A longitudinal cohort study on benefit finding evolution in Chinese women breast cancer survivals.

Even though the prevalence of benefit finding (BF) has been empirically shown to exist among breast cancer (BC) survivals, how does benefit finding evolve over time remains inadequately investigated. The objective of this cohort study is to examine how BF evolves over time among Chinese breast cancer survivals and determine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that can sustain BF increase over time. Participants were 486 women with different stages of breast cancer (stages I, II and III) followed from completion of primary treatment. Analysis were performed on the data collected during 2014-2019. During the assessment, each participant completed self-report questionnaires of characteristics and benefit finding at six time points with the interval of 6 months since BC diagnosis. The relationships between demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics and benefit finding evolution over time were examined using mixed models. Participants reported mixed results on the evolving patterns of benefit finding: 28% reported an upward trend in BF scoring over time, 49% instead reported an downward trend, and the remaining 23% reported no obvious change. Our study has shown that some well-known covariates of benefit finding, e.g. education, income, and social support, are not associated with BF trends. In comparison, levels of spirituality and disease coping at diagnosis can more reliably predict BF evolution over time. Identifying the sustaining factors of benefit finding in the experience of breast cancer is the key to design effective psycho clinical solutions for patients' long-term post-traumatic growth. As time goes by, breast cancer patients may experience less benefit finding. Our results strongly indicate that benefit finding can be sustained and increased by encouraging attempts at meaning-making and active disease coping during breast cancer treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the evolution trends of benefit finding over time on breast cancer survivals and determine their psychosocial predictors in developing countries.

Benefits of a Psychosocial Intervention on Positive Affect and Posttraumatic Growth for Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study.

Breast cancer survivors report persistent psychological and physical symptoms, which affect their quality of life and may challenge the recovery process. Due to social, cultural, and linguistic barriers, culturally sensitive care is largely unavailable for Chinese Americans, and their psychological needs are not often addressed. We aimed to investigate whether the Joy Luck Academy (JLA), a psychosocial intervention providing both information and peer support, was associated with positive adjustment among Chinese American breast cancer survivors. Thirty-nine Chinese American breast cancer survivors participated in a pilot psychosocial intervention. The educational materials and lectures were delivered in the participants' native language of Chinese. All of the educators and mentors shared the same linguistic and cultural background with the participants. The program utilized a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to further enhance the cultural sensitivity of the intervention. Participants' post-traumatic growth and positive affect were assessed before and after the intervention. The JLA showed an improvement in positive affect, and they had a greater appreciation for life. The intervention was found to be feasible, well-accepted, and beneficial for this population. Chinese American breast cancer survivors reported improved psychological health after attending the intervention. These findings encourage the development and implementation of psychosocial interventions for Chinese breast cancer survivors. Similar programs could be integrated into other ethnic or cultural communities.