Correlates of post-traumatic growth following childhood and adolescent cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective

Post-traumatic growth is defined as positive change resulting from the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances or trauma [1]. A growing number of children and adolescents are experiencing and surviving cancer. This review aims to identify the demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates of perceived post-traumatic growth in individuals of any age who were affected by paediatric cancer. Findings will highlight protective factors that may facilitate post-traumatic growth, allowing for directed social support, intervention, and follow-up care.

Methods

A systematic search based on the key concepts "post-traumatic growth", "neoplasms", and "paediatric" retrieved 905 records from online databases; Embase, Ovid MedLINE, PILOTS: Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Eligible studies were appraised as excellent quality with a high level of inter-rater reliability. The results of eighteen studies were synthesised.

Results

After the removal of outliers, post-traumatic growth shared small, negative associations with time since diagnosis (r = -.14) and time since treatment completion (r = -.19), and small, positive associations with age at diagnosis (r = .20), age at survey (r = .17), post-traumatic stress symptoms (r = .11), and social support (r = .25). Post-traumatic growth was positively and moderately associated with optimism (r = .31).

Conclusions

Several findings were consistent with a comparable meta-analysis in adult oncology populations. Targeted social support, clinical intervention, and education may facilitate post-traumatic growth. Longitudinal research in individuals affected by childhood and adolescent cancer would allow an examination of the effects of predictive variables on post-traumatic growth over time.

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