title: Posttraumatic growth and health-related quality of life in a racially diverse cohort of breast cancer survivors.
abstract: This study examined the relationship between race, religiosity, and posttraumatic growth as well as the association between growth and physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in breast cancer survivors (N = 802; M age = 57.2). Multivariate analyses revealed that African American breast cancer survivors reported higher levels of posttraumatic growth than White women. However, this relationship was mediated by religiosity. We found an inverse association with growth and mental HRQOL which might be explained by the fact that growth co-occurs with distress and perhaps women in this sample are still struggling with their disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. keith.m.bellizzi@uconn.edu
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bellizzi
authors.forename: Ashley Wilder
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Bryce B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meeske
authors.forename: Kathy B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Rachel R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ballard-Barbash
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*