Post-traumatic growth: finding positive meaning in cancer survivorship moderates the impact of intrusive thoughts on adjustment in younger adults.
OBJECTIVE
We examined whether post-traumatic growth would moderate the impact of intrusive thoughts on a range of dimensions of well-being in a sample of younger adult survivors of various types of cancer.


METHODS
167 participants completed questionnaires regarding intrusive thoughts, post-traumatic growth, mental and physical health-related quality of life, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being. Multiple regression analyses controlling for relevant background and cancer-related variables tested the interaction effects of post-traumatic growth and intrusive thoughts.


RESULTS
Intrusive thoughts were related to poorer adjustment on all indices except physical health-related quality of life. However, post-traumatic growth moderated the effects of intrusive thoughts on positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being in a protective fashion. That is, for those higher in post-traumatic growth, higher levels of intrusive thoughts were related to better adjustment.


CONCLUSIONS
The positive meaning that individuals assign to their cancer experience as reflected in their reports of post-traumatic growth appears to be important in determining the impact of intrusive thoughts on post-cancer adjustment.
Park
Crystal L
CL
University of Connecticut, CT 06269-1020, USA. crystal.park@uconn.edu
Chmielewski
Jennifer
J
Blank
Thomas O
TO
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D012803:Sick Role; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult