engleski

Cancer disease -can it make positive changes? Predicting Posttraumatic Growth of Croatian cancer patients

Objectives/purpose: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an experience of positive change that comes from dealing with extremely stressful and traumatic events such as cancer. The PTG is considered to be a complex model in which disruption of core beliefs, rumination and finding meaning play a significant role. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the contribution of core beliefs, deliberate and intrusive rumination and finding meaning to the explanation of PTG of cancer patients in Croatia. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted with 149 participants diagnosed with a variety of cancers but who were at one month post-completion of all medical cancer therapy. Average age was 49 years. The Event Related Rumination Inventory, Core Beliefs Inventory, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were used for this purpose. Results Conclusion and clinical implications Hierarchical regression analysis suggested that deliberate ruminations and finding meaning are the only significant predictors of PTG (p<.05). Furthermore, found meaning was the strongest predictor of PTG (β=.40). Understanding the process of PTG development is valuable for counselling psychologists who can encourage cancer patients to re-examine their cancer experience and to find benefits in a difficult life situation. Thus, the therapeutic work does not necessarily have to focus only on the elimination of negative psychological consequences, but also on the personal growth and development of the person diagnosed with cancer.

posttraumatic growth ; cancer, core believes ; rumination

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