophobia, and should employ clear, supportive, and patient-centered communication strategies to enhance patients’ sense of safety, perceived control, and trust, thereby improving the imaging examination experience and facilitating successful examination completion.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -