Profiles of Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Childhood Cancer Survivors

The experience of childhood cancer (CC) could be a traumatic event that produces long-term emotional responses such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in survivors. The relationship between both PTSS and PTG is not clear in CC survivors. Assessing challenges to core beliefs and rumination could give information regarding the different paths that lead to traumatic responses. Thus, this study aims to identify childhood cancer survivors' profiles from PTSS and PTG measures and to examine the pathways of relationships between PTSS and PTG, rumination, and challenge to core belief. Sixty-two CC survivors completed surveys on their childhood cancer experience, PTSS, PTG, challenge to core beliefs, and rumination. High PTG scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 1), High PTSS scores among childhood cancer survivors (Cluster 2), and Childhood cancer survivors without changes (Cluster 3). Network analysis found that the challenge to core beliefs is the central point in the relationship between the variables, in a direct and positive relationship with PTG. We found an indirect path from challenge to core beliefs to PTSS, mediated by intrusive and deliberative ruminations. The combined findings suggested that there are different profiles related to trauma in CC survivors and the relationship between PTSS and PTG is mediated by the challenge to core beliefs and deliberative and intrusive rumination.

Automated summary

The experience of childhood cancer can lead to long-term emotional responses such as posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth in survivors. Assessing challenges to core beliefs and rumination can provide insights into the different pathways that lead to traumatic responses. This study found that challenge to core beliefs was the central point in the relationship between variables and had a direct and positive relationship with posttraumatic growth. The relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth was mediated by challenge to core beliefs and deliberative and intrusive rumination.