Αγαπώντας την παροδικότητα της ζωής: Πώς η υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη ωθεί τη μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη σε επιζήσαντες καρκίνου

Manuscript (English)
Δημοσιευμένα: Νοε 16, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.40933
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη, μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη, πνευματικότητα, επιζήσαντες καρκίνου, θνητότητα
Layah Jacob
Πανεπιστήμιο Christ
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4354-3611
Anuradha Sathiyaseelan
Πανεπιστήμιο Christ
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6771-9413
Περίληψη

Η επιβίωση από τον καρκίνο συνοδεύεται συχνά από υπαρξιακή οδύνη, καθώς τα άτομα έρχονται αντιμέτωπα με τη θνητότητα και αναζητούν το νόημα σε αυτό που βιώνουν. Η παρούσα μελέτη διερευνά την υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη, μια ενισχυμένη αίσθηση εκτίμησης της ζωής που αναδύεται μέσα από τον πόνο και την επίγνωση της παροδικότητας, ως διαμεσολαβητική μεταβλητή μεταξύ πνευματικότητας και μετατραυματικής ανάπτυξης (ΜΑ) σε Ινδούς επιζήσαντες καρκίνου. Βασισμένη στη Θεωρία Διαχείρισης του Τρόμου (Terror Management Theory, TMT), η έρευνα εξετάζει κατά πόσο η πνευματικότητα, διαμεσολαβείται από την υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη. αντί να προάγει άμεσα τη μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη. Το δείγμα αποτέλεσαν 118 Ινδοί και Ινδές που επέζησαν από τον καρκίνο, τουλάχιστον έξι μήνες μετά την ολοκλήρωση της ενεργού θεραπείας. Οι συσχετίσεις Spearman’s rho έδειξαν σημαντικές θετικές σχέσεις μεταξύ υπαρξιακής ευγνωμοσύνης, πνευματικότητας και ΜΑ. Η ανάλυση διαμεσολάβησης έδειξε ότι η υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη διαμεσολαβεί πλήρως τη σχέση ανάμεσα στην πνευματικότητα και τη μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη (β = 0.161, p = 0.003), ενώ η πνευματικότητα δεν φάνηκε να είχε άμεση επίδραση στη ΜΑ (β = 0.081, p = 0.414) όταν λαμβάνεται υπόψη η υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη. Τα ευρήματα αμφισβητούν την παραδοσιακή θεώρηση της πνευματικότητας ως εγγενούς κινητήριου παράγοντα ανάπτυξης, υποδεικνύοντας ότι η μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη αναδύεται όταν η υπαρξιακή ευγνωμοσύνη συμβάλει στην μετατροπή της επίγνωσης της θνητότητας σε εκτίμηση της ευθραυστότητας της ζωής.

Λεπτομέρειες άρθρου
  • Ενότητα
  • ΕΜΠΕΙΡΙΚΕΣ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΕΣ
Creative Commons License

Αυτή η εργασία είναι αδειοδοτημένη υπό το Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Το περιοδικό ΨΥΧΟΛΟΓΙΑ έχει υιοθετήσει μία πολιτική Platinum open-access. Τα έξοδα υποβολής, επεξεργασίας ή δημοσίευσης των εργασιών καλύπτονται από την Ελληνική Ψυχολογική Εταιρεία. Τα πνευματικά δικαιώματα των δημοσιευμένων εργασιών προστατεύονται από την άδεια 'Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International'. Οι Συγγραφείς διατηρούν τα Πνευματικά Δικαιώματα και χορηγούν στο περιοδικό το δικαίωμα της πρώτης δημοσίευσης. Η άδεια αυτή επιτρέπει σε τρίτους, να χρησιμοποιούν την εργασία σε οποιαδήποτε μορφή, με την προϋπόθεση της διατήρησης των διατυπώσεων που προβλέπονται στην άδεια σχετικά με την αναφορά στον αρχικό δημιουργό και την αρχική δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό ΨΥΧΟΛΟΓΙΑ. Επιπλέον, κάθε διανομή της εργασίας οφείλει να γίνεται με τους ίδιους όρους διανομής, δηλαδή με την ίδια άδεια Creative Commons.

Λήψεις
Τα δεδομένα λήψης δεν είναι ακόμη διαθέσιμα.
Βιογραφικό Συγγραφέα
Anuradha Sathiyaseelan, Πανεπιστήμιο Christ

Professor, Department of psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) ORCID:0000-0001-6771-9413

Αναφορές
Aghababaei, N., & Farahani, H. (2011). The role of trait gratitude in predicting psychological and subjective well-being. Developmental Psychology: Journal of Iranian Psychologists. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.613 10.1037/e514732012-007
Ahmadi, F., Khodayarifard, M., Rabbani, M., Zandi, S., & Sabzevari, M. (2022). Existential meaning-making coping in Iran: A qualitative study among patients with cancer. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14106. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114106
Aliche, C. J. (2023). The mediating role of positive reappraisal and self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer. South African Journal of Psychology, 53(1), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221113445
Almeida, M., Ramos, C., Maciel, L., Basto-Pereira, M., & Leal, I. (2022). Meaning in life, meaning-making and posttraumatic growth in cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 13, https://doi.org/995981.10.3389/fpsyg.2022.995981
Banik, G., Dedova, M., & Vargová, L. (2022). Cancer-related posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress: Different correlates and different network structure in patients with cancer and cancer survivors. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/3vx8z
Cann, A., Calhoun, L.G., Tedeschi, R.G., Taku, K., Vishnevsky, T., Triplett, K.N. & Danhauer, S.C. (2010). A short form of the posttraumatic growth inventory. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 23(2),127-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800903094273
Captari, L.E., Hook, J.N., Aten, J.D., Davis, E.B. & Tisdale, T.C. (2019). Embodied spirituality following disaster: Exploring intersections of religious and place attachment in resilience and meaning-making. In: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, (pp.49-79). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28848-8_4
Chittem, M., Eliott, J., & Olver, I. (2022). Demonstrating the importance of cultural considerations at end of life utilizing the perspective of Indian patients with cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30(3), 2515–2525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06656-1
Cordova, M. J., Cunningham, L. L. C., Carlson, C. R., & Andrykowski, M. A. (2001). Posttraumatic growth following breast cancer: A controlled comparison study. Health Psychology, 20(3), 176–185. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.20.3.176
Dalal, S. and Singh, S.K. (2025). Gratitude in action: Effect of gratitude on mental health. Journal of Health Management, 27(1), 100–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/09720634241304985
Danely, J. (2023). In the shadows of gratitude: On mooded spaces of vulnerability and care. Ethos, 51(4), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12414
Doehring, C. (2019). Searching for wholeness amidst traumatic grief: The role of spiritual practices that reveal compassion in embodied, relational, and transcendent ways. Pastoral Psychology, 68(3), 241-259. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11089-018-0858-5
Easvaradoss, V., & Rajan, R. (2013). Positive psychology spirituality and well-being: An overview. Indian Journal Of Positive Psychology, 4(2), 321-325. https://doi.org/10.15614/ijpp/2013/v4i2/49916
Ermiş, E. N. (2023). The Mediating Role of the meaning of life in the effect of spiritual well-being on post-traumatic growth during the covid-19 pandemic process. Spiritual Psychology and Counseling, 8(3), 227-248. https://doi.org/10.37898/spiritualpc.1288937
Eyni, S., Hashemi, Z., Mousavi, S. E., & Asgari, P. (2023). Spirituality, trait gratitude, and post-traumatic growth in Iranian veterans with PTSD: The mediating role of ego resilience. Journal of Religion and Health, 62(5), 4072–4087. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01741-7
Friedrich, M., Zenger, M., & Hinz, A. (2019). Response shift effects of quality of life assessments in breast cancer survivors. European Journal of Cancer Care, 28(2), e12979. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12979
Garg, N., Sharma, N. and Palframan, J. (2023). Validation of the existential gratitude scale (EGS) in India and its relationship with spiritual well-being and distress. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 53(1), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2023.2196712
Greenberg, J., & Arndt, J. (2012). Terror management theory. In P. A. Van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, E. T. Higgins (Eds.) Handbook of theories of social psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 398-415). SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446249215.n20
Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self (pp. 189–212). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9564-5_10
Gu, L., Shen, C., Zhao, L., Li, N., Wang, R., Dai, L., & Chu, Z. (2024). The relationship between fear of cancer recurrence and posttraumatic growth: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1373102. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1373102
Illueca, M., Bradshaw, Y.S. and Carr, D.B. (2023). Spiritual pain: A symptom in search of a clinical definition. Journal of Religion and Health, 62, 1920-1932. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01645-y
Jans-Beken, L. and Wong, P.T.P. (2021). The existential gratitude scale: Development and validation of a new tool for measuring existential gratitude in diverse cultural contexts. Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(2), 220-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1848451
Jeon, B. R., & Choi, Y. K. (2016). The effects of perceived threat, optimism and meaning in life on cancer patients’ posttraumatic growth. STRESS: The Korean Journal of Stress Research, 24(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2016.24.1.1
Joad, A. S., Hota, A., Agarwal, P., Salins, N., Muckaden, M., & Murtagh, F. E. M. (2022). “I want to live, but …” Τhe desire to live and its physical, psychological, spiritual, and social factors among advanced cancer patients: Evidence from the APPROACH study in India. BMC Palliative Care, 21(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-01041-z
Kirca, A., Malouff, J.M. and Meynadier, J. (2023). The effect of expressed gratitude interventions on psychological wellbeing: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 8(1), 63-86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-023-00086-6
Knox, J.B.L. (2020). The vitality of mortality: Being-toward-death and long-term cancer survivorship. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 45(6), 703-724. https://doi.org/10.1093/JMP/JHAA010
Laumakis, S. J. (2008). Impermanence, no-enduring-self, and emptiness. In An introduction to Buddhist philosophy (pp. 125–148). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800818.011
Lacewing, M. (2016). Can non-theists appropriately feel existential gratitude? Religious Studies, 52(2), 145-165. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412515000037
Landau, M., Ryu, Y.J., Greenberg, J., Chur, M. and Pyszczynski, T. (2025). Why is existential uncertainty distressing and persistent? A terror management perspective. In The Routledge Handbook of the Uncertain Self (pp.149-165). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003363385-13
Lee, J., & Kim, J. (2021). Korean Christian young adults’ religiosity affects post-traumatic growth: The mediation effects of forgiveness and gratitude. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(6), 3967–3977. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01213-w
Luszczynska, A., Durawa, A. B., Dudzinska, M., Kwiatkowska, M., Knysz, B., & Knoll, N. (2012). The effects of mortality reminders on posttraumatic growth and finding benefits among patients with life-threatening illness and their caregivers. Psychology & Health, 27(10), 1227–1243. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2012.665055
Mah, A., D’Agostino, N., Santiago, A. T., Garland, S. N., Petrella, A., Sabiston, C. M., ... & Bender, J. L. (2024). Connectedness to the young adult cancer community and post‐traumatic growth: A young adults with cancer in their prime study. Psycho‐Oncology, 33(3), e6325. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6325
Marimuthu, P. (2024). ‘Embracing mortality: psychological preparation on death in the guidance of stoic philosophy’, Muallim Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 8(4), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.33306/mjssh/296
Mir, W. A., Misra, S. & Sanghavi, D. (2023) ‘Life before death in India: a narrative review’, Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 29, 207–211. https://doi.org/10.25259/IJPC_44_2022
Molapo, K., & Malatji, K. S. (2024). Death: One’s Ownmost Possibility (Freedom) or a Social Event? An Exploration of the Works of Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas. E-Journal of Humanities, Art and Social Sciences, 5(16), 2923–2929. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451619
Moodley, L. C. (2011). Existential reflections of South African women with breast cancer [Doctoral dissertation, University of South Africa]. University of South Africa Institutional Repository. https://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/4851
Namisango, E., Matovu, L., Harding, R., & Berger, A. (2022). Existentialism and Spirituality in the Healing Process of Cancer Patients, United Kingdom and United States. Global Perspectives in Cancer Care: Religion, Spirituality, and Cultural Diversity in Health and Healing, pp. 285-294. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197551349.001.0001
Nguyen, D. T. (2004) ‘Death and authenticity: A Heideggerian perspective’, Philosophy and Social Criticism, 30(4), pp. 391–410. https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453704044526
Nik Jaafar, N. R., Hamdan, N. A., Abd Hamid, N., Rajandram, R. K., Mahadevan, R., Zakaria, H., Mohamad Yunus, M. R., & Leong Bin Abdullah, M. F. I. (2022). Posttraumatic growth and its association with unmet supportive care needs and fear of cancer progression among head and neck cancer patients. PloS one, 17(3), e0265502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265502
Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J. & Solomon, S. (1999) ‘A dual-process model of defense against conscious and unconscious death-related thoughts: An extension of terror management theory’, Psychological Review, 106(4), 835–845. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.106.4.835
Sachdeva, J., & Shukla, R. (2024). Exploring the Mediating Influence of Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion on the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Post-Traumatic Growth among Young Adults in India. Psychological Reports, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941241302318
Saraf, S., Singh, T. B., & Khurana, S. (2013). Cervical cancer survivors: Meaning in life. Psychological Studies, 58(2), 144–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-013-0183-z
Şengün İnan, F., & Üstün, B. (2020). Post-traumatic growth in the early survival phase: From Turkish breast cancer survivors’ perspective. European Journal of Breast Health, 16(1), 66–71. https://doi.org/10.5152/ejbh.2020.4890
Shaygan, M., Khaki, S., Zarei, D., Moshfeghinia, R., Beheshtaeen, F., & Sadeghi, Y. (2024). Effects of meaning-based psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and death anxiety in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(4), 251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08448-9
Silbermann, M., & Hassan, E. A. (2011). Cultural perspectives in cancer care: Impact of Islamic traditions and practices in Middle Eastern countries. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 33(Suppl 2), S81–S86. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPH.0b013e318230dab6
Silva, S. M., Crespo, C. & Canavarro, M. C. (2012) ‘Pathways for psychological adjustment in breast cancer: A longitudinal study on coping strategies and posttraumatic growth’, Psychology & Health, 27(11), 1323–1341. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2012.676644
Southern, S. (2011) ‘In praise of mortality: Impermanence and intimacy’, The Family Journal, 19(1), 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480710389300
Strelkova, A. K. (2022) ‘The concept of “suffering” in Buddhism: Ontological problematics’, Sententiae, 41(1), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.31649/sent41.01.055
Tedeschi, R. G. et al. (2017) ‘The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: A revision integrating existential and spiritual change’, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9(1), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000198
Thakur, M., & Mishra, A. K. (2025). Post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivors: Indian perspective. In Handbook of the Behavior and Psychology of Disease (pp. 1-12). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32046-0_114-1
Thomas, R. et al. (2023) ‘“We need to work hand in hand”: Supporting cancer survivorship care with First Nations and Métis peoples in Canada via video’, AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 19(1), 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801221145562
Underwood, L. G. (2011) ‘The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale: Overview and results’, Religions, 2(1), 29–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel2010029
Underwood, L. G. (2006). Ordinary spiritual experience: Qualitative research, interpretive guidelines, and population distribution for the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale. Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 28(1), 181–218. https://doi.org/10.1163/008467206777832562
Underwood, L. G., & Teresi, J. A. (2002). The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale: Development, theoretical description, reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and preliminary construct validity using health-related data. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2401_04
Vail III, K. E. et al. (2020) ‘The terror management function of self-esteem: Evidence that self-esteem serves as an anxiety buffer, predicting mortality salience effects on death-thought accessibility and worldview defense’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(5), 825–838. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012701
Vazquez, V. E., Pate, R. A., MacCallum, J., Matta, M., Zivanovic, S., & Chamberlin, S. (2022). Deliberate rumination and posttraumatic growth: The mediating role of Christian gratitude and attachment to God. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(8), 755–773. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2022.2102160
Vis, J. & Boynton, H. M. (2008) ‘Spirituality and transcendent meaning making: Possibilities for enhancing posttraumatic growth’, Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 27(1–2), 69–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426430802113814
Westman, B., Bergenmar, M., & Andersson, L. (2006). Life, illness and death—Existential reflections of a Swedish sample of patients who have undergone curative treatment for breast or prostatic cancer. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 10(1), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2005.06.002
York, K. (2024) ‘Existential happiness’, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 53(6), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1017/can.2024.39
Zeligman, M. & Fakhro, D. (2023) ‘Posttraumatic growth and spirituality among adults with chronic illness’, Traumatology. 30(3), 376–383. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000441