Rumination and social support as predictors of posttraumatic growth in women with breast cancer: a systematic review

Objective: Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is a perceived positive change after a stressful situation. Studies describe different predictors of PTG. The purpose of this study was to (1) review the evidence that rumination and social support are predictors of PTG; (2) analyze the results of the screened studies. Method: A systematic review was conducted by searching for articles with quantitative or mixed methods that evaluated PTG using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, rumination and/or social support in women with breast cancer. Results: Were identified twelve articles that corresponded to the inclusion criteria. All of them reported some degree of PTG in their samples. Rumination was evaluated in three studies, social support was evaluated in ten, and both were considered to have a positive correlation with PTG. Conclusions: This review concludes that rumination and social support are predictors of PTG in women with breast cancer. These results contribute to the development of new interventions in mental health