Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth of Breast Cancer Survivors

<p>Although there is an abundance of information in the literature pertaining to breast cancer</p><p>resiliency and posttraumatic growth research on the impact of early-life experiences that either</p><p>promote or detract from psychological growth in survivorship is lacking. This study investigated</p><p>whether resiliency and posttraumatic growth determined from some types of abusive experiences</p><p>during childhood mediate further growth when confronted with subsequent traumatic</p><p>experiences in adulthood specifically breast cancer treatment/survival. Data were collected</p><p>through participant self-report of information using a retrospective questionnaire on perceived</p><p>childhood discipline and abuse resiliency and posttraumatic growth. Specifically the Emotional</p><p>and Physical Abuse Questionnaire (EPAB) served as the abuse measure. The Predictive 6-Factor</p><p>Resilience Scale (PR6) was used to measure resilience while the Posttraumatic Growth</p><p>Inventory (PTGI) measured posttraumatic growth. Results revealed that mild and severe</p><p>physical abuse as well as greater degrees of emotional abuse were significantly positively</p><p>associated with</p><p>posttraumatic growth. Emotional abuse was associated with resilience specifically when</p><p>survivors experience a sense of physical and emotional wellbeing while physical abuse was not</p><p>associated with resilience even when considering wellbeing factors.</p>