Correlation of posttraumatic growth with social support in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms at the end of life / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the correlation of posttraumatic growth with social support in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms at the end of life.Methods Cluster random sampling was used to select 280 patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms who were predicted to survive no longer than 6 months in 10 first-class hospitals in Beijing and Tangshan,and they were investigated by Posttraumatic Growth Inventor (PTGI) and Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS).Results The total score of PTGI (61.13 ± 16.78)and the scores of appreciation of life (23.71±7.34),personal strength(10.67±3.55),new possibility(10.07±2.11),relating to others(12.54±5.14),spititual change(10.89±4.35)were higher than median value.The total score of SSRS(41.21±8.48) and objective support(10.27±2.75) were higer than the normal level((39.05±6.35),(8.42±2.27)) (P＜0.05).The appreciation of life was positively correlated with subjective support and the total score of SSRS (r=0.25,r=0.26,P＜0.05),personal strength was positively correlated with objective support,subjective support and the total score of SSRS(r=0.24,r=0.29,r=0.23,P＜0.05),new possibility was positively correlated with subjective support(r=0.21,P＜0.05),relating to others was positively correlated with objective support and the total score of SSRS (r=0.26,r=0.26,P＜0.05),spititual change was positively correlated with objective support and subjective support (r=0.28,r=0.31,P＜0.05).The total score of PTGI was positively correlated with subjective support and the total score of SSRS (r=0.29,r=0.29,P＜0.05).Conclusion Patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms at the end of life experience a certain extent of posttraumatic growth and high level of social support.Posttraumatic growth is positively correlated with social support.