Posttraumatic Growth in Omani Women with Breast Cancer Nashat Shams Ali Walden University
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Posttraumatic Growth in Omani Women with Breast Cancer Nashat Shams Ali Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Quantitative Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Nashat Ali has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Kathryn Dardeck, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Medha Talpade, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Sandra Rasmussen, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2019 Abstract Posttraumatic Growth in Omani Women with Breast Cancer By Nashat Ali MA, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2003 MBBS, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology Walden University May 2019 Abstract Researchers have begun to focus on how traumatic experiences, such as breast cancer, can lead to positive psychological outcomes or posttraumatic growth. However, the positive dimensions in Omani breast cancer survivors were not known because most research on posttraumatic growth has been conducted mainly in Western countries. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Omani women diagnosed and treated with breast cancer to understand posttraumatic growth in this population. Posttraumatic growth served as the theoretical foundation for the study and referred to positive experiences stemming from traumatic situations. The study included a convenience sample of 8 adult Omani women with histories of breast cancer. Data were collected through semi structured, in-depth interviews and was analyzed by thematic analysis technique. Color coding was done to point out the identified initial codes (35) and the codes were organized into 33 subthemes. Qualitative analysis of the data indicated 5 main themes of positive changes: greater appreciation of life, spiritual prosperity, improved interpersonal relations, empowerment and change in philosophy of life. Information from this study may contribute to Arab psychological literature on the personal growth of Arab women with breast cancer. In addition, the findings may lead to social change by helping practitioners diminish psychological debilities in Arab breast cancer survivors and inform interventions for Arab breast cancer survivors to develop coping skills to address future traumatic stress. Posttraumatic Growth in Omani Women with Breast Cancer By Nashat Ali MA, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2003 MBBS, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, 2001 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology Walden University May 2019 Dedication I dedicate this work to the Creator, The Almighty God, and His Prophet. He is the one who motivated me in the choice of this topic, the one who guided my thought processes and choosing the questions, and the one who led me to the right people to cultivate the blueprint for this dissertation. He is the one who gave me encouragement, strength, and all I required along the process. I owe everything to God. Acknowledgments There are some people essential to recognize. I want to thank Dr. Kathryn Dardeck, my dissertation chair, who gave me feedback throughout this process and encouraged me with her comments — comments that motivated me to keep going and her guidance with my writing skills. I also want to thank Dr. Medha Talpade and Dr. Amy Sickel, who are on my committee and were always willing to help me through this process. In addition to these individuals, I thank my husband, Kareem Shariff, and my parents who kept me going with their encouraging comments and their pride in my achievements. I am honored and blessed to have this beautiful family. A countless debt of gratitude goes out to the gracious women who agreed to be part of this dissertation and who guided me along the way. Words cannot express my appreciation for their kindness and a warm welcome they offered me into a part of their lives. Lastly, I would like to thank my editor, Lynn Fennis, who helped me immensely with the process of editing and who offered encouragement. I believe without the support of these people I may not have completed this study. Table of Content Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ........................................................................1 Background ........................................................................................................3 Problem Statement .............................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................10 Research Questions ..........................................................................................11 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................112 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................133 Definitions ........................................................................................................15 Assumptions .....................................................................................................17 Scope and Delimitations ..................................................................................17 Limitations .......................................................................................................18 Significance of the Study .................................................................................19 Summary ..........................................................................................................21 Chapter 2: Literature Review .................................................................................22 Introduction ......................................................................................................22 Literature Search Strategy ................................................................................23 Theoretical Foundation ....................................................................................24 Previous Studies on Posttraumatic Growth ......................................................31 Assessment of Posttraumatic Growth ..............................................................39 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma ......................................................40 Personal Growth ...............................................................................................43 i New Possibilities ..............................................................................................44 Relating to Others ............................................................................................44 Philosophy of Life ............................................................................................45 Spirituality........................................................................................................45 Spirituality and Posttraumatic Growth as They Relate to the Muslim World .46 Models of Posttraumatic Growth: Distress ......................................................50 Models of Posttraumatic Growth: Rumination ................................................54 Model of Posttraumatic Growth: Character of the Survivor ............................55 Model of Posttraumatic Growth: Distal and Proximate Cultural Elements .....58 Critiques of Posttraumatic Growth ..................................................................60 Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................62 Chapter 3: Methodology ........................................................................................65 Introduction ......................................................................................................65 Research Design and Rationale .......................................................................66 Role of the Researcher .....................................................................................70 Methodology ....................................................................................................71 Instrumentation ................................................................................................74 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .....................75 Data Analysis Plan ...........................................................................................76 Issues of Trustworthiness .................................................................................77 Ethical Issues ...................................................................................................79 Summary ..........................................................................................................79