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Long Term Posttraumatic Growth After Breast Cancer: Prevalence, Predictors and Relationships with Psychological Health

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Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence and predictors of long term posttraumatic growth (PTG) after breast cancer, and relationships of PTG with psychological health in a random sample of 307 currently disease-free women 5–15 years after diagnosis. This cross-sectional study reveals long term posttraumatic growth scores comparable to those found in shorter term studies. Prevalence of a better appreciation of life is especially noteworthy. With the exception of perceived current sequelae of disease associated in a somewhat curvilinear fashion with PTG, demographic and medical variables are poor predictors of the issue. On the contrary, dispositional positive affectivity and adaptative coping of positive, active, relational, religious and to some extent denial coping have a strong effect on growth. Finally, PTG is slightly associated with mental quality of life and happiness. Findings are discussed in the light of posttraumatic growth theory.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their sincere thanks to the women who agreed to take part in the study. They would also like to thank the Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer (French Cancer League) for its financial support, along with Doctors François Dravet and François Pein at the Cancer Treatment and Research Center of Saint-Herblain for their time and their help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de psychologie ‘Education, cognition, développement’ (Labécd, EA3259), University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    S. Lelorain & A. Florin

  2. Equipe de Recherche en Sciences Humaines et Sociales appliquées à la Cancérologie, (ERSSCa), [Research Team in Human and Social Sciences Applied to Oncology], ERT A-0901, University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    S. Lelorain

  3. Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Ange-Guépin, 5, allée J. Berques, BP 12105, 44021, Nantes, Cedex 1, France

    S. Lelorain

  4. Equipe de Recherche en Sciences Humaines et Sociales appliquées à la Cancérologie, (ERSSCa), ERT A-0901, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    A. Bonnaud-Antignac

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  1. S. Lelorain
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  2. A. Bonnaud-Antignac
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  3. A. Florin
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Correspondence to S. Lelorain.

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Lelorain, S., Bonnaud-Antignac, A. & Florin, A. Long Term Posttraumatic Growth After Breast Cancer: Prevalence, Predictors and Relationships with Psychological Health. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 17, 14–22 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-009-9183-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-009-9183-6

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