WALKING THROUGH DIFFERENT WORLDS: The Experience of Posttraumatic Growth in Childhood Cancer Survivors and Their Families

People who suffer from traumatic events, such as pediatric cancer, may have negative psychological reactions (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, and anxiety), but can also experience positive outcomes, such as post-traumatic growth (PTG). The same may apply to pediatric ex-patients’ parents. In this chapter, we analyze the links between pediatric cancer and PTG in children and in their parents although studies considering possible associations between child’s and parent’s PTG are discordant, and it is difficult to draw generalizable conclusions. This chapter reports a model of possible stable and modifiable predictors of PTG that could be useful for better understanding childhood cancer survivors who experience PTG related to their disease. Indications for possible associations between PTG and PTSS are suggested, where the studies do not offer clear and unique findings. The principal instruments used to assess PTG both in research and in the clinic including self-report and proxy report questionnaires are presented as well as qualitative and narrative methods. Finally, guidelines for psychological interventions and illness narratives are discussed