Anticipated posttraumatic growth from cancer: The roles of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies

Abstract

Research suggests that individuals with chronic health conditions experience posttraumatic growth (PTG), such as in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. How PTG is perceived at early time points following stressful events and whether PTG reflects a coping process remains uncertain. The current longitudinal study examined cancer patients’ perceptions of anticipated posttraumatic growth (APTG), dispositional and situational coping, and perceived PTG at three time points spanning pre-treatment to nine months later. Participants were 49 mixed-cancer patients. At pre-treatment, participants completed a modified PTG Inventory to assess APTG. Results revealed that patients reported higher levels of APTG compared to reports of PTG in the literature, with patients “over-anticipating” PTG for all scales. Coping via dispositional planning moderated the relation between PTG and APTG. These results provide evidence for APTG as a coping process and as an important precursor for later PTG. I discuss these findings in terms of relevant theory and practice implications.

Keywords:

• posttraumatic growth
• coping
• cancer