Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec;18(6):1771-1781.
doi: 10.1007/s11764-023-01418-w. Epub 2023 Jul 19.

Relationship between posttraumatic growth and help-seeking behavior in use of psychosocial support services among patients with cancer

Tomoko Matsui  1 , Kanako Taku  2
Affiliations

Relationship between posttraumatic growth and help-seeking behavior in use of psychosocial support services among patients with cancer

Tomoko Matsui et al. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: Cancer survivors who used psychosocial support services often report posttraumatic growth (PTG). This refers to positive psychological changes that may occur as the five domains as a result of the challenges they face. Opposing relationship also might exist. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PTG and help-seeking behavior (HSB).

Methods: In total, 710 participants completed an online survey at Time1. Of those, 395 who reported not using any psychosocial support services at Time1 were asked to participate in the Time2 survey and completed a questionnaire. The participants provided demographic information, the experiences of using psychosocial support services, and the overall and five domains of PTG.

Results: Those who experienced HSB at Time1 reported a higher PTG, and two of the PTG domains, Appreciation of Life and New Possibilities, than those who did not used services. Mixed ANOVAs showed the main effects of the HSB on the overall PTG, Appreciation of Life, and New Possibilities. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that Appreciation of Life at Time1 was significantly related to the engaging in HSB at Time2.

Conclusion: Those who received psychosocial support services reported a higher PTG. Participants may have also engaged in HSB because they had experienced PTG. People who are likely to seek help and experience PTG may share common characteristics.

Implications for cancer survivors: Support for those who do not fit the existing PTG and the use of psychosocial support services should also be considered.

Keywords: Help-seeking behavior; Patients with cancer; Posttraumatic growth; Psychosocial support service.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Hirai K, Shiozaki M, Motooka H, Arai H, Koyama A, Inui H, et al. Discrimination between worry and anxiety among cancer patients: development of a brief cancer-related worry inventory. Psychooncol. 2008;17:1172–9. 10.1002/pon.1348. - PubMed
    1. Krebber AMH, Buffart LM, Kleijn G, Riepma IC, de Bree R, Leemans CR, et al. Prevalence of depression in cancer patients: a meta-analysis of diagnostic interviews and self-report instruments. Psychooncol. 2014;23:121–30. 10.1002/pon.3409. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cordova MJ, Riba MB, Spiegel D. Post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer. Lancet Psychiatry. 2017;4:330–8. 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30014-7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bellizzi KM. Expressions of generativity and posttraumatic growth in adult cancer survivors. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2004;58:267–87. 10.2190/DC07-CPVW-4UVE-5GK0. - PubMed
    1. Casellas-Grau A, Ochoa C, Ruini C. Psychological and clinical correlates of posttraumatic growth in cancer: a systematic and critical review. Psychooncology. 2017;26:2007–18. 10.1002/pon.4426. - PubMed

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources