Correlates of posttraumatic growth in husbands of breast cancer survivors.

Following breast cancer, many survivors and spouses report posttraumatic growth (PTG)-positive life changes. This correlational study identified social context and event-related correlates of PTG among husbands of breast cancer survivors (N=72). Bivariate analyses indicated that husbands' PTG was positively associated with general social support, greater marital support and depth of commitment, greater PTG in wife, shorter time since diagnosis and breast cancer meeting DSM-IV criteria for traumatic stressor. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the significant predictors of husbands' PTG were depth of marital commitment, wife's PTG, and breast cancer meeting DSM-IV traumatic stressor criteria. Psychosocial research and interventions need to acknowledge that couples face the cancer together and share not only the pain but also the potential for gain from the trauma.