Factors Influencing Posttraumatic Growth in Mothers of Children With Cancer

Abstract

The psychological adaptation of mothers of children with cancer has a significant impact on the management of the disease. As the mothers’ psychological adaptation and positive emotions have an impact on the psychological adaptation of the children, it is important to facilitate the positive growth of the mothers during their adjustment to their children’s illness. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the factors that influence posttraumatic growth (PTG) in these mothers. This research aimed to test the variables of PTG based on an existing theoretical model of PTG in mothers of children with cancer. Data were collected, using self-report questionnaires, from 222 mothers of children with cancer who visited an outpatient clinic between August 9 and September 17, 2013. The variables of optimism, disruption of core beliefs, social support, and deliberate rumination accounted for 41.4% of the variance in the mothers’ PTG. Social support and deliberate rumination are important factors directly affecting PTG in mothers of children with cancer.

Keywords

child oncology mothers posttraumatic growth

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