Profiles of resources and posttraumatic growth among cancer and psoriatic patients compared to non-clinical sample

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to explore the heterogeneity of resources, as described by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, in a sample of cancer and psoriatic patients and to investigate whether heterogeneity within resources explains differences in Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) level within each of these clinical samples and in a non-clinical control group. METHOD: The sample consisted of 925 participants, including 190 adults with a clinical diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer, 355 adults with a medical diagnosis of psoriasis, and 380 non-clinical (without any chronic illnesses) adults, all of whom had suffered various adverse and traumatic events. The participants completed a COR evaluation questionnaire and a posttraumatic growth inventory. RESULTS: A latent profile analysis revealed four different classes of psoriatic patients and five classes of cancer patients, all with different resources levels. Clinical subsamples differed substantially with PTG levels compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not find a sole pattern of PTG that fit all the individuals, even for those who experienced the same type of traumatic event. Psychological counseling, in chronic illness particularly, should focus on the heterogenetic profiles of patients with different psychosocial characteristics.