AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the mediation effects of health locus of control (HLC) and hope between stroke patients’ social support and self-management.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 300 Chinese stroke patients were recruited by convenient sampling from the acupuncture department of two Chinese Traditional Medical Hospitals in Tianjin Province from June to September 2018. The self-report questionnaires include Social Support Assessment Scale, Herth Hope Index, Mental Health Locus of Control Scale, Stroke Self-management Behavior Scale, and personal information questionnaires. All the survey data were entered in Excel and analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 program. Mediation was tested with Bootstrapping in AMOS 23.0 program.ResultsThe result showed that internal health locus of control (IHLC), chance health locus of control (CHLC) and hope were the mediators between social support and self-management. The direct, indirect, and total effects of social support on self-management behavior were 0.306 P < 0.01), 0.109 (P < 0.01), and 0.415 (P < 0.01), respectively.ConclusionsSocial support can directly influence self-management, and it can also indirectly influence self-management through IHLC, CHLC, and hope.