Posttraumatic Growth and Resilience in Cancer Experience

Abstract

Each individual experience cancer in a different way. While some perceive cancer as a complex and traumatic experience by developing some psychosocial and additional physical problems, others overcome cancer-related difficulties by gaining benefits such as posttraumatic growth owing to their resilience. Successful adjustment to life-threatening illnesses such as cancer require resilience. Post-traumatic growth ensures a deeper perspective and strength to people after traumatic events. Hence, individuals having higher levels of posttraumatic growth feel powerful enough to handle the prob-lems in their life and can easily adapt to cancer process by focusing on the positive outcomes of trauma, having improved coping mechanisms and an improved psychological well-being. Resilience and posttraumatic growth have strong mutual relations and this phenomenon should be considered for a qualified cancer care. In this paper, we aimed to provide a better understanding of resilience and posttraumatic growth and relations of these two concepts with cancer experience. 

Keywords

• Posttraumatic growth,resilience,cancer

Kanser Deneyiminde Travma Sonrası Büyüme ve Psikolojik Sağlamlık

Öz

Her birey kanser sürecini farklı deneyimlemektedir. Bazıları kanseri çeşitli psikososyal problemler ve ek fiziksel sorunlarla ilerleyen kompleks ve travmatik bir deneyim olarak yaşarken; diğer bireyler psikolo-jik sağlamlık sonucunda gelişen travma sonrası büyüme gibi olumlu kazançlar sağlayabilmektedir. Kanser gibi yaşam tehdit edici hastalıklara başarılı uyumun sağlanması psikolojik sağlamlığı içermek-tedir. Travma sonrası büyüme bireylerde travmatik olayın ardından daha derin bir bakış açısı ve güçlenme ortaya çıkmasını sağlamaktadır. Bu nedenle, travma sonrası büyüme düzeyi yüksek olan bireyler kendilerini karşılaştıkları yaşam problemlerinin üstesinden gelebilecek güçte hissetmekte, gelişmiş baş etme becerilerine sahip olmakta, travmanın olumlu yönlerine odaklanarak kanser süreci ile daha kolay baş edebilmekte ve gelişmiş bir psikososyal iyi-oluş düzeyine ulaşmaktadır. Psikolojik sağlamlık ve travma sonrası büyüme arasında güçlü bir ilişki vardır ve bu olgu daha kaliteli kanser bakımı için dikkate alınmalıdır. Bu makalenin amacı, psikolojik sağlamlık ve travma sonrası büyüme kavramlarının ve bu iki kavramın kanser deneyimini ile ilişkisinin daha iyi anlaşılmasını sağlamaktır

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Travma sonrası büyüme,psikolojik sağlamlık,kanser

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