Posttraumatic Growth and its Relationship With Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in Shiraz, Iran

Objective: The current study aimed to explore posttraumatic growth and its relationship with cognitive emotion regulation strategies among a group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Shiraz. Methods: Ninety-two patients diagnosed with MS were recruited from the multiple sclerosis society in Shiraz in 2014 using convenience sampling method. The participants completed two research questionnaires including Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Mean, standard deviation, correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were applied to analyze the data using SPSS version 16. Results: The data showed that a majority of patients with MS experienced some degree of posttraumatic growth. The participants scored high on the appreciation of life followed by spiritual change and personal strength. With regard to cognitive emotion regulation variables, only reappraisal (P 0.002) and positive refocusing (P 0.001) significantly predicted posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Patients who used positive refocusing and reappraisal were more likely to experience posttraumatic growth.