title: Predicting changes in posttraumatic growth and subjective well-being among breast cancer survivors: the role of social support and stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social support is theoretically expected to be positively associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG) and subjective well-being, and stress is expected to be positively associated with PTG and negatively associated with subjective well-being among breast cancer (BC) survivors. However, empirical evidence is mixed, predominantly cross-sectional, and few studies have examined the unique effects of these predictors on positive changes in psychological experiences post cancer diagnosis and systemic treatment. This study examined both general and BC-specific social support and stress as predictors of change in PTG and subjective well-being among BC survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women (N = 173, Mage  = 55.40, SD = 10.99) who had recently finished treatment completed demographic and treatment measures at baseline (T1); general and cancer-specific social support and stress, PTG and subjective well-being at 3 months (T2); and PTG and subjective well-being again at 6 months (T3). Longitudinal predictors of change in PTG and subjective well-being were examined using hierarchical multiple regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BC-specific social support (β = .12) and stress (cancer worry; β = .10) predicted increasing levels of PTG. Improvements in subjective well-being were predicted by higher levels of general social support (β = .21) and lower levels of general stress (β = -.59).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are distinct predictors of change in PTG and subjective well-being among BC survivors, supporting the distinction between the trauma-specific process of PTG and well-being.
authors: Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
authors: Meghan H
authors: MH
authors: McDonough
authors: Catherine M
authors: CM
authors: Sabiston
authors: Carsten
authors: C
authors: Wrosch
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: cancer; oncology; posttraumatic growth; subjective well-being; survivorship