The combined contribution of social support and coping strategies in predicting post-traumatic growth: a longitudinal study on cancer patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of social support and coping strategies in enhancing post-traumatic growth (PTG) in cancer patients. The study focused on both avoidance and approaching coping and on four distinct types of social support: (a) perceived availability, (b) actual received, (c) satisfaction with received support, and (d) the competence of caregiver to satisfy the patient's basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with a group of 41 cancer patients currently in the treatment and management phase of their illness.