title: Posttraumatic growth in Iranian cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the level and determinants of posttraumatic growth in Iranian cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive-correlational design study was conducted within a university-affiliated oncology hospital in Iran. A convenience sample of 450 patients with a definitive diagnosis of cancer of any type completed a demographic questionnaire and a posttraumatic growth inventory. Some disease-related information was obtained from patients' medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean of posttraumatic growth reported by participants was 76.1. There was a statistically significant association between experience of posttraumatic growth and age (r = - 0.21, P=0.001), education at university level (F = 8.9, P=0.001) and history of treatment by radiotherapy (t = 2.1, P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that Iranian cancer patients experience a moderate to high level of posttraumatic growth and confirm the hypothesis that the level of posttraumatic growth in non-Western cancer patients is more than that of Western cancer patients. Although, assessing the reasons for this difference needs more investigations.
authors.affiliation: Hematology and Oncology Research Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohammadian
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golizadeh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zirak
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chavoshi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult