Posttraumatic Growth In Survivors Research Articles

Long-term courses of posttraumatic growth in survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Long-term courses of posttraumatic growth in survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in childhood sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment survivors

Many studies focusing on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may have neglected the consequences related to experiencing other types of childhood maltreatment, such as psychological maltreatment. Moreover, the literature has focused more on negative consequences related to CSA, hence potentially leaving out more adaptive and resilient trajectories. This qualitative study aimed to explore childhood psychological maltreatment and CSA, mindfulness, sexuality, and intimate relationships in adult survivors. The interview data from 19 individuals who experienced CSA and psychological maltreatment were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Four conceptual categories developed: (a) an unsafe family environment that hindered the development of positive experiences and relationships; (b) impaired mindfulness dispositions: the reliving of trauma, the avoidance of suffering, and feeling engulfed; (c) impaired intimacy: instability, codependence, emotional distance, and self-silencing; and (d) mindfulness dispositions and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in participants’ intimate lives. These findings highlight that mindfulness, sexuality, and intimate relationships are often poor among survivors of psychological maltreatment and CSA. Yet opportunities to develop mindfulness dispositions appear to enhance PTG in survivors’ intimate relationships, significantly contributing to survivors’ healing processes.

Factors Associated With Post-Traumatic Growth in Korean Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

To analyze the effects of hope and self-efficacy on post-traumatic growth in survivors of childhood cancer in Korea and to identify factors affecting post-traumatic growth. Data of 117 survivors of childhood cancer aged 11 years or older either in treatment or follow-up recruited by convenience sampling at an advanced general hospital in Korea were analyzed. Using a self-reported structured questionnaire, data on hope, self-efficacy, and post-traumatic growth were analyzed using Pearson's correlation. Differences in post-traumatic growth according to general and disease-related characteristics (obtained from the survivors and their parents) were analyzed using t tests and analysis of variance. Factors affecting post-traumatic growth were investigated using multiple regression analysis. Post-traumatic growth showed significant positive correlations with hope and self-efficacy. Factors that significantly affected post-traumatic growth were presence of siblings, high economic status, and hope. To improve post-traumatic growth in survivors of childhood cancer, interventions should be developed to enhance hope. In addition, more efforts are necessary in terms of interventions to improve post-traumatic growth in survivors of childhood cancer without siblings or with low economic status.

La croissance post-traumatique chez les victimes de violences conjugales : une étude pilote dans la Vienne

ObjectiveThis study aimed to: (1) evaluate posttraumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner violence, (2) compare and characterize this posttraumatic growth with the one measured in survivors of other types of violence, and (3) evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder and its relationship with posttraumatic growth in our clinical population. MethodsWe realized a monocentric pilot study in Poitiers (Vienne, France) recruiting 17 survivors of intimate partner violence and 42 survivors of other types of violence from two medical departments: the Unit of Forensic Medicine, where victims are oriented following complaints, and the Psychotrauma Center. Participants were administrated questionnaires comprising socio-demographics data and specific scales, namely the PTGI and PCL-5. ResultsWe found a higher prevalence of posttraumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner violence (82 %), when compared with survivors of sexual assault and other interpersonal types of violence (52 % and 53 %, respectively). Posttraumatic growth was low to moderate, and faster as it was detected in victims recruited in the Unit of Forensic Medicine. All domains of posttraumatic growth were positively affected, i.e. higher scores from the PTGI were recorded in survivors of intimate partner violence. No difference was found when results were compared between groups from the Psychotrauma Center. We were unable to identify socio-demographic predictors of posttraumatic growth. À posttraumatic stress disorder was found in survivors of intimate partner violence, and negatively related to posttraumatic growth. DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first study comparing post-traumatic growth across such conditions and using specific and recognized scales. Our pilot study demonstrated that survivors of intimate partner violence were able to develop low to moderate posttraumatic growth faster than survivors of other types of violence. All domains of posttraumatic growth were affected, demonstrating the ability of survivors to withstand adversity. Scientific data regarding the link between posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress disorder is unclear, probably depending on the trauma, the circumstances, the timing of the measurement. In our study, we found a clear negative correlation between the two parameters. Our results underline the necessity to provide overall and rapid intervention in survivors of intimate partner violence, comprising legal, psychological, social and medical approaches, to facilitate the development of posttraumatic growth.

A review of psychological symptoms and post-traumatic growth among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

The majority of childhood cancer patients survive well into adulthood, but remain at risk for psychological late effects that can impact overall health and quality of life. The current narrative review summarizes the literature on psychological late effects, including anxiety, depression, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidality, psychoactive medication use, and post-traumatic growth in survivors of childhood cancers. While results were mixed, many studies demonstrated that psychological symptoms occurred at levels higher than would be expected in the general population. Treatment, environmental, and behavioral risk factors, as well as symptom onset and trajectory merit further investigation.

Does event centrality mediate the effect of peritraumatic reactions on post-traumatic growth in survivors of a terrorist attack?

ABSTRACT Background While self-reported post-traumatic growth (PTG) has been documented after a wide variety of potentially traumatic experiences, we need more knowledge on the mechanisms behind PTG to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. Objective We aimed to investigate the hypothesized mechanism of perceived event centrality as a mediator on the pathway between peritraumatic reactions and later PTG. Method In total, 204 survivors of the 2011 massacre on Utøya island, participated 4–5 months (T1), 14–15 months (T2), and 30–32 months (T3) post-terror. We applied counterfactually based causal mediation analysis to explore the potential mediating role of survivors’ perceived centrality (T2) in linking their peritraumatic reactions (T1) and self-reported PTG (T3). Results The vast majority of the survivors reported experiencing some positive changes post-terror, and we found a positive, significant association between survivor’s peritraumatic reactions, perceived event centrality and self-reported growth. However, we did not find that centrality significantly mediated the longitudinal association between peritraumatic reactions and later PTG. Conclusion Reports of PTG are common post-terror, and peritraumatic reactions and perceptions of centrality may help explain individual differences in trauma survivors’ level of PTG. Perceived event centrality about one year post-trauma does not appear to explain the relationship between initial reactions to trauma and subsequent PTG.

Predicting posttraumatic growth in survivors of interpersonal trauma: Gender role adherence is more important than gender.

Predicting posttraumatic growth in survivors of interpersonal trauma: Gender role adherence is more important than gender.

Positive Metacognitions and Meta-Emotions as Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of a Natural Disaster

ABSTRACTExposure to natural disasters can lead to both negative and positive mental health consequences (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and posttraumatic growth [PTG]). While there is evidence linking metacognition to these outcomes, the focus is mostly on maladaptive metacognitions. The present study investigated the role of positive metacognitions and meta-emotions (i.e., confidence in extinguishing perseveration [Extinguishing], confidence in interpreting emotions as cues [Interpreting], and confidence in setting flexible and attainable hierarchies of goals [Setting]) on PTSD and PTG among Filipino typhoon survivors. Findings supported a model wherein Extinguishing and Setting, but not Interpreting, predicted PTSD and PTG through posttraumatic cognitions.

The effect of forgiveness writing therapy on post-traumatic growth in survivors of sexual abuse

ABSTRACTThe goal of the present study was to examine the therapeutic effects of forgiveness writing therapy in victims of sexual abuse, with an emphasis on their shame, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic growth. South Korean participants who had experienced sexual abuse were randomly assigned to two groups (M = 22.3 years, SD = 1.60; n = 16 per group): the forgiveness writing therapy (FT) group and the control group. The FT group participated in four writing sessions in which they wrote about self-forgiveness, situational forgiveness for 30 min; the control group did not participate in any particular treatment program. The results indicated significant group differences; compared to the control group, the FT group demonstrated a significant reduction in shame and depression, and an increase in post-traumatic growth. Implication and limitations of the present research, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.

A Systematic Review of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Interpersonal Violence in Adulthood

This review critically evaluates the literature on posttraumatic growth in survivors of interpersonal violence, integrating the findings from 12 quantitative and 4 qualitative studies. The following databases were searched using predetermined terms: AMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BNI, CINAHL, and Web of Knowledge. The review’s findings suggest that the mean prevalence of growth in interpersonal violence survivors is around 71% (range 58–99%). The highest level of growth was consistently experienced in the “appreciation of life” domain. However, survivors reported growth in the four remaining domains: “personal strength,” “new possibilities,” “experience of relationships with others,” and “outlook on life.” The nature of the relationship between growth and distress was inconsistent across studies. A combination of pretrauma, peritrauma, and posttrauma variables were found to be related to the degree of growth survivors experienced. Methodological weaknesses of the quantitative studies included the predominant use of retrospective, cross-sectional, correlational designs, discrepancy in the measurement of growth, insufficient sample sizes for power calculations in five studies and limited external validity. Qualitative findings were limited by sampling methods, insufficient information about interview schedules, the lack of credibility checks, and evidence of reflexivity demonstrated by some studies. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

Seeing the good in the bad: which factors are associated with posttraumatic growth in long-term survivors of adolescent cancer?

While knowledge about late psychosocial effects in pediatric cancer survivors is growing, investigation of positive changes, notably posttraumatic growth (PTG), is still lacking. Recent studies have not established any stable relationship between PTG and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and it is still unclear which factors are associated with PTG in survivors of childhood cancer. The aims of this study were to give a quantitative description of PTG in long-term survivors of adolescent cancer and to investigate its association with psychological variables, especially the recalled amount of fear of death during treatment, as well as other cancer-related and demographic issues. A cohort of 784 long-term survivors of adolescent cancer (age M=30.4±6.1, time since diagnosis M=13.7±6.0years) completed a set of questionnaires measuring PTG, PTSS, depression, anxiety, fear of death and psychosocial support during treatment, and sociodemographic and medical variables. More than 5years after cancer diagnosis, 94.3% of participants reported having "very strongly" experienced at least one positive consequence in the aftermath of the stressful experience. There were positive correlations between PTG and fear of death and psychosocial support during treatment, as well as for current symptoms of depression. No association with the amount of PTSS was found. Findings suggest that experiencing fear of death during cancer experience as well as utilizing psychosocial support catalyzes posttraumatic growth in the aftermath. Further studies should investigate how interventions could be designed to promote and stimulate PTG in young cancer patients.

Posttraumatic growth in survivors of a natural disaster: the role of social axioms of religiosity, reward for application, and social cynicism

The positive psychology movement has impelled trauma research to focus not only on debilitating aspects of trauma experiences, but also on its positive outcomes such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). We investigated how the social themes of religiosity, reward for application, and social cynicism, as part of the individual’s distal culture, contribute to PTG among natural disaster survivors. We tested a model wherein social axioms of religiosity, reward for application, and social cynicism predict PTG, and their relationships are mediated by adaptive cognitive processing of trauma. The model was tested in a sample of Filipino survivors of typhoon Haiyan using structural equation modeling. The results support the proposed model except for the influence of social cynicism. The findings suggest that generalized beliefs about the social world play an important role in the development of PTG, and must be considered to understand how growth occurs in the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Deliberate Rumination and Positive Reappraisal as Serial Mediators Between Life Impact and Posttraumatic Growth in Victims of State Terrorism in Chile (1973-1990).

This study examines the role of coping strategies related to positive reappraisal versus other cognitive strategies (deliberate rumination) as mediators between life impact and posttraumatic growth in survivors of the military dictatorship in Chile between 1973 and 1990 (tortured political prisoners and family members of political prisoners executed and missing). Survey data from 251 political violence survivors were analyzed using the SPSS PROCESS macro for bootstrapping indirect effects (Hayes, 2013). Results indicated that positive reappraisal (or reframing) coping mediated the relationship between life impact and posttraumatic growth. A serial multiple mediation model indicates that in the life impact to growth moderation process, rumination must be followed by positive reappraisal to drive this growth. These findings suggest that positive reappraisal of the traumatic experience is essential to achieve growth reports. Implications of these more complex relations are discussed for both counseling interventions and further research.

Social complexity beliefs predict posttraumatic growth in survivors of a natural disaster.

Most studies on posttraumatic growth (PTG) have focused on personal characteristics, interpersonal resources, and the immediate environment. There has been less attention on dynamic internal processes related to the development of PTG and on how these processes are affected by the broader culture. Calhoun and Tedeschi's (2006) model suggests a role of distal culture in PTG development, but empirical investigations on that point are limited. The present study investigated the role of social complexity-the generalized belief about changing social environments and inconsistency of human behavior-as a predictor of PTG. Social complexity was hypothesized to be associated with problem-solving approaches that are likely to give rise to cognitive processes that promote PTG. A sample of 446 survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, 1 of the strongest typhoons ever recorded at the time, answered self-report measures of social complexity, cognitive processing of trauma, and PTG. Structural equation modeling indicated a good fit between the data and the hypothesized model; belief in social complexity predicted stronger PTG, mediated by cognitive processing. The results provide evidence for how disaster survivors' beliefs about the changing nature of social environments and their corresponding behavior changes are predictors of PTG and suggest a psychological mechanism for how distal culture can influence PTG. Thus, assessing social complexity beliefs during early the phases of a postdisaster psychosocial intervention may provide useful information on who is likely to experience PTG. Trauma workers might consider culture-specific social themes related to social complexity in disaster-affected communities. (PsycINFO Database Record

Post-traumatic growth in survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

This study aimed to understand factors related to post-traumatic growth (PTG) in patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), building baseline data for developing intervention programs to enhance PTG in HSCT survivors. A self-report survey was administered to 100 patients who received HSCT within the last 5 years. The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Perceived Social Support Scale, and Healthcare Professional's Support Scale were used, as well as items on demographic and clinical characteristics. Standard deviations of frequency and percentage, Chi-squared test between genders, independent t-test, correlation analysis between independent variables and extent of PTG, and regression analysis were conducted. The PTG levels of HSCT survivors were statistically significantly higher when participants were women, carried out more religious activities, had higher educational levels, or utilized nurse counseling. The 'intrusive thinking' traumatic impact subcategory, as well as social support and support from healthcare professionals, were found to be highly related to PTG scores. Upon multiple regression analysis, factors with greatest influence on PTG in HSCT survivors were support from healthcare professionals, followed in order, by social support, utilization of nurse counseling, intrusive thinking, and frequency of religious activities. We suggest implementing programs for HSCT patients to enhance support from healthcare professionals and to increase post-traumatic growth through greater utilization of nurse counseling, self-help meetings, and writing.

Posttraumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner violence: an assumptive world process.

Adverse consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented, whereas less research has explored positive changes. Recent efforts indicate that survivors report posttraumatic growth (PTG), but the schema reconstruction hypothesis by which this is achieved is in need of further investigation. One model of PTG suggests that growth is triggered by trauma(s) that challenges an individual's assumptive world. This threat promotes cognitive processing and schema reconstruction that fosters a sense of meaning and value in one's life. As schema change is posited as the main cognitive antecedent of PTG, a longitudinal assessment of world assumptions was used to examine whether assumption change predicts PTG in IPV survivors. Results indicate that world assumptions became more positive 1 year after an initial interview but only for women who had not been revictimized in the year between study assessments. Furthermore, positive world assumption change was associated with greater PTG scores. Implications for intervention and research are discussed.

Coping Strategies as a Mediator of Posttraumatic Growth among Adult Survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake

ObjectiveBy testing the mediating effect of coping strategies on the relationship between social support (SS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG), the aim of this research was to develop a new approach for the study of post-disaster psychological intervention.MethodsA mediating effect model analysis was conducted on 2080 adult survivors selected from 19 of the counties hardest-hit by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The Social Support Rating Scale and the Coping Scale were used to predict the PTG.ResultsA bivariate correlation analysis showed that there was a correlation between posttraumatic growth, social support and coping strategies. The mediation analysis revealed that coping strategies played a mediating role between social support and posttraumatic growth in survivors after the earthquake.ConclusionThe results demonstrated that mental health programs for survivors need to focus on the establishment of a good social support network, which was found to be conductive to maintaining and increasing mental health levels. At the same time, adequate social support is able to assist survivors in adopting mature coping strategies, such as problem solving and asking for help. Hence, social support was found to play a vital role in balancing and protecting mental health.

Posttraumatic Growth and Spirituality After Brain Injury

AbstractThis article introduces the concept of posttraumatic growth and briefly reviews the limited number of empirical studies on posttraumatic growth in survivors of brain injury. The relationship between posttraumatic growth and psychological understandings of human spirituality is then explored and it is argued that posttraumatic growth is a type of spirituality that is of particular theoretical and practical interest to healthcare professionals. Specific aspects of the situation of people with acquired brain injury are then considered in this light and some suggestions are made for the integration of spiritual care aimed at supporting personal resilience and promoting posttraumatic growth into rehabilitation practice.

Correlates of posttraumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner violence

The negative consequences of intimate partner violence are well documented. This study investigated the possibility that some survivors of intimate partner violence may also experience posttraumatic growth because of their struggle with this highly stressful circumstance. In addition, the relationships between posttraumatic growth and relationship status, type of abuse, depression, and availability of models of posttraumatic growth were examined. Most women reported posttraumatic growth. Overall abuse experienced and depression were unrelated to posttraumatic growth, but abuse was related to one domain of growth. Contact with a model of posttraumatic growth and having left an abusive relationship were both positively related to posttraumatic growth.

Posttraumatic growth in prostate cancer survivors and their partners

We examined posttraumatic growth (PTG) in men treated for prostate cancer and their partners 1 year after surgery. Levels of PTG in prostate cancer survivors and their partners were similar and modest. For survivors, higher levels of presurgery negative affect, and coping by using positive reframing and emotional support were associated with higher levels of PTG 1 year following surgery. For partners, PTG 1 year after the patient's surgery was higher in partners who were partnered to employed patients, were less educated, endorsed higher cancer-specific avoidance symptoms of stress at presurgery, and used positive reframing coping. Quality of life was largely unrelated to PTG in survivors or partners. Findings suggest that psychological disruption associated with the cancer experience and coping are related to PTG in prostate cancer survivors and their partners.