Posttraumatic growth and cognitive and emotional processing from disclosure in the aftermath of a traumatic event

Abstract

Introduction: Restructuring on a cognitive level and emotion regulation allow the individual to produce schemes that integrate trauma by giving them abilities and making them more resistant when confronting a future adverse event [1,2]. The main objective of the current study was to analyze PTG and cognitive and emotional processing from disclosure that occurred as a result of a traumatic event. Materials and methods: The sample is composed by 465 Portuguese (M = 31.02 years, SD = 13.87), divided into two groups according to whether participants had experienced a traumatic event (G1: n = 438, 94.2%) or not (G2: n = 27, 5.8%), for trauma variable. Participants responded online to the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cognitive and Emotional Processing from Disclosure (CEPD) [3] and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) [4]. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: There were significant statistical differences between G1 and G2 on PTGI, in total scale [F(10,253) = 16.546, p=.001], and also in subscales Relating to Others, Personal Strength, Spiritual Change and Appreciation of Life. Regarding education, there were significant statistical differences between groups in the total scale [F(2.447) = 30.018, p = .013], and in the subscales Relating to Others and New Possibilities. Depending on age, significant statistical differences existed on PTGI, in total score [F(6.111) = 9.506, p=.014], and in subscales New Possibilities, Personal Strength, Spiritual Change and Appreciation of Life. Regarding the subscale Cognitive Processing there were also significant statistical differences between G1 and G2 [F(2.458) = 28.899, p=.018]. Discussion and conclusions: These results indicate that significant statistical differences exist in the variables trauma, education and age in PTGI and in cognitive and emotional processing from disclosure. In light of this, we could verify, like other researches, that an active management of emotion and stress promotes PTGI [5]. Further studies with a larger and similar sample on both groups are recommended.