Post-Traumatic Growth in the Early Survival Phase: From Turkish Breast Cancer Survivors' Perspective.

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the nature of post-traumatic growth (PTG) in Turkish breast cancer survivors in the post-treatment first two years. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 breast cancer survivors. Data were collected between August 2015 and January 2016 in the medical oncology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Turkey. Two main themes were identified. They are as follows: making sense of the cancer (questioning life and death and religious meaning) and positive restoring (changes in values and increased coping skills). Health care professionals should be aware of these positive changes in the post-treatment period in accordance with aspects of PTG and they should be designed programs directed towards facilitating and enhancing post-traumatic growth in the breast cancer survivors.