A longitudinal investigation of posttraumatic growth and its associated factors among head and neck cancer survivors

Objectives Posttraumatic growth (PTG) may improve well‐being among cancer survivors, but a longitudinal study addressing head and neck cancer (HNC) is lacking. This longitudinal study examined PTG trends and determined the associations of physical symptoms and complications, as well as sociodemograp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psycho-oncology (Chichester, England) England), 2022-03, Vol.31 (3), p.504-511
Main Authors: Hamdan, Nur Amirah, Abd Hamid, Norhaliza, Leong Bin Abdullah, Mohammad Farris Iman
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Buddhists
cancer
cancer survivors
Head & neck cancer
head and neck cancer
health‐related quality of life
Longitudinal studies
longitudinal study
Malaysia
Males
Men
Muslims
oncology
Physical symptoms
Post-traumatic growth
posttraumatic growth
psycho‐oncology
Quality of life
Rehabilitation
Religion
Sociodemographics
Survivor
Tumors
Well being
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Summary:Objectives Posttraumatic growth (PTG) may improve well‐being among cancer survivors, but a longitudinal study addressing head and neck cancer (HNC) is lacking. This longitudinal study examined PTG trends and determined the associations of physical symptoms and complications, as well as sociodemographic and tumor characteristics on PTG over time among HNC survivors. Methods Participants completed the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer's “Quality of Life Questionnaire—Head and Neck 35” module (EORTC‐QLQ‐H&N‐35) and “Posttraumatic Growth Inventory—Short Form” (PTGI‐SF) during baseline (T1) and follow‐up (T2; 5–7 months post‐baseline) assessments. Results In total, 200 HNC participants completed the study and 67.5% of them reported increasing PTG. Physical symptoms and complications that were significantly associated with lower PTG included problems with social contact and the senses. Meanwhile, sociodemographic variables that were significantly associated with PTG were gender (males had lower PTG than females) and religion (Muslims and Buddhists had higher PTG than participants of other religious faith). Conclusion Our findings revealed the need to focus on the impact of sensory issues and reduced social contact following HNC on PTG which may be addressed by various restorative and supportive rehabilitation therapy.
ISSN:1057-9249
1099-1611
DOI:10.1002/pon.5835