Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:10:41.822Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

High-level construal benefits, meaning making, and posttraumatic growth in cancer patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2015

Yu Wang ,
Yiqun Gan ,
Miao Miao ,
Qin Ke ,
Wenju Li ,
Zijin Zhang  and
Gang Cheng
Yu Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Yiqun Gan*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Miao Miao
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Qin Ke
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Wenju Li
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Zijin Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Gang Cheng
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Yiqun Gan, Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. E-mail: ygan@pku.edu.cn.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The present study sought to explore the role of meaning making and high-level construal in the relationship between meaning discrepancy and posttraumatic growth among Chinese cancer patients.

Method:

The participants were 193 individuals diagnosed with cancer. Meaning discrepancy, meaning making, high-level construal in meaning making, and posttraumatic growth were measured. Bootstrapping and structural equation modeling were performed to test the mediation effects of high-level construal on the meaning-making process.

Results:

Mediation analysis revealed that perceived discrepancies were associated with individuals' meaning-making efforts. Meaning-making efforts prompted participants to adopt a high-level construal orientation, which in turn enhanced posttraumatic growth.

Significance of results:

Our study empirically tested construal level theory in a population suffering from severe chronic trauma. The results demonstrate the important role of high-level construal in the meaning-making process of cancer patients, suggesting a specific effective strategy to foster posttraumatic growth. It seems encouraging to indicate that adopting such high-level construal may be included as part of psychological interventions for cancer patients.

Keywords

Meaning makingHigh-level construalPosttraumatic growthCancer
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 510 - 518
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ayduk, Ö. & Kross, E. (2010). From a distance: Implications of spontaneous self-distancing for adaptive self-reflection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(5), 809–829.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aziz, N. (2007). Late effects of cancer treatments. In Cancer survivorship. Ganz, P. (ed.), pp. 54–76. New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baník, G. & Gajdošová, B. (2014). Positive changes following cancer: Posttraumatic growth in the context of other factors in patients with cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 22(8), 2023–2029.Google Scholar
Bower, J., Meyerowitz, B., Bernaards, C., et al. (2005). Perceptions of positive meaning and vulnerability following breast cancer: Predictors and outcomes among long-term breast cancer survivors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 29(3), 236–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyraz, G., Horne, S.G. & Sayger, T.V. (2010). Finding positive meaning after loss: The mediating role of reflection for bereaved individuals. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15(3), 242–258.Google Scholar
Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Gibson, C., et al. (2010). Meaning-centered group psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology, 19(1), 21–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breitbart, W., Rosenfeld, B., Pessin, H., et al. (2015). Meaning-centered group psychotherapy: An effective intervention for improving psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33(7), 749–754.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dollinger, S.J. (1986). The need for meaning following disaster: Attributions and emotional upset. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 12(3), 300–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frankl, V.E. (1963). Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. New York: Washington Square Press.Google Scholar
Frazier, P. & Schauben, L. (1994). Causal attributions and recovery from rape and other stressful life events. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 13(1), 1–14.Google Scholar
Galfin, J.M. & Watkins, E.R. (2012). Construal level, rumination, and psychological distress in palliative care. Psycho-Oncology, 21(6), 680–683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gan, Y., Guo, M. & Tong, J. (2012). Scale development of meaning-focused coping. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 18(1), 10–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gangstad, B., Norman, P. & Barton, J. (2009). Cognitive processing and posttraumatic growth after stroke. Rehabilitation Psychology, 54(1), 69–75.Google Scholar
Guo, M., Gan, Y. & Tong, J. (2011). The role of meaning-focused coping in significant loss. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 26(1), 87–102.Google Scholar
Harper, K.F.W., Schmidt, J.E., Beacham, A.O., et al. (2007). The role of social cognitive processing theory and optimism in positive psychosocial and physical behavior change after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Psycho-Oncology, 16(1), 79–91.Google Scholar
Holland, J.C. & Reznik, I. (2005). Pathways for psychosocial care of cancer survivors. Cancer, 104(Suppl. 11), 2624–2637.Google Scholar
Houmann, L.J., Chochinov, H.M., Kristjanson, L.J., et al. (2014). A prospective evaluation of dignity therapy in advanced cancer patients admitted to palliative care. Palliative Medicine, 28(5), 448–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hu, L. & Bentler, P.M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jim, H.S.L. & Jacobsen, P.B. (2008). Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth in cancer survivorship: A review. Cancer Journal, 14(6), 414–419.Google Scholar
Kashdan, T.B. & Kane, J.Q. (2011). Post-traumatic distress and the presence of post-traumatic growth and meaning in life: Experiential avoidance as a moderator. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(1), 84–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kernan, W.D. & Lepore, S.J. (2009). Searching for and making meaning after breast cancer: Prevalence, patterns, and negative affect. Social Science & Medicine, 68(6), 1176–1182.Google Scholar
Kross, E. & Ayduk, O. (2008). Facilitating adaptive emotional analysis: Distinguishing distanced-analysis of depressive experiences from immersed-analysis and distraction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(7), 924–938.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kross, E. & Ayduk, O. (2011). Making meaning out of negative experiences by self-distancing. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 187–191.Google Scholar
Li, Y.-C., Yeh, P.-C., Chen, H.-W., et al. (2015). Posttraumatic growth and demoralization after cancer: The effects of patients' meaning making. Palliative & Supportive Care, 13(5), 1449–1458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liberman, N. & Trope, Y. (2008). The psychology of transcending the here and now. Science, 322(5905), 1201–1205.Google Scholar
Liberman, N. & Trope, Y. (2014). Traversing psychological distance. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18(7), 364–369.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liu, J.-E., Mok, E. & Wong, T. (2005). Perceptions of supportive communication in Chinese patients with cancer: Experiences and expectations. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(3), 262–270.Google Scholar
Lo, C., Hales, S., Jung, J., et al. (2014). Managing cancer and living meaningfully (CALM): Phase 2 trial of a brief individual psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer. Palliative Medicine, 28(3), 234–242.Google Scholar
Marguc, J., Förster, J. & van Kleef, G.A. (2011). Stepping back to see the big picture: When obstacles elicit global processing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(5), 883–901.Google Scholar
Michael, S.T. & Snyder, C.R. (2005). Getting unstuck: The roles of hope, finding meaning, and rumination in the adjustment to bereavement among college students. Death Studies, 29(5), 435–458.Google Scholar
Morrill, E.F., Brewer, N.T., O'Neill, S.C., et al. (2008). The interaction of post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress symptoms in predicting depressive symptoms and quality of life. Psycho-Oncology, 17(9), 948–953.Google Scholar
Murray, S.A., Kendall, M., Boyd, K., et al. (2004). Exploring the spiritual needs of people dying of lung cancer or heart failure: A prospective qualitative interview study of patients and their carers. Palliative Medicine, 18(1), 39–45.Google Scholar
Namkoong, J.-E. & Henderson, M.D. (2014). It's simple and I know it!: Abstract construals reduce causal uncertainty. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5, 352–359.Google Scholar
Park, C.L. (2005). Religion as a meaning-making framework in coping with life stress. Journal of Social Issues, 61(4), 707–729.Google Scholar
Park, C.L. (2010). Making sense of the meaning literature: An integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 257–301.Google Scholar
Park, C.L. (2015). Integrating positive psychology into health-related quality of life research. Quality of Life Research, 24(7), 1645–1651.Google Scholar
Park, C.L., & Folkman, S. (1997). Meaning in the context of stress and coping. Review of General Psychology, 1(2), 115–144.Google Scholar
Park, C.L., Edmondson, D., Fenster, J.R., et al. (2008). Meaning making and psychological adjustment following cancer: The mediating roles of growth, life meaning, and restored just-world beliefs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(5), 863–875.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phelps, L.F., Williams, R.M., Raichle, K.A., et al. (2008). The importance of cognitive processing to adjustment in the 1st year following amputation. Rehabilitation Psychology, 53(1), 28–38.Google Scholar
Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J.Y., et al. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.Google Scholar
Preacher, K. & Hayes, A. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891.Google Scholar
Rim, S., Hansen, J. & Trope, Y. (2013). What happens why? Psychological distance and focusing on causes versus consequences of events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(3), 457–472.Google Scholar
Roberts, N., Czajkowska, Z., Radiotis, G., et al. (2013). Distress and coping strategies among patients with skin cancer. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 20(2), 209–214.Google Scholar
Rustoen, T. & Wiklund, I. (2000). Hope in newly diagnosed patients with cancer. Cancer Nursing, 23(3), 214–219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schroevers, M.J. (2004). The role of age at the onset of cancer in relation to survivors' long-term adjustment: A controlled comparison over an eight-year period. Psycho-Oncology, 13(10), 740–752.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scrignaro, M., Bianchi, E., Brunelli, C., et al. (2015). Seeking and experiencing meaning: Exploring the role of meaning in promoting mental adjustment and eudaimonic well-being in cancer patients. Palliative & Supportive Care, 13(3), 673–681.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Silva, S.M. (2012). Examining the links between perceived impact of breast cancer and psychosocial adjustment: The buffering role of posttraumatic growth. Psycho-Oncology, 21(4), 409–418.Google Scholar
Soderberg, C.K., Callahan, S.P., Kochersberger, A.O., et al. (2015). The effects of psychological distance on abstraction: Two meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 141(3), 525–548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sumalla, E.C., Ochoa, C. & Blanco, I. (2009). Posttraumatic growth in cancer: Reality or illusion? Clinical Psychology Review, 29(1), 24–33.Google Scholar
Taylor, S.E. (1983). Adjustment to threatening events: A theory of cognitive adaptation. The American Psychologist, 38(11), 1161–1173.Google Scholar
Tedeschi, R. & Calhoun, L. (1996). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(3), 455–471.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tedeschi, R.G. & Calhoun, L.G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, M. & Tsai, C.I. (2012). Psychological distance and subjective experience: How distancing reduces the feeling of difficulty. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 324–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomich, P.L. & Helgeson, V.S. (2002). Five years later: A cross-sectional comparison of breast cancer survivors with healthy women. Psycho-Oncology, 11(2), 154–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tong, Y., Zhou, Y., Yang, Y., et al. (2012). A prevalence survey on posttraumatic growth and influencing factors of cancer patients. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 20(1), 67–69.Google Scholar
Trope, Y. & Liberman, N. (2010). Construal level theory of psychological distance. Psychological Review, 117(2), 440–463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van der Spek, N., van Uden-Kraan, C.F., Vos, J., et al. (2014 a). Meaning-centered group psychotherapy in cancer survivors: A feasibility study. Psycho-Oncology, 23(7), 827–831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van der Spek, N., Vos, J., van Uden-Kraan, C.F, et al. (2014 b). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of meaning-centered group psychotherapy in cancer survivors: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry, 14(1), 1–8.Google Scholar
Watkins, E.R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163–206.Google Scholar
White, C.A. (2004). Meaning and its measurement in psychosocial oncology. Psycho-Oncology, 13(7), 468–481.Google Scholar
Winger, J.G., Adams, R.N. & Mosher, C.E. (2015). Relations of meaning in life and sense of coherence to distress in cancer patients: A meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology. Epub ahead of print March 18. doi: 10.1002/pon.3798.Google Scholar