Objective To investigate posttraumatic growth level of post-surgical patients with cephalocevical cancer and analyze its influencing factors.

Methods A total of 206 patients with cephalocevical cancer who were hospitalized or re-examined in the outpatient department of a tertiary grade A hospital in Anhui province were selected as the research subjects.The general data questionnaire, the posttraumatic growth inventory scale(C-PTGI), the simplified Chinese version of the event-related rumination inventory(C-ERRI), and the medical coping modes questionnaire(MCMQ) were used to investigate the status of the subjects.

Results The total C-PTGI score of post-surgical patients with cephalocevical cancer was(60.91±9.74) points.There was significant difference in PTG scores among patients with different monthly income, marital status, residence, personality type, postoperative time and tumor stage(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).Rumination and purposeful rumination were positively correlated with PTG score and its each dimension, while invasive rumination was negatively correlated with PTG total score and its each dimension.Facing score was positively correlated with PTG total score and its each dimension, yield score was negatively correlated with PTG total score and its each dimension, avoidance was positively correlated with PTG total score and its each dimensions(except "relationship with others")(P < 0.01).The protective factors of posttraumatic growth were extraversion, purposive rumination and coping style, and the risk factors were introversion and yielding coping style(P < 0.01).

Conclusions The post-traumatic growth of post-surgical patients with cephalocevical cancer is at a low and medium level.Extroverted personality, high level of purposeful rumination and coping style may contribute to the posttraumatic growth of patients.Nurses should give targeted intervention to improve the treatment outcome of patients.