title: Mediating role of coping in the dispositional optimism-posttraumatic growth relation in breast cancer patients.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine if coping strategies mediate dispositional optimism-posttraumatic growth relation in postoperative breast cancer patients. The data were collected from 90 patients in two hospitals. Regression analyses revealed that problem-focused coping fully mediated dispositional optimism-posttraumatic growth relation, but emotion-focused coping did not. That is, postoperative breast cancer patients who were optimistic were more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies that, in turn, led to the development of posttraumatic growth. The findings were congruent with the literature in which problem-focused coping was mostly highlighted as compared to emotion-focused coping, and in which optimism and problem-focused coping relationship was emphasized in the path of posttraumatic growth.
authors.affiliation: Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Büyükaşik-Colak
authors.forename: Elçin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gündoğdu-Aktürk
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bozo
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*