Review article
CANCER AS A SOURCE OF POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH: A BRIEF REVIEW
Zsuzsanna Tanyi
; Institute of Psychology, Department of Personality and Health Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Zsuzsanna Mirnics
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Andrea Ferenczi
; Institute of Psychology, Department of Personality and Health Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Máté Smohai
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Veronika Mészáros
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Dóra Kovács
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Edit Jakubovits
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Zsuzsanna Kövi
; Institute of Psychology, Department of General Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer represents an experience that is potentially psychologically traumatizing for patients.
However, cancer can contribute to the experience of positive psychological changes, namely posttraumatic growth. We conducted a review of empirical studies (n=44) on posttraumatic growth in cancer patients. We focused on the relations of posttraumatic growth to socio-demographic, medical, and psychological adjustment correlates. Results from forty-four reviewed articles indicated that age, gender, and ethnicity were consistently associated with posttraumatic growth in cancer. Regarding illness-related factors, the majority of relationships were positive and were found between subjective severity of cancer, chemotherapy, and experienced growth. The review revealed inconsistent relationships between indicators of psychological adjustment (emotional distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and quality of life) and perceived positive changes in the case of the cancer patients. Longitudinal studies might resolve this inconsistency by showing that posttraumatic growth has benefits for later psychological adjustment, as other studies have already documented.
Keywords
posttraumatic growth; cancer; trauma; socio-demographic; psychological adjustment
Hrčak ID:
262604
URI
Publication date:
18.11.2020.
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