Positive psychotherapy for distressed cancer survivors : posttraumatic growth facilitation reduces posttraumatic stress
Ochoa, Cristian (Institut Català d'Oncologia)
Casellas-Grau, Anna (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Vives Brosa, Jaume (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Font Guiteras, Antoni (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Borras, Josep M (Universitat de Barcelona)

Date:	2017
Abstract:	There is increasing evidence that positive life changes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG), can result from the experience of coping with cancer. However, no interventions have been specifically designed to facilitate the development of PTG in cancer. In this article, we describe and assess the results of Positive Psychotherapy for Cancer (PPC) survivors. It aims to facilitate PTG as a way of achieving significant reductions in the symptoms of emotional distress and posttraumatic stress. In addition, the corroboration of this PTG facilitation is assessed using interpersonal indicators. Method: We allocated 126 consecutive survivors of cancer with high levels of emotional distress and who were seeking psychological support to either an experimental group (PPC) or a waiting list group. Results: The PPC group obtained significantly better results after treatment than the control group, showing reduced distress, decreased posttraumatic symptoms, and increased PTG. The benefits were maintained at 3 and 12 months' follow-up. Participants' PTG was correlated to the PTG that their significant others attributed to them, corroborating PTG facilitation. Conclusions: PPC appears to promote significant long-term PTG and can reduce emotional distress and posttraumatic stress in cancer survivors. In addition, PTG facilitation induced by PPC is corroborated by significant others.
Grants:	Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI15/01278 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-0635
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Positive psychotherapy ; Posttraumatic growth ; Cancer survivors ; Positive psychology ; Quasi-experiment ; Psicoterapia positiva ; Crecimiento postraumático ; Supervivientes de cáncer: Psicología positiva ; Cuasi-experimento
Published in:	International journal of clinical and health psychology, Vol. 17, issue 1 (Jan-April 2017) , p. 28-37, ISSN 2174-0852

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.09.002
PMID: 30487878

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