A Network Analysis of the Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth Among Lung Cancer Patient

Abstract Background: Lung cancer patients who experience a traumatic event may experience two types of psychological changes, positive posttraumatic growth (PTG) or negative posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the two types of psychological changes can also coexist. Methods: This study used network analysis to examine the interaction between PTSD and PTG in 350 patients. Results: The nodes with strong connections were from "Strong Negative Beliefs" to" Feeling Cut of from Others", " Strong Physical Reactions” to” Trouble with Positive Feelings", " More willing to express emotions" to " Ability to handle difficulties" and " Nightmares" to " Strong Physical Reactions". Network centrality showed the highest EI scores for " Nightmares", " Intrusive Memories", " Excessive Blame of Selfor Others", and " Concentration Dificulities". The bridging analysis showed that " lrritability", " Taking Risks", " Trouble with Positive Feelings" and " Accepting the workaround", "Interpersonal closeness", " Greater feeling of self-reliance", " Appreciating each day", and " Changed priorities" were the bridging points connecting the coexistence network, indicating the network coexistence of PTSD and PTG. Limitations: The data used in this study were cross-sectional, and the temporal nature and causal inferences of associations with symptoms cannot be drawn. Conclusions: PTSD and PTG are co-existing and non-independent post-traumatic psychological responses in patients with lung cancer.