Emerging From the “Ku:” Fluctuating in Adjusting With Breast Cancer—A Post-Traumatic Growth Theory Situated Within Chinese Culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 1674-1683
Author(s):  
Jianxia Zhai ◽  
Jennifer M. Weller-Newton ◽  
Kaori Shimoinaba ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Beverley Copnell
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic

This purpose of the study was to construct a model (theory) to understand Chinese women’s adjustment process in living with breast cancer. A constructivist grounded theory method was adopted in this study. A total of 24 women were recruited through purposive and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were undertaken in Chinese and transcribed. Initial coding, focused coding, and theoretical coding approaches were used to identify subcategories and categories, and to construct the emergent theory. The basic social process these women used to deal with the breast cancer diagnosis was identified as: Emerging from the ‘ku’: Fluctuating in adjusting with breast cancer. Four categories were revealed following analysis: confronting challenges, orienting to reality, accommodating the illness, and transforming their lives, which encapsulated the main cognitive and emotional processes in which Chinese women engaged in their adjustment to living with their illness. The core process was influenced by a variety of contextual influences, which were identified as personal factors, social-environmental factors, and some specific cultural factors which emphasized positive changes. Chinese cultural values such as “Wuwei” coping strategies, familial primacy, and Chinese self-disclosure contribute to Chinese women’s adjustment processes and post-traumatic growth experiences. Hence, there is a need to consider Chinese cultural features, in designing culturally tailored supportive programs in multi-cultural clinical settings.

scholarly journals The influence of coping types on post-traumatic growth in patients with primary breast cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-91
Author(s):  
Tomomi Fujimoto ◽  
Hitoshi Okamura
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Proactive Coping ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background The physical and mental impacts of breast cancer diagnosis on women are substantial. Several studies have investigated the negative mental health effects of breast cancer. However, in recent years, there has also been growing interest in post-traumatic growth, a positive response to stressful events. Considering positive psychology focuses on such virtues, proactive coping theory was chosen as a theoretical guide. This study investigates how breast cancer patients’ post-traumatic growth is associated with proactive coping and mental well-being. Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 80 breast cancer patients aged 20–70 years attending an outpatient clinic. The survey was conducted using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Japanese version (PTGI-J), Proactive Coping Inventory-Japanese version and the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire. Single regression and multiple regression analyses with PTGI-J as the dependent variable were performed. Results The multiple regression analysis extracted proactive coping (P = 0.006), emotional support seeking (P = 0.004) and avoidance coping (P = 0.001) as factors associated with post-traumatic growth in breast cancer patients. Conclusions These results suggest that using proactive coping for conflicts caused by a breast cancer diagnosis and temporary avoidant coping for daily stresses during the treatment process may enhance post-traumatic growth while preventing deterioration in mental well-being. Additionally, seeking emotional support is important for post-traumatic growth.

scholarly journals How does benefit finding evolve over time among Chinese women breast cancer survivals: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyun Bi ◽  
Huaning Wang ◽  
Guitao Yang ◽  
Cailin Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Benefit Finding ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Active Disease ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: Even though the prevalence of benefit finding (BF) has been empirically shown to exist among breast cancer (BC) survivals, how does benefit finding evolve over time remains inadequately investigated. This objective of this study is to examine how BF evolves over time among Chinese breast cancer survivals and determine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that can sustain BF increase over time, thus bring about higher level of long-term post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivals. Methods: Participants were 486 women with different stages of breast cancer (stages I, II and III) followed from completion of primary treatment. Analysis were performed on the data collected at the 3-year assessment during 2014-2019. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of characteristics and benefit finding at six time points with the interval of six months since BC diagnosis. The relationships between demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics and benefit finding evolution over time were examined using mixed models. Results: Participants reported mixed results on the evolving patterns of benefit finding: 28% reported an upward trend in BF scoring over time, 49% instead reported an downward trend, and the remaining 23% reported no obvious change. Our study has shown that some well-known covariates of benefit finding, e.g. education, income, and social support, are not associated with BF trends. In comparison, levels of spirituality and disease coping at diagnosis can more reliably predict BF evolution over time. Our results strongly indicate that benefit finding can be sustained and increased by encouraging attempts at meaning-making and active disease coping during breast cancer treatment. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine trends of benefit finding evolution over time on breast cancer survivals and determine their psychosocial predictors in developing countries. Conclusion: Identifying the sustaining factors of benefit finding in the experience of breast cancer is the key to design psycho clinical solutions for patients’ long-term post-traumatic growth. As time goes by, cancer patients may experience less benefit finding. However, active disease coping and meaning-making by patients can effectively counter this undesired trend and boost their higher long-term post-traumatic growth.

Using Dynamic Personality Theories, Cognitive Neuroscience, and mHealth to Uncover the Process of Post-Traumatic Personality Change in Women with Breast Cancer

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-72
Author(s):  
Lara M. Baez ◽  
Michael H. Antoni ◽  
Aaron S. Heller
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Physiological Outcomes ◽  
The Moment

This chapter discusses the promise of new longitudinal methods for collecting psychological and behavioral data to examine the extent to which post-traumatic growth is possible. These methods include weekly in-the-moment self-reports of functioning as individuals go about their everyday lives via mobile health methods, in addition to retrospective self-reports of character. To examine the potential of such methodologies, the chapter uses the example case of whether and to what extent post-traumatic growth should be expected in women who experience breast cancer diagnosis. This research represents a promising way to move in a direction for uncovering post-traumatic growth. Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are potent stressors for the individual. This may be particularly so for younger patients (<40 years) where the disease can be more aggressive, with a higher potential for lost years of life. Yet women differ greatly in their responses to diagnosis and treatment. Some cultivate new relationships, experience psychological growth, and act more prosocially and altruistically. Some evidence suggests that certain types of character growth in response to stressful life events may be associated with better psychological and physiological outcomes after the event is over. However, there are limited prospective longitudinal data to indicate which specific character traits primarily change in response to life challenges and which are most associated with changes in actual behavior. This chapter discusses how the implementation of multiple methods will better allow researchers to characterize the trajectories of character traits and actions following adversity.

scholarly journals How does benefit finding evolve over time among Chinese women breast cancer survivals: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyun Bi ◽  
Huaning Wang ◽  
Guitao Yang ◽  
Cailin Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Benefit Finding ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Active Disease ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: Even though the prevalence of benefit finding (BF) has been empirically shown to exist among breast cancer (BC) survivals, how does benefit finding evolve over time remains inadequately investigated. This objective of this study is to examine how BF evolves over time among Chinese breast cancer survivals and determine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that can sustain BF increase over time, thus bring about higher level of long-term post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivals. Methods: Participants were 486 women with different stages of breast cancer (stages I, II and III) followed from completion of primary treatment. Analysis were performed on the data collected at the 3-year assessment during 2014-2019. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of characteristics and benefit finding at six time points with the interval of six months since BC diagnosis. The relationships between demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics and benefit finding evolution over time were examined using mixed models. Results: Participants reported mixed results on the evolving patterns of benefit finding: 28% reported an upward trend in BF scoring over time, 49% instead reported an downward trend, and the remaining 23% reported no obvious change. Our study has shown that some well-known covariates of benefit finding, e.g. education, income, and social support, are not associated with BF trends. In comparison, levels of spirituality and disease coping at diagnosis can more reliably predict BF evolution over time. Our results strongly indicate that benefit finding can be sustained and increased by encouraging attempts at meaning-making and active disease coping during breast cancer treatment. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine trends of benefit finding evolution over time on breast cancer survivals and determine their psychosocial predictors in developing countries. Conclusion: Identifying the sustaining factors of benefit finding in the experience of breast cancer is the key to design psycho clinical solutions for patients’ long-term post-traumatic growth. As time goes by, cancer patients may experience less benefit finding. However, active disease coping and meaning-making by patients can effectively counter this undesired trend and boost their higher long-term post-traumatic growth.

Meaning Making

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley S. Y. Ching ◽  
Ida M. Martinson ◽  
Thomas K. S. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Hong Kong Chinese ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
Theory Method ◽  
Philosophy Of Life ◽  
Grounded Theory Method ◽  
Cancer Experience

Based on a study exploring the phenomenon of coping among Hong Kong Chinese women afflicted with breast cancer, from diagnosis to completion of treatment, we report the findings on meaning making by the informants. Using the grounded theory method, we conducted 35 interviews with 24 women suffering from breast cancer. Among them, we followed and interviewed 5 women thrice, from diagnosis to 3 months after completion of treatment. We noted the evolution of reframing as the key category in the adjustment process through which the women identified meaning at different points of time in the cancer experience, to achieve different outcomes. Chinese women identified a sustaining force from minimizing social disturbance during treatment. The integration of cancer into their lives after completion of treatment was achieved through positive transformation in their philosophy of life and social relationships. Nurses should aim to understand the cancer patients’ interpretation of the situation, explore personally meaningful sustaining forces, and reflect on their cancer experience.

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