The Characteristics Of Posttraumatic Growth For Cancer Patients And Its Influencing Factors

Objectives :With the combination of quantitative and qualitative research Aims to understand the characteristics of posttraumatic growth(PTG) for cancer patients and its influencing factors.The aims of quantitative research are to understand the demographic characteristics for advanced cancer patients; and to explore the relationship between PTG,gratitude and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). The aims of qualitative research are to construct the PTG characteristic models for cancer patients, and to explore its contributing factors.Methods:From June to September 2015, with cluster sampling method, there were 119 advanced cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria and voluntarily participated in the survey questionnaire; adopting target sampling,completing semi-structured qualitative interviews with 13 cancer patients met the inclusion criterias.(1)Quantitative Research for Advanced Cancer Patients:With The Self-demographic Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory(PTGI),The PTSD Cheeklist-Civilian Version(PCL-C) and The Gratitude Questionnaire-6(GQ-6),we investigated some advanced cancer patients to understand their present characteristics of PTG, and other relevant factors.(2)Qualitative Research for Cancer Patients:We interviewed 13 cancer patients using semi-structured interviews and followed the3-level coding analysis procedure to construct the localization PTG characteristics model and explore its contributing factors for cancer patients.Results:(1)Quantitative Research for Advanced Cancer Patients:(1)The Cronbach’s α coefficient for each dimension of the questionnaire distributesIV0.708~0.928; and each item is significantly positive correlated with the total scores of every questionnaire; and the whole fitting index is high, so the reliability and validity for each questionnaire is high;(2)Advanced cancer patients’ PTG scores above middle lever,and they are not significant in gender( t=-0.910,p>0.05), but in education(F=3.293,p<0.05);the metastasis(t=-2.253,p<0.05) and the understanding conditions of disease( F=5.582,p<0.01), the differences are significant;(3)In 119 advanced cancer patients, there are 41 patients with positive PTSD symptoms, accounting for 35.3%; their gratitude score is 29.37±7.48, significantly higher than the average;at the same time, the scores of PTSD(F=16.267,p<0.001)and the gratitude(F=43.674,p<0.001)are statistically different among different PTG groups;(4)PTSD and the gratitude are significantly correlated with PTG and its every dimensions for advanced cancer patients(p<0.01); at the same time, PTSD(t=-5.792,p<0.001)and the gratitude(t=7.431,p<0.001)can explain66.6% PTG variation;(5)Between PTSD and PTG, the gratitude has compensatory effect(t=8.036,p<0.001), but its moderation effect is not significant(modified R2=0.002,modified p=0.389>0.05).(2)Qualitative Research for Cancer Patients:PTG characteristics model for cancer patients includes three dimensions: Personal Strength(Master of Disease, Self-Health Consciousness); and Interpersonal Emotional Enhancement(Empathy, Gratitude and Kindness), Life Appreciation(Life attitudes and Death attitudes), and its category agreement distributes 0.724~0.835, and its reliability is0.594~0.630; The contributing factors consist of two dimensions: Self Factors(Positive Qualities, Illness Perception and Coping Styles) and External Factors(Social Supports and Previous Experiences), and its category agreement distributes 0.667~0.833, and its reliability is 0.594~0.624.Conclusions:(1)PTG is also universal for advanced cancer patients, which belongs to medium level, at the same time,their education; metastasis and the understanding conditions are important demographic factors;(2)The gratitude and PTSD are also important influence factors for advanced cancer patients’ PTG, while the gratitude has compensatory effect between PTG and PTSD,but itsmoderation effect is not significant;(3)Cancer patients’ PTG has its own characteristics;(4) Self Factors(Positive Qualities, Illness Perception and Coping Styles) and External Factors(Social Supports and Previous Experiences) also can improve cancer patients’ PTG.