Post-Traumatic Growth Following a Category-5 Hurricane: An Exploratory Study of Black Communities in Florida, United States

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted life for older adults living in residential settings, affecting their psychosocial well-being. Risk for COVID-19 is associated with increasing age and pre-existing health conditions. The current study aimed to describe the challenges of COVID-19 and post-traumatic growth (PTG) for residents of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in South Florida. A parallel mixed methods approach was used to explore the experience of older adults with PTG. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis to identify emergent themes. Ninety-eight older adults living in a single CCRC completed a survey. Age ranged from 67 to 99 years (mean age = 86 years), with >90% identifying as non-Hispanic White and female (78%). Using the PTG theoretical framework, experiences were categorized into five dimensions: new possibilities, relating to others, personal strength, spiritual growth, and appreciation for life. The current study focused on the challenges and growth experienced by older adults, as framed by PTG theory. Findings shed light on the capacity of this demographic, with an average age of 86 years, to overcome obstacles and achieve PTG. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(6), 25-33.].

The aftermath of a trauma may be commonly associated with negative outcomes;however, these experiences can also lead to positive personal changes, including posttraumatic growth (PTG). Little research has explored PTG in relation to chronic or vicarious trauma, nor with regard to the social context. The current study investigated the role of perceived social support in moderating psychological distress and PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional data were collected online using CloudResearch from 296 adults residing in the United States of America during August 2020. A strong positive relationship was found between impact of trauma and PTG (r = .54;p < .001). Moderated multiple regression indicated psychological distress, perceived social support, age, gender, ethnicity, and education accounted for 39% of the variance in PTG;however, a significant positive relationship was only found between social support and PTG. The interaction between social support and psychological distress was significant (p = .021), with slope indicating the relationship between distress and PTG is strengthened with increasing social support. Contrary to expectations, this study found a significant relationship existed between PTG and perceived support from friends (beta = .23;p = .001) and family (beta = .14, p = .044), but not significant others. Age also predicted PTG, suggesting younger people may experience higher growth, and significant mean differences were found between Caucasian and African American participants who reported higher levels of PTG. These findings have potential implications for improving mental health outcomes during this challenging and novel period of our history. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

The long-term relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and wellbeing after the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. This study aimed to examine their levels and changes at the individual level over time as well as to explore the bidirectional associations in Japan, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Four waves of online surveys were administered in July and October 2023 and January and April 2024 to residents aged 20-74 years. The wave 1 included 400 participants from Japan, 398 from the UK, and 393 from the US, of whom 308, 226, and 157, respectively, completed all four waves. A two-way multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to analyze the differences in PTG and wellbeing by country and wave. The associations between PTG and wellbeing were analyzed using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to assess the within-person associations. PTG and wellbeing were lower in Japan than in the UK and the US. PTG in the UK and the US declined over time. The random intercepts of PTG and wellbeing showed significant positive associations across all three countries, whereas no significant associations were generally observed between the within-person fluctuations of PTG and wellbeing. In all three countries, the associations between subjective economic status and the random intercepts of wellbeing were consistently strong. PTG and wellbeing are primarily associated at the between-person level, with little evidence of dynamic within-person effects. The causal or dynamic role of PTG in promoting emotional wellbeing is attenuated.

ABSTRACTSex-trafficking experiences and the psychological traumas generated often inspire profound, behavioral-life changes, which are explored in this quantitative study. Correlations between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and quality of life (QOL) were investigated with (N = 109) females, ages 18–62 years old and sex trafficked as youth or adults in the United States. Recruitment occurred using random and snowball sampling from sexual-assault agencies in the United States. The PTG and QOL inventories were used to collect data and a Pearson’s r analysis was conducted to test the correlation between PTG and QOL. Results indicated a weak correlation r(.253) = .008, p < .01 between variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed Personal Strength (R2 = .067, p < .01, β = 0.259), Appreciation of Life (R2 = .067, p < .01, β = 0.258), and New Possibilities (R2 = .049, p < .05, β = 0.221) as the most significant PTG predictors of QOL. Pearson’s r analysis of the QOL life domains indicated that Creativity, r(.256) = .007, p < .01, and Help r(.250) = .009, p < .01, were significant PTG outcomes. The study indicated a weak yet positive correlation between PTG and QOL.

Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that may occur after a highly stressful situation that shakes a person's core beliefs about the world. During 2020, the United States experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and a highly contentious political election, both of which have the potential to disrupt core beliefs and evoke perceptions of PTG. Post-traumatic growth, core belief disruption, perceived social support from humans and pets, coping strategies, and stressful events were assessed in 201 participants from the United States (Mage: 35.39, SD: 14.60) at four time points from April 2020 (T1) until April 2021 (T4). While total PTG did not significantly change from Time 1 to Time 4, perceptions of personal strength and new possibilities increased, as did core belief disruption, and the use of coping strategies decreased. Higher PTG was reported by those who owned pets, those who knew someone who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, and those who knew someone who had died of COVID-19. While rating COVID-19 or politics as the most stressful event at Time 4 did not correspond to differences in PTG, those who perceived the event to be resolved had higher PTG than those who perceived the event to be ongoing. Having COVID-19 personally and vaccination status was not associated with differences in Post-traumatic Growth. PTG at Time 4 was predicted by core belief disruption and social support in the full sample and in the pet owners only sample, and by support from video conferencing for the full sample only. Time 4 PTG was also predicted by core belief disruption, problem-focused coping, and avoidance coping. Results are discussed in terms of the PTG theoretical model. Additionally, implications for interventions aimed at fostering psychological growth, including through non-traditional forms of social support (i.e., remote communication and perceived support from pets) are addressed.

Recent research has shown a link between self-compassion, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., positive reframing and acceptance). Studies have also found evidence for the use of problem-focused strategies (i.e., active coping, planning, and instrumental support) as mediators between self-compassion and stress, and the use of these strategies has been found to predict PTG. However, no studies have directly examined the relationship between self-compassion, PTG, and the use of problem-focused coping strategies. This study investigated the association between self-compassion, emotion- and problem-focused coping, and PTG in trauma survivors. Participants were 111 emerging adults aged 18 to 29, from Canada and the United States, who completed an online survey that included measures of coping, PTG, and self-compassion. Self-compassion and PTG were both correlated with three coping styles, active coping, instrumental support, and positive reframing. All three coping styles predicted PTG over and above self-compassion and played multiple mediating roles between self-compassion and PTG, with no differences between the three coping styles in their mediating effects. These findings indicate that problem-focused coping strategies are also influential in mediating the development of PTG from self-compassion. Self-compassion reduces one's tendency to overidentify with negative emotions through positive reframing. The use of active coping and instrumental support also allows individuals to feel more capable in dealing with their traumatic events. Incorporating problem-focused self-compassion-based practices in cognitive behavioral and exposure-based therapies may offer additional benefits by reducing self-criticism to better promote active recovery from traumatic events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) has been documented in the aftermath of a range of traumatic events, including bereavement, physical assault, and rape. However, only a handful of studies have examined whether levels of total PTG, as well as the 5 domains of PTG (Appreciation of Life, New Possibilities, Relating to Others, Personal Strength, and Spiritual Change), vary by the type of potentially traumatic event. The current study examined variation in total PTG and PTG domains, as well as posttraumatic stress (PTS), by event type using data from a large epidemiological study. Participants were from a substudy of the Nurses' Health Study 2, an epidemiologic study of female nurses in the United States (N = 1,574). Controlling for demographic covariates, we found that rape was consistently associated with lower PTG, both total PTG and all five PTG domains, relative to other event types. Other findings were limited to specific PTG domains; for example, intimate partner violence (IPV) was associated with higher Personal Strength and New Possibilities. In contrast, rape and IPV were associated with higher PTS, and the serious illness or injury of someone close with lower PTS, relative to other event types. These results add to the growing literature exploring variation in PTG by event type and suggest that different events could yield markedly different patterns of PTG domains and PTS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of perceived social support and meaning-making ability in post-traumatic growth among adults who have experienced traumatic events. Methods and Materials: The study utilized a correlational descriptive design with a sample of 392 participants from the United States, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size table. Participants were recruited through online platforms and completed standardized self-report questionnaires: the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Integration of Stressful Life Experiences Scale (ISLES). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27, with Pearson correlation coefficients calculated to examine the relationships among variables, and multiple linear regression analysis conducted to assess the predictive capacity of social support and meaning-making ability on post-traumatic growth. Findings: Descriptive results showed moderate to high levels of post-traumatic growth (M = 72.84, SD = 14.26), perceived social support (M = 60.47, SD = 11.73), and meaning-making ability (M = 61.32, SD = 10.91). Pearson correlations indicated significant positive relationships between post-traumatic growth and both social support (r = .54, p &lt; .001) and meaning-making ability (r = .61, p &lt; .001). Regression analysis confirmed that both predictors significantly contributed to the variance in post-traumatic growth (R² = .45, F(2, 389) = 159.22, p &lt; .001), with meaning-making ability (β = .44) showing a slightly stronger effect than social support (β = .36). Conclusion: These results suggest that psychological interventions aimed at enhancing trauma recovery should address both cognitive and interpersonal dimensions to effectively promote positive psychological change.

The impact of COVID-19 on people with multiple sclerosis: A comparison of Italian and United States cohorts

Preface: Understanding Women’s Lives and Trauma Through Narrative Research and Analysis

Racial and socioeconomic status differences in stress, posttraumatic growth, and mental health in an older adult cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic

Perceived stress and posttraumatic growth in caregivers of pediatric burn patients undergoing mHealth-enhanced outpatient burn care: A pilot study

Heroes on the Water is a nonprofit organization providing kayak fishing programs to veterans and their families. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact kayak fishing programs, provided by Heroes on the Water, had on posttraumatic growth in military veterans in the United States. The concept of posttraumatic growth suggests that individuals may experience positive psychological changes after severe traumatic events. Research suggests posttraumatic growth can occur in the form of recognizing personal strengths, new possibilities, relating to others, an appreciation for life, and spiritual changes. Studies also suggest that recreation can aid in facilitation of growth. Additionally, recreation has been considered a complementary form of treatment for veterans, specifically the use of nature-based and outdoor recreation programs. For this study, participants reflected on their experiences before and after engaging in Heroes on the Water using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Though the results cannot be generalized, participants reported an increase in score after participating in Heroes on the Water kayak fishing programs. This study adds to the knowledge about the use of recreation to facilitate growth in veterans and encourages continued research on this topic.

Mass violence in the United States has been shown to cause trauma for survivors. These events may also create for survivors the experience of posttraumatic growth (PTG), the facets of which include personal strength, appreciation for life, new possibilities in life, spiritual change, and enhanced relationships with others. However, the role of collective efficacy and agency in the development of PTG following mass violence remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between PTG and experiences of collective efficacy and agency among survivors of the Isla Vista, California tragedy of 2014. The mixed methods objective was to explore the interpretive context within which the agency and collective efficacy experiences occurred. Quantitative data collected in a questionnaire (n = 166) were used to inform the collection of qualitative interview data (n = 12). Participating in therapy, organizing community events, and making the decision to either leave or stay in Isla Vista positively correlated with PTG based on hierarchical regression analysis. Themes of personal agency, the importance of role, and participating in collective action emerged from interviews. This study offers unique methodological approaches to using mixed methods data to understand the experiences which contributed to PTG among survivors of a mass shooting.

The Saffir–Simpson scale is useful for evaluating maximum sustained hurricane winds and storm surge over open water in the prelandfall window, but it fails to accurately account for the observed impacts over land. A new postland-fall hurricane classification system (HCS) is proposed that redistributes the categorization of hurricanes into types according to six variables: open water storm surge, rainfall, duration of hurricane force winds, maximum sustained winds, gust score, and minimum central pressure. Hurricanes are assigned values for each variable and summed for a numerical 0–100 grade. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis are also performed on the six variables to categorize U.S. land-falling hurricanes into storm types. A total of 41 land-falling hurricanes in the United States since 1960 have been analyzed. The summation scores show many hurricanes that are of strength similar to their Saffir–Simpson classifications, with several notable exceptions. The cluster analysis identifies five different hurricane types. These types can be arranged to identify hurricane strength and structure more effectively than the Saffir–Simpson scale. In focusing on the observed storm intensity over land and the resulting human experience, the HCS allows a way to compare hurricane impacts across different periods.