Adverse childhood experiences and posttraumatic growth: Examining the mediating roles of social support and coping style in patients with lung cancer.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that childhood adversity and posttraumatic growth are interrelated. However, little is known about this association and how it is influenced by social support and coping style in lung cancer patients. To explore the relationship between childhood adversity and the posttraumatic growth of lung cancer patients and the possible mediating roles of social support and coping style in this relationship.

Method: In the cross-sectional study, 328 lung cancer patients anonymously completed questionnaires about childhood adversity, social support, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. Pearson's correlation was used to test the links between variables and to verify the indirect effects between variables by constructing a structural equation model.

Results: Childhood adversity was negatively correlated with posttraumatic growth (r = -0.16, p < .01), social support (r = -0.32, p < .001), and confrontational coping (r = -0.36, p < .001). Social support (r = 0.33, p < .001)and confrontational coping style (r = 0.48, p < .001) were positively correlated with posttraumatic growth. In addition, social support and confrontational coping mediated the relationship between childhood adversity and posttraumatic growth.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that childhood adversity in lung cancer patients is significantly associated with low levels of posttraumatic growth and that social support and confrontational coping play crucial roles in this relationship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).