Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance
Post-traumatic stress and growth are common responses to adverse life events such as cancer. In this article, we establish how cancer becomes a “fertile land” for the emergence of stress and growth responses and analyze the main mechanisms involved. Stress-growth responses on adjusting to cancer is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00177/full |
| _version_ | 1818560116805337088 |
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| author | Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Nuria Sánchez Enric C. Sumalla Anna Casellas-Grau Anna Casellas-Grau |
| author_facet | Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Nuria Sánchez Enric C. Sumalla Anna Casellas-Grau Anna Casellas-Grau |
| author_sort | Cristian Ochoa Arnedo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Post-traumatic stress and growth are common responses to adverse life events such as cancer. In this article, we establish how cancer becomes a “fertile land” for the emergence of stress and growth responses and analyze the main mechanisms involved. Stress-growth responses on adjusting to cancer is potentially determined by factors like the phase of the illness (e.g., initial phases vs. period of survivorship), patient’s coping strategies, meaning-making, and relationships with significant others. We also review the mechanisms of constructive and adaptative stress-growth balances in cancer to study the predictors, interrelated associations, triggering mechanisms, long-term results, and specific trajectories of these two responses to cancer. Finally, we update the evidence on the role of these stress-growth associations in psychologically adjusting to cancer. Together with this evidence, we summarize preliminary results regarding the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions that aim to facilitate a constructive psychological balance between stress and growth in cancer patients. Recommendations for future research and gaps in knowledge on stress-growth processes in this illness are also highlighted. Researchers are encouraged to design and use psychotherapeutic interventions according to the dynamic and changeable patients’ sources of stress and growth along the illness. Relevant insights are proposed to understand the inconsistency of stress-growth literature and to promote psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate a constructive balance between these key responses in cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:34:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36f7958d77e645b38f9704befc99b51e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T00:34:17Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-36f7958d77e645b38f9704befc99b51e2022-12-21T23:24:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-02-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.00177411904Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive BalanceCristian Ochoa Arnedo0Cristian Ochoa Arnedo1Cristian Ochoa Arnedo2Nuria Sánchez3Enric C. Sumalla4Anna Casellas-Grau5Anna Casellas-Grau6Psycho-oncology Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainInstitut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, Barcelona, SpainClinical Psychology and Psychobiology Department, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainHospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainPsycho-oncology Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainPsycho-oncology Unit, Institut Català d’Oncologia, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainInstitut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, Barcelona, SpainPost-traumatic stress and growth are common responses to adverse life events such as cancer. In this article, we establish how cancer becomes a “fertile land” for the emergence of stress and growth responses and analyze the main mechanisms involved. Stress-growth responses on adjusting to cancer is potentially determined by factors like the phase of the illness (e.g., initial phases vs. period of survivorship), patient’s coping strategies, meaning-making, and relationships with significant others. We also review the mechanisms of constructive and adaptative stress-growth balances in cancer to study the predictors, interrelated associations, triggering mechanisms, long-term results, and specific trajectories of these two responses to cancer. Finally, we update the evidence on the role of these stress-growth associations in psychologically adjusting to cancer. Together with this evidence, we summarize preliminary results regarding the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions that aim to facilitate a constructive psychological balance between stress and growth in cancer patients. Recommendations for future research and gaps in knowledge on stress-growth processes in this illness are also highlighted. Researchers are encouraged to design and use psychotherapeutic interventions according to the dynamic and changeable patients’ sources of stress and growth along the illness. Relevant insights are proposed to understand the inconsistency of stress-growth literature and to promote psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate a constructive balance between these key responses in cancer.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00177/fullcancerpost-traumatic growthpost-traumatic stressoncologyvicarious growthsecondary growth |
| spellingShingle | Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Cristian Ochoa Arnedo Nuria Sánchez Enric C. Sumalla Anna Casellas-Grau Anna Casellas-Grau Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance Frontiers in Psychology cancer post-traumatic growth post-traumatic stress oncology vicarious growth secondary growth |
| title | Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance |
| title_full | Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance |
| title_fullStr | Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance |
| title_short | Stress and Growth in Cancer: Mechanisms and Psychotherapeutic Interventions to Facilitate a Constructive Balance |
| title_sort | stress and growth in cancer mechanisms and psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate a constructive balance |
| topic | cancer post-traumatic growth post-traumatic stress oncology vicarious growth secondary growth |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00177/full |
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