A Longitudinal Investigation of Coping and Posttraumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

This study supported several predictions for coping and distress during chemotherapy (Time 1), and coping, perceived stress, and posttraumatic growth two years later (Time 2) in women with breast cancer. At T1, the emotion-focused coping strategies of disengagement, denial, self-blame, and venting were positively related to physical and psychological distress. In addition, the cognitive strategies of religion, positive reframing, and acceptance together accounted for a significant amount of the variance in fatigue and distressed mood. Positive reframing and acceptance negatively related to chemotherapy distress, while using religion positively related. However, using religion at chemotherapy (T1) related to more posttraumatic growth at two-year follow-up (T2). Furthermore, at two-year follow-up, (1) using religion, positive reframing, and acceptance accounted for forty-six percent (46%) of the variance in posttraumatic growth; (2) positive reframing related to more posttraumatic growth; (3) instrumental and emotional support related to more posttraumatic growth; (4) acceptance related to less perceived stress; (5) self-blame related to more perceived stress; and (6) posttraumatic growth marginally related to lower perceived stress. These findings support the current theoretical model that posttraumatic growth is adaptive, that it results from cognitively processing trauma, and that coping may moderate this growth.

Coping Strategies as a Predictors of Psychological Distress and Post Traumatic Growth among Flood Affected Individuals

“…Our results are in accordance with the previous literature [12,14,15]. Past research suggest that denial, self-blame, disengagement and venting were positively related to psychological distress while planning, acceptance, positive reframing and religious coping are associated with growth.…”

“…Furthermore, negative religious coping was associated with distress and positive religious coping was associated with PTG [13] besides, emotion-focused coping strategies of denial, self-blame, disengagement and venting were positively related to psychological distress [14] while substance use was related to less PTG [15]. In another review [16], it was demonstrated that growth was associated with depression, positive reappraisal, spirituality, and religious coping.…”

Adjustment to Life with Lung Cancer

“…An active style of coping with disease also yields positive outcomes [38,39]. The average score in this area in the study group was 43.31.…”

Making sense of resilience: A review from the field of paediatric psycho-oncology and a proposal of a model for its study. [Explicando la resiliencia: una revisión desde la psico-oncología pediátrica y una propuesta de modelo para su estudio]

“…Optimism (Bostock et al, 2009;Ho et al, 2010), hope (Ai, Cascio, Santangelo & Evans-Campbell, 2005;Ho et al, 2010), spirituality or certain religious beliefs (Ai et al, 2005;Cadell, Regehr & Hemsworth, 2003;Thombre, Sherman & Simonton, 2010), extraversion (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), as well as a problem-focused coping (Bussell & Naus, 2010;Dirik & Karanci, 2008), are some features that most commonly have been associated to a high likelihood of PTG. It is generally assumed that most of the empirical evidence on the existence of PTG has been based from single-case studies with exceptionally mentally-strong or extraordinary people (Masten, 2001).…”