Post-Traumatic Growth in Breast Cancer: Event Centrality and Coping

Abstract Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to a positive change in some aspect of the human experience as a result of coping with adversity. This study investigated the relationship between PTG, coping styles, and event centrality, using a cross-sectional research design. The sample consisted of 65 women who had completed the recommended treatments for breast cancer (BC) and answered an online survey. High correlations were identified between PTG and event centrality, and moderate correlations between PTG and the coping styles ‘problem-focused strategy’, ‘social support seeking’, and ‘religious practices’. Event centrality and problem-focused coping strategies were the best predictors of PTG. The results suggest that the greater the perceived adversity, the greater the possibility of growth, and that problem-focused coping strategies are important for the occurrence of growth in the context of BC. This study pointed to the possibility of personal growth from coping with BC and indicated effective strategies to develop it.