The study was a descriptive research to identify factors that influence breast cancer patient's post-traumatic growth.
The participants of this study were 153 patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at C University Hospital and were undergoing ...
The study was a descriptive research to identify factors that influence breast cancer patient's post-traumatic growth.
The participants of this study were 153 patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at C University Hospital and were undergoing treatment or regular follow-ups after all treatments were completed. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The data collection period was from January 20, 2021 to February 24, 2021.
The questionnaires consisted of questions regarding general characteristics, disease-related characteristics, traumatic event experience, distress perception, intrusive rumination, deliberate rumination, social support, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.
The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, hierarchical multiple regression with SPSS 27.
The main results of this research are as follows.
1. The degree to which breast cancer patients perceived breast cancer diagnosis and treatment as a traumatic event experience was 20.9% (32 patients). Distress perception averaged 4.10±1.75 points (tool range: 1-7), intrusive rumination 18.39±5.38 points (tool range: 10-40), deliberate rumination 23.44±5.87 points (tool range: 10-40), social support 48.99±7.65 points (tool range: 12-60), resilience 73.76±14.08 points (tool range: 14-98), and post-traumatic growth 61.08±14.57 points (tool range: 0-92).
2. Post-traumatic growth according to general characteristics and disease-related characteristics showed significant differences according to radiotherapy experience (t=-2.30, p =.0.23).
3. Post-traumatic growth of breast cancer patients was significantly positively correlated with deliberate rumination (r=.20, p=.014), social support(r=.41, p <.001), and resilience (r=.59, p <.001).
4. Factors associated with post-traumatic growth were resilience (β =.51, p <.001) and social support (β =.24, p <.01), and these variables explained 41.6% of post-traumatic growth(p <.001).
We found that resilience and social support were identified as factors associated with post-traumatic growth. Based on the results of this study, in order to improve the patient's post-traumatic growth, it is necessary to prepare an intervention program to increase resilience and utilize the social support system.