Prevalence of benefit finding and posttraumatic growth in long-term cancer survivors: results from a multi-regional population-based survey in Germany

Abstract

Background Cancer studies reported mixed results on benefit finding (BF) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) prevalence and few were focused on long-term survivors. Methods BF and PTG were assessed in a multi-regional population-based study in Germany with 6952 breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors, using the Benefit Finding Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. We calculated the age-adjusted prevalence, stratified by demographical and clinical characteristics. Results Overall, 66.0% of cancer survivors indicated moderate-to-high BF, and 20.5% moderate-to-high PTG. Age-adjusted prevalence of BF and PTG differed according to cancer type (breast > colorectal > prostate) and sex (female > male). BF and PTG prevalence were higher in younger than in older respondents; the age-adjusted prevalence was higher in respondents who survived more years after diagnosis. The strength and direction of associations of age-adjusted prevalence with cancer stage, disease recurrence, and time since diagnosis varied according to cancer type and sex. Conclusions A substantial proportion of long-term cancer survivors reported moderate-to-high BF and PTG. However, the prevalence was lower in older and male cancer survivors, and during the earlier years after cancer diagnosis. Further longitudinal studies on PTG and BF in cancer survivors are warranted to address heterogeneity in survivors’ experience after cancer diagnosis.

Idiosyncratic Profile of Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Post-Traumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors: Findings of a Multiple Mediation Model

“…Agreeing with the evidence that reflects that the diagnosis of chronic diseases has a negative psychological impact on patients [ 1 , 4 ], the descriptive statistics showed adequate levels of PTG and PEI dimensions (emotional attention, clarity, and repair) in both groups, breast cancer survivors and healthy controls. These findings are in line with studies that focus on the positive changes that occur after experiencing traumatic events [ 7 , 8 ] and show that this population can emerge stronger, developing moderate–high levels of PTG after coping with the disease diagnosis and adjuvant treatments [ 14 , 16 , 20 ]. Moreover, these results are in line with previous research indicating that breast cancer survivors manage their emotions appropriately [ 60 ].…”

“…Considering that breast cancer diagnosis is a potentially life-threatening event, this disease can also be an opportunity for personal growth and social enrichment [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. In this sense, many studies have evidenced that PTG is common among breast cancer survivors, even indicating a prevalence of 98% between 1 and 5.5 years, and suggesting its association with both psychological adjustment and psychological health [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Moreover, in a cross-sectional study developed by Sharma and Zhang [ 19 ], 80% of the 120 breast cancer patients evaluated were found to have moderate to high levels of PTG.…”

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

“…A high proportion of patients with cancer experiences symptoms of PTSD, and the probability of PTSD in cancer survivors is higher than that in the general population [ 3 , 8 ]. On the other hand, patients with cancer and survivors also report positive psychological changes [ 9 , 10 ]. The concept of posttraumatic growth was originally used for trauma victims but has long been extended to other serious illnesses such as cancer [ 11 ].…”

Feasibility and benefits of a videoconferencing‐based home exercise programme for paediatric cancer survivors during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

“…Fourth, there was heterogeneity among the participants' characteristics such as current treatment status, diagnoses and time since diagnosis. Given that posttraumatic growth is related to these clinical characteristics (Liu et al, 2021 ), the heterogeneity of these characteristics may have influenced the results of the present study. Therefore, additional studies of homogeneous samples are needed to assess the influence of these interventions on posttraumatic growth.…”