An exploration into affect, coping and post-traumatic growth in cancer patients: a two-phase study.

Background: The influence of affect and coping styles on post-traumatic growth (PTG) is unclear. The first phase of this study examined positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA) and savouring as PTG predictors in cancer patients. Music is frequently employed to induce positive/negative affective experiences. Affect regulation (AR) is an everyday function of music listening (ML). Considering phase one results, this novel research using Experience Sampling Methods (ESM) will further explore the relationship between PA/PTG in cancer survivors, while longitudinally addressing ML/AR in everyday contexts. Methods: In phase 1 cross-sectional data was collected at least one-year post cancer diagnosis (N = 59). The influence of PA, NA (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and savouring (Savouring Beliefs Inventory) on PTG (Silver Linings Questionnaire) was examined through Hierarchical Multiple Regression. In phase 2, ESM (MuPsych application) will measure PA, NA, savouring, and PTG at baseline/3 weeks later, alongside momentary assessments of affective experience during ML/everyday life for 3 weeks. Findings: PA was a significant predictor of PTG (β= .39, p =.01) explaining 10% of variance. NA (p > .05) and savouring did not predict PTG, however a significant correlation was observed between savouring and PTG (r = .23, p < .05). Data collection for phase two is ongoing. It is hypothesised that PA will predict PTG, and relative to other activities, ML will increase PA/AR, which will be associated with PTG. Discussion: Should ML be feasible in inducing AR in cancer patients, incorporating music into eHealth interventions to enhance PA would be advantageous.