Post-traumatic growth and psychosocial adjustment of daughters of breast cancer survivors

Purpose/Objectives: To examine post-traumatic growth, or positive life changes, and its correlates among adult daughters of breast cancer survivors and to compare their psychosocial adjustment to women with healthy parents. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. Setting: Outpatient oncology units in two urban hospitals and two breast cancer organizations. Sample: 30 adult daughters of breast cancer survivors ((X) over bar age = 38.1 years) and 16 women with healthy parents. Methods: Participants were recruited by hospital or research staff or responded to an announcement in a newsletter. Respondents completed the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory and standardized assessments of psychosocial adjustment. Main Research Variables: Post-traumatic growth and demographic, stressor, and psychosocial variables. Findings: Women who cared for their mothers following breast cancer diagnosis and perceived their mothers' illness to be stressful reported greater post-traumatic growth. Life satisfaction, social support, emotional processing strategies, and problem-focused coping strategies also were positively associated with growth. Women with maternal histories of breast cancer and those with healthy parents did not differ in psychosocial wellbeing, including affect, life satisfaction, and social support. Conclusions: Findings suggest that some daughters of breast cancer survivors experience positive life changes following their mothers' illness. Implications for Nursing: For nurses seeking to adopt a holistic approach to practice, the personal growth of women following life-threatening familial illness warrants attention.