Relationship Between Post-traumatic Growth and Illness Perception and Emotion Regulation in Patients with Cancer

Cancer diagnosis causes emotional problems and profound psychological helplessness in patients. We aimed to investigate the relationship between post-traumatic growth and disease perception and emotion regulation in patients with cancer.

The statistical population of this correlation study was all patients aged 18-65 years with breast, leukemia, and gastrointestinal cancer going to the oncology ward of Omid and Imam Khomeini hospitals in Urmia in the first half of 2021. 250 people (121 women and 129 men) were selected by the purposeful sampling method. Data collection tools included a post-traumatic growth questionnaire, a modified illness perception questionnaire, and the emotion regulation process strategies questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation test and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis.

The results showed that negative illness perception had a significant and negative relationship, and optimistic illness perception had a positive, meaningful relationship with post-traumatic growth (P < 0.05). Emotion regulation had a significant and positive association with post-traumatic growth (P < 0.05).

How to perceive the disease and emotion regulation strategies in patients with cancer have an influential role in promoting post-traumatic growth.