Effects of psychosocial factors on posttraumatic growth among lung cancer patients: A structural equation model analysis

Personal growth during early and advanced pregnancy according to women's mode of conception

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy can be a complex and stressful period, especially for women conceiving through fertility treatment, but this can foster the experience of personal growth (PG). Most of the knowledge on women's PG during pregnancy is based on a single measurement and relates to conceiving achieved through fertility treatments in general. Relying on Schaefer and Moos's PG model, the current prospective study sought to (1) investigate the differences in PG according to women's mode of conception (spontaneous; first-line fertility treatment; IVF) and (2) examine the contribution of the mode of conception, perceived stress, self-mastery, and cognitive appraisal (threat, challenge, and self-efficacy) to PG in two phases during pregnancy.

METHODS

Israeli pregnant women (Mean age = 32) recruited through a convenience sample, completed self-report questionnaires twice: the first or second trimester of pregnancy (Phase 1; n = 400) and the third trimester (Phase 2; n = 268). A total of 268 participants completed both assessments.

RESULTS

Women who conceived through IVF experienced higher PG and lower self-mastery than women who conceived spontaneously. Regression analyses indicated that IVF, being primiparous, lower self-mastery, lower threat appraisal, and higher challenge appraisal were related to greater PG in Phase 1. Only expecting the first child and challenge appraisal predicted women's PG in Phase 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights that women who conceive through IVF experience greater PG than other women and the significant role of cognitive appraisal in PG over time during pregnancy. These findings may inform focused-based interventions to enhance women's mental health during this period.

Effect of self-efficacy on self-management ability for colorectal cancer patients with stoma: a path analysis

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancer threatens health and causes heavy social burdens. The purpose of this study is to analyze the pathway model for the effect of self-efficacy on self-management ability in colorectal cancer patients with stoma.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023, with a convenience sample of 422 colorectal cancer patients with stoma at six tertiary grade A hospitals in Shandong Province, China. Statistical analysis was undertaken using SPSS 26.0 and Amos 24.0 software. A pathway model based on individual and family self-management theories was developed and analyzed by collecting data through onsite survey and online survey.

RESULTS

Chinese colorectal cancer patient's self-management ability score is 105.19 (17.19), which shows medium-level self-management ability. The self-efficacy of colorectal cancer patients with a stoma is influenced by social support, which ultimately leads to changes in their self-management ability.

CONCLUSION

The findings may help healthcare professionals to identify the factors that influence self-management skills of colorectal cancer patients with stoma and provide a basis for developing interventions.

Effects of Resilience and Emotion Regulation on Perceptions of Positive and Negative Life Changes in Cancer Survivors: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

While many studies have investigated the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with perceived positive change after cancer, longitudinal work examining how emotion regulation, and resilience impact perceptions of life change among newly diagnosed cancer survivors is lacking.

PURPOSE

This study examined the prevalence of perceived positive and negative life changes following cancer and explored the role of emotion regulation and resilience on perceived change over 6 months.

METHODS

Data from 534 recent survivors of breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer (Mage = 59.3, 36.5% male) collected at baseline (Time 1) and 6-month follow-up (Time 2) were analyzed. Multivariate linear regressions were estimated separately to examine if resilience or emotion regulation were associated with perceived change at Time 2 after controlling for relevant sociodemographic and psychosocial measures.

RESULTS

At both time points, greater than 90% of participants reported at least one perceived positive change while fewer than a third reported a negative change. Indices of emotion regulation and resilience were positively related to perceived positive change at both time points and negatively related to perceived negative change at Time 1. Emotion regulation but not resilience was negatively associated with perceived negative change at Time 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that cancer survivors who are less resilient and struggle with emotion regulation are more susceptible to perceptions of fewer positive and greater negative life changes after cancer. As such, psychosocial interventions should be developed to promote resilience and emotional regulation in cancer survivors.

Unchanging dynamics in posttraumatic growth in cancer patients: ways of coping and illness perception

Introduction

This study aims to address the positive changes due to traumatic experiences, such as being diagnosed with cancer and experiencing this disease for a certain period. Within this purpose, socio-demographic and disease-related variables, coping ways and illness perceptions that affect posttraumatic growth in cancer patients were examined. Secondly, the findings of this study, which is one of the first studies on posttraumatic growth in cancer patients in Turkey, were compared with the findings of current studies on the subject.

Method

Datums were collected by an interview form and three scales (Posttraumatic Growth Scale, Ways of Coping Inventory and Illness Perception Scale-R) to 78 cancer outpatients in Istanbul University Oncology Institute in 2007.

Results

Results showed that cancer patients have higher posttraumatic growth levels than the mean. According to analysis, posttraumatic growth total score between confrontive coping (t = -2.344, p < 0.05), self-controlling (t = -3.704, p < 0.001), accepting responsibility (t = -3.032, p < 0.01), escape-avoidance (t = -2.285, p < 0.05), planful problem solving (t = -2.502, p < 0.05), positive reappraisal (t = -5.241, p < 0.001), and seeking social support (t = -3.527, p < 0.01) has relationship. Also, there is a relation between posttraumatic growth subscales and the Revised form of Illness Perception Questionnaire; Change in relationships with others subscale (t = 2.887, p < 0.01) and Change in self-perception subscale (t = 2.660, p < 0.01) between timeline (acute/chronic), Change in self-perception subscale between timeline (cyclical) (t = -2.788, p < 0.01) and uncontrollable body factors (t = -1.916, p < 0.05) Change in philosophy of life subscale between external attributions (t = -2.057, p < 0.05) and Change in relationships with others subscale (t = -2.920, p < 0.01) between chance factors. It was found that positive reappraisal (F = 78.290, p < 0.001), self-controlling (F = 39.814, p < 0.001), and distancing (F = 46.311, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of posttraumatic growth total score. Results showed that ways of coping and illness perceptions were essential variables in posttraumatic growth.

Discussion

Studies on posttraumatic growth in Turkey and the world have significantly increased in recent years. This study aimed to examine the findings obtained from cancer patients in 2007 in discussion with the findings in the current literature. In this context, it is seen that the relevant variables affecting posttraumatic growth in cancer patients in different cultures do not change.

Determinants of Post-Traumatic Growth and Quality of Life in Ghanaian Breast Cancer Survivors

This study assessed the psychosocial factors associated with post-traumatic growth (PTG) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women breast cancer survivors. Women (N = 128) completed questionnaires on social support, religiosity, hope, optimism, benefit-finding, PTG and HRQoL. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results showed that perceived social support, religiosity, hope, optimism, and benefit finding were positively associated with PTG. Religiosity and PTG were positively associated with HRQoL. The results suggest that interventions aimed at increasing religiosity, hope, optimism, and perceived support can help survivors cope better with breast cancer.

Personality Traits and Coping Strategies Relevant to Posttraumatic Growth in Patients with Cancer and Survivors: A Systematic Literature Review

The possibility of positive psychological changes after cancer, namely, posttraumatic growth, is a growing field of research. Identifying personality traits and coping strategies related to posttraumatic growth may help find vulnerable individuals as well as promote helpful coping strategies to help more patients make positive changes at an early stage. The aim of this systematic literature review is to provide an overview of the quantitative data on coping strategies and personality traits associated with posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer and cancer survivors as well as the methods used in included studies. A systematic literature search was conducted using five databases (PubMed, PubPsych, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and PSYNDEXplus). The 70 reports of included studies assessed posttraumatic growth using questionnaires in a sample of patients with cancer or survivors. In addition, associations with a personality trait or coping strategy had to be examined cross-sectionally or longitudinally. All 1698 articles were screened for titles and abstracts by two authors, after which disputed articles were reviewed by a third author. Afterwards, articles were screened for full texts. Most studies had a cross-sectional design and used a sample of patients with breast cancer. Coping strategies have been researched more than personality factors. The personality traits of resilience, hardiness, dispositional positive affectivity, and dispositional gratitude seem to be related to posttraumatic growth, while the Big Five personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) have been less researched and/or seem to be unrelated. The use of social support, religious coping, positive reframing, and reflection during illness as coping strategies seems to be related to posttraumatic growth. The findings can be used for the development of interventions. Future studies should investigate associations longitudinally.

Prevalence and influencing factors of posttraumatic growth among nurses suffering from workplace violence: A cross-sectional study

The purpose of this study was to (i) identify the level of posttraumatic growth among nurses suffering from workplace violence, (ii) clarify the relationship between nurses' posttraumatic growth and compassion satisfaction, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and (iii) determine the influencing factors for posttraumatic growth among nurses suffering from workplace violence. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate 726 nurses suffering from workplace violence in 10 tertiary hospitals by using demographic, work-related information, lifestyle questionnaire, simplified Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and professional quality of life scale. In the findings, (i) the participants' posttraumatic growth scores were 57.29 ± 21.56, while the compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress scores were 32.82 ± 6.80, 27.17 ± 5.53, and 26.67 ± 5.29, respectively, (ii) posttraumatic growth was positively correlated with compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress, and negatively correlated with burnout, and (iii) compassion satisfaction, sleep hours per day, department, scheduling, alcohol, secondary traumatic stress, children, and work hours per day were influencing factors of posttraumatic growth, which explained 36.3% of the total variance. Our study indicates that Chinese nurses may experience moderate levels of compassionate satisfaction, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and low levels of posttraumatic growth after suffering from workplace violence, while the posttraumatic growth of nurses suffering from workplace violence is more affected by work-related variables and lifestyle-related variables, but less affected by other sociodemographic variables. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the psychological evaluation of nurses and adopt targeted strategies to promote nurses' posttraumatic growth.

Correlates of posttraumatic growth among spouses of newly diagnosed gynecological cancer survivors: A cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Despite increasing research on posttraumatic growth (PTG) of spouses of cancer patients, and the positive effects of spouses' PTG on both spouses and patients, there is little information on PTG and its correlates among husbands of gynecological cancer survivors, especially those of newly diagnosed survivors. We aimed to assess PTG among spouses of newly diagnosed gynecological cancer survivors and to examine its correlates.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, a total of 400 spouses of newly diagnosed gynecological cancer survivors were recruited and completed questionnaires with information on general characteristics, rumination, self-disclosure, locus of control, and PTG. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

The mean score of PTG among the spouses was 57.77 (SD = 12.03). There were significant differences in PTG among spouses with different education levels, marriage duration, number of children, per capita monthly income, other traumatic events within 6 months, and time since diagnosis groups. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that deliberate rumination, self-disclosure, and locus of control were significantly associated with PTG. The multiple regression model revealed that 53.6% of the variance in PTG was explained by marriage duration, time since diagnosis, self-disclosure, deliberate rumination, and internality locus of control.

CONCLUSIONS

This study was one of the early attempts in evaluating PTG among spouses of newly diagnosed gynecological cancer survivors and identified several significant, potentially modifiable factors (self-disclosure, deliberate rumination, and internality locus of control) associated with PTG, providing an important guide for the development of effective psychosocial interventions for this population.