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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: [email protected].
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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 

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