Introduction: The experience of a negative traumatic event, such as a child’s cancer, entails both negative and positive consequences. Emotional processing plays a vital role in their emergence.

The aim of the study: The study attempted to establish a link between the emotional processing difficulties and the severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress and the level of the posttraumatic growth.

Material and methods: Results obtained from 57 parents aged 25–57 years (M = 35,38, SD = 8,32), who had dealt with their child’s cancer (men – 47.4%; women – 52.6%) were examined. Three measuring methods were used in the study: the Impact of Events Scale – Revised (IES-R), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Emotional Processing Scale.

Results and conclusions: Difficulties in emotional processing have been found to be significantly correlated with the severity of all symptoms, including posttraumatic stress syndrome, but not with the level of posttraumatic growth. Emotional processing plays an important role in the development of the negative consequences of the experienced trauma.