Background: This population-based study examines posttraumatic growth (PTG) among emerging adult survivors of childhood cancers.
Methods: Participants were identified through the Los Angeles (LA) Cancer Surveillance Program and completed self-report surveys [eligibility criteria: diagnosed with at least a stage 2 cancer (except brain) in LA County in 1996-2010, 5+ years after diagnosis, current age of 18 to 39 (n=1,248; mean age=25.67, SD=5.27; 52% female; 48% Hispanic)]. PTG was measured with a modified Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, which assessed positive life changes attributed to the cancer experience. Depressive symptoms, dispositional optimism, and religiosity were also assessed.
Results (preliminary): Commonly endorsed elements of PTG included appreciation for life (86%), life priorities (81%), and inner strength (78%). In multivariable linear regression analyses (controlling for age, sex, and SES), those scoring high in PTG were more likely to report high levels of optimism and religiosity, low levels of depressive symptoms, and Hispanic ethnicity (vs. White; all p’s<.05).
Conclusions: The majority of these cancer survivors report some form of PTG. PTG was significantly associated with other health promoting/resiliency-oriented factors, suggesting that perceiving positive changes in response to cancer can reflect a general adaptive response to an early life cancer experience.