title: The need for friendships and information: Dimensions of social support and posttraumatic growth among women with breast cancer.
abstract: Employing a cross-sectional design, the current study examined the relationships between various agents and types of support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among women with breast cancer.
  
  
  
  Eighty married women who were coping with breast cancer completed social support and PTG questionnaires.
  
  
  
  All agents of social support (family, friends, belief-based), excluding spousal support, and all types of social support were found to be related to the various PTG dimensions and its total score. Regression analyses revealed that, among the agents of support, only support provided from friends and belief-based support uniquely contribute to prediction of total PTG score. While examining the contribution of various types of support, only cognitive support had a unique contribution to prediction of total PTG score.
  
  
  
  Various agents and types of support play different roles in the PTG process following breast cancer. Accordingly, friends as an agent of support and information as a type of support seem to be most important in enhancing PTG among women with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,Bar-Ilan University,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors.forename: Ilanit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasson-Ohayon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,Bar-Ilan University,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuval-Mashiach
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioural Sciences, The Academic College of Tel-Aviv. Yaffo,Israel.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldzweig
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,Bar-Ilan University,Ramat-Gan,Israel.
authors.forename: Rienat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology,Chaim Sheba Medical Center,Tel Hashomer,Israel.
authors.forename: Noam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pizem
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology,Chaim Sheba Medical Center,Tel Hashomer,Israel.
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Breast cancer; Posttraumatic growth (PTG); Social support