Li-Hua Zhou1, Jing-Fang Hong2, Ru-Meng Qin3, Maria Henricson4, Margaretha Stenmarker5, Maria Browall6, Karin Enskär7. 1. School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Mei Shan Road, Shu Shan District, He Fei City, 230032, Anhui Province, PR China. Electronic address: 531879548@qq.com. 2. School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Mei Shan Road, Shu Shan District, He Fei City, 230032, Anhui Province, PR China. Electronic address: hongjingfang@ahmu.edu.cn. 3. The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Ji Xi Road, Shu Shan District, He Fei City, 230022, Anhui Province, PR China. Electronic address: 798806483@qq.com. 4. IMPROVE, Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden. Electronic address: maria.henricson@ju.se. 5. Department of Paediatrics, Jönköping, Region Jönköping County, And Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: margaretha.stenmarker@rjl.se. 6. IMPROVE, Department of Nursing, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden; Affiliated to Dep of Oncology, Inst of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: Maria.Brovall@ju.se. 7. Department of Care Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. Electronic address: karin.enskar@mau.se.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The experience of cancer could lead to positive psychological changes following the struggle with diagnosis and treatment. Understanding post-traumatic growth and its influencing factors in women affected by gynecological cancer is essential to enhance their possibility of achieving positive changes. The purpose of this study was to describe the post-traumatic growth level and explore the influencing factors of post-traumatic growth in Chinese women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey with a convenience sampling method was employed to collect data using the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The questionnaires were administered to 344 participants recruited from two hospitals in Hefei City, the capital of Anhui Province in China, between March 2018 and March 2019. All statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric tests. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to distinguish the intergroup differences. Correlations were evaluated with Spearman rank correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Total score for PTGI was 56.5 (range 48.0-68.0). The subscale with the highest centesimal score in the PTGI was appreciation of life and the lowest was spiritual change. The top five items with the highest scores of PTGI belonged to appreciating life, personal strength, and relating to others. Self-disclosure, confrontation, avoidance, acceptance-resignation, perceived social support, education level, cancer type and the place they lived had significant influence on post-traumatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that women who have high levels of perceived social support, confrontation, avoidance, self-disclosure and education level tend to experience more post-traumatic growth, while, conversely, high levels of acceptance-resignation have a negative influence on promoting post-traumatic growth. These meaningful findings propose new perspectives for promoting post-traumatic growth in Chinese women diagnosed with gynecological cancer.
PURPOSE: The experience of cancer could lead to positive psychological changes following the struggle with diagnosis and treatment. Understanding post-traumatic growth and its influencing factors in women affected by gynecological cancer is essential to enhance their possibility of achieving positive changes. The purpose of this study was to describe the post-traumatic growth level and explore the influencing factors of post-traumatic growth in Chinese women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey with a convenience sampling method was employed to collect data using the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The questionnaires were administered to 344 participants recruited from two hospitals in Hefei City, the capital of Anhui Province in China, between March 2018 and March 2019. All statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric tests. The Mann-Whitney U Test was used to distinguish the intergroup differences. Correlations were evaluated with Spearman rank correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Total score for PTGI was 56.5 (range 48.0-68.0). The subscale with the highest centesimal score in the PTGI was appreciation of life and the lowest was spiritual change. The top five items with the highest scores of PTGI belonged to appreciating life, personal strength, and relating to others. Self-disclosure, confrontation, avoidance, acceptance-resignation, perceived social support, education level, cancer type and the place they lived had significant influence on post-traumatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that women who have high levels of perceived social support, confrontation, avoidance, self-disclosure and education level tend to experience more post-traumatic growth, while, conversely, high levels of acceptance-resignation have a negative influence on promoting post-traumatic growth. These meaningful findings propose new perspectives for promoting post-traumatic growth in Chinese women diagnosed with gynecological cancer.