Abstract P5-19-03: Factors that influence posttraumatic growth in patients with breast cancer: A longitudinal trial

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: The main focus of previous research into coping with breast cancer, have been mostly with regards to the negative impacts such as emotional stress, anxiety, depression or cognitive dysfunction. However, patients also report positive changes that have come about as a result of their struggle with cancer. This is referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). The aim of this study was to assess the presence of PTG in breast cancer patients at two measurements and to explore the association between personality traits (resilience, optimism, self-efficacy) and positive emotions on PTG. Patients and Methods: The study group comprised of 80 women (with a mean age of 53.6 years, SD=10.2) recently diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer. They completed self-report measures of PTG, resilience, optimism, self-efficacy and positive emotions up to three weeks after diagnose (t1) and then following by an update six months later (t2). Sociodemographic characteristics, emotional distress, anxiety and depression were also recorded. Results: Planned comparison: Breast cancer patients showed an increase of PTG from t1 to t2 (p=.00035). Resilience, optimism, self-efficacy and positive emotions did not change in the total sample from t1 to t2. Emotional distress, anxiety and depression have significantly declined from t1 to t2 (anxiety p=.015, depression p=.029, emotional distress p=.000065). Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between positive emotions to PTG (r=-.386, p=.0004) and optimism to PTG (r=.334, p=.002) at t2, respectively. Depression t2 correlated negatively to PTG at t2 (r=-.264 p=.018). Explorative results: We also calculated the difference between PTG t2 and t1. We found 67.5% (n=54) of the patients with an increase of PTG and 32.5% (n=26) without or with negative change. In a subgroup analysis we noticed that patients without benefit of PTG showed a decline of resilience (p=.015), self-efficacy (p=.028) and positive emotions (p=.045) between t1 and t2. Furthermore, anxiety and depression did not improve from t1 to t2 in this group. Conclusions: Positive emotions and optimism represent indicators of PTG in breast cancer patients. A decline of anxiety and depression is associated with a higher rate of PTG. Psycho-oncological strategies related to these factors may support PTG in breast cancer patients. Future studies are needed to search for effective interventions to support patients in PTG. Citation Format: Berndt U, Gottschlik Y, Leplow B, Thomssen C. Factors that influence posttraumatic growth in patients with breast cancer: A longitudinal trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-19-03.