The Influencing Factors Of Posttraumatic Growth In Breast Cancer Patients

Objective To investigate the status of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its influencing factors in patients with breast cancer.Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried, breast cancer patients were recruited continuously by convenient method in AnHui from October2012to June2013. A total of300breast cancer patients were investigated by General Information Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), Sense of Coherence-13(SOC-13), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ).Results (1) The average PTG score was57.4±10.5, confrontation was19.4±3.5, avoidance was17.8±2.8, resignation was8.6±3.4, sense of coherence was54.7±5.1, social support was54.2±6.3, self-esteem was29.4±4.1, optimistic tendency was15.1±4.1and illness perception was40.8±6.9.(2) Univariate analysis showed that residence, medical insurance, former state of health, education level, employment status, financial status, cancer stages, retaining breast, postoperative complications and increasing exercise were related to PTG level (P<0.001).(3) The scores of confrontation, avoidance, sense of coherence, social support, self-esteem, and optimistic tendency were positively correlated with PTGI total score (r=0.73,0.66,0.69,0.74,0.82,0.76, P<0.001). The scores of resignation and illness perception were negatively correlated with PTGI total score (r=-0.76,-0.74, P<0.001).(4) After regression analysis, self-esteem, confrontation, illness perception, social support, increasing exercise, retaining breast, and resignation entered the regression equation, all of them which could account for77.2%of total variance.(5) Coping modes were the partial mediation of the relationship between sense of coherence, social support, self-esteem, optimistic tendency, illness perception and PTG.Conclusion Several factors were found to be related to the status of PTG among patients in breast cancer, which need to be considered when assisting patients to achieve posttraumatic growth. Meanwhile, coping modes could mediate between sense of coherence, social support, self-esteem, optimistic tendency, illness perception and PTG.