title: The effects of mortality reminders on posttraumatic growth and finding benefits among patients with life-threatening illness and their caregivers.
abstract: Individuals confronted with a life-threatening illness often report posttraumatic growth (PTG) or finding benefits in disease. These positive evaluations of personal strength, perceptions of improved personal relations and new possibilities may represent a defensive response (cf Janus-face model). Three studies investigated the effects of mortality reminders on reports of PTG or benefit findings among people living with life-threatening illness or their caregivers. 80 people living with HIV (study 1), 164 breast cancer survivors (study 2) and 50 family caregivers for a patient with huntington disease (study 3) were randomly assigned to the experimental (mortality reminders) or control conditions. Across three studies, those exposed to mortality reminders reported lower PTG or benefit finding, compared to the controls. These effects were moderated by time elapsed since diagnosis: mortality reminders led to lower PTG/benefit finding among those who received the diagnosis more recently. The results provide an insight into the defensive character of PTG/finding benefits in illness and changes in the function of these beliefs over time elapsing since diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Trauma, Health, & Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. aluszczy@uccs.edu
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luszczynska
authors.forename: Alicja B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Durawa
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dudzinska
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwiatkowska
authors.forename: Brygida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knysz
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Knoll
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D010467:Perceptual Defense; D011788:Quality of Life; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*