Finding benefit from cancer.

Abstract

Being diagnosed with and treated for cancer is a traumatic experience. Many cancer patients undergoing treatment manifest psychological distress and physical impairment. But this experience may also serve as a stimulus for positive growth. A growing body of literature addresses the possibility of positive growth through difficult events, a concept known as finding benefit. In the current study, the authors investigate finding benefit among 56 adult cancer patients over a period of 3 years, examining the role of optimism and the effects of finding benefit on later depression and physical functioning. The results demonstrated that finding benefit 1 year after treatment was related to both depression and physical functioning at a 3-year follow-up.