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POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH: AN OVERVIEW

Article · October 2019

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Abdul Raffie Naik Shah Mohd. Khan

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International Journal of Advance and Innovative Research
ISSN 2394 - 7780
Volume 6, Issue 4 (II): October - December, 2019

POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH: AN OVERVIEW

Abdul Raffie Naik1 and Dr. Shah Mohd. Khan2

Research Scholar and Associate Professor2, Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
1

ABSTRACT
Post Traumatic Growth is a psychological growth followed by trauma or stress. It is a positive change that
occurs as the result of one’s struggle with a highly challenging, stressful, and traumatic event. In this study, an
attempt was made to review the literature based on previous studies to identify and highlight the significant
correlates and critical, predictors associated with post traumatic growth. The literature shows many constructs
both positive as well as negative are influencing and have a relationship with post traumatic growth such as
social support, self-esteem, self-efficacy, hope, resilience, positive attitude, happiness, wellbeing, religiosity,
perceived stress, violence, maladjustment, risky behavior, etc. The main purpose of this study is to briefly
present the major possible posttraumatic reactions and discuss the phenomenon of Posttraumatic Growth
(PTG). The results discussed in this article will help the researchers and policymakers to understand the
positive impact of some constructs on PGT through which further developing policies can be out.
Keywords: Post Traumatic Growth, Stress, and Psychological Capital.

INTRODUCTION
"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger" - Nietzsche
The aftermath of highly stressful events differs from person to person. Although some people show negative
decline and others report no change, many people report positive growth following adversity. Exposure to a
traumatic event, directly or indirectly, may affect an individual and one may develop posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD). The negative symptoms associated could be as anxiety, fatigue, depression, withdrawal, or
lowered social aspiration (Rodgers, 2014). Since 1990’s a lot of research has focused on the possibility that
people may also experience positive changes after trauma. This “upside” to trauma may include enhanced
personal strength and spiritual change. Post-traumatic growth (Post-Traumatic Growth) is a theory that
describes the kind of positive change followed by trauma. It was developed by psychologists Richard Tedeschi,
and Lawrence Calhoun, in the mid-1990s, and holds that people who experience psychological struggle
following misfortune can often see positive growth afterward. Since its introduction in the mid-1990s, a
plethora of research has focused on the possibility that people may experience positive changes after a traumatic
event (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 1996). Such positive changes have been referred to by a number of names,
including benefit finding and adversarial growth, but the most commonly used name is posttraumatic growth
(PTG).
Post-traumatic growth is defined as “positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with
highly challenging life circumstances” (Tedeschi, and Calhoun, 2004). People who encountered trauma get
transformed in different ways according to their abilities. Posttraumatic growth is multifaceted in nature; trauma
victims may experience growth in one domain or other.
Post-traumatic stress and Post-traumatic growth are the two interlinked terms in the field of psychology.
Researchers noted that the probable path proposes the idea that distress ensures successive growth. Tedeschi
and Calhoun (2004) contend that Post-Traumatic Growth is the result of the post trauma psychological turmoil.
The thought process which goes in the mind after an ordeal leads to productive processing and this consequently
gives rise to growth. According to this composition, it is assumed that PTSD and Post-Traumatic Growth have a
positive association with each other. Post-Traumatic Growth is significantly different from post-traumatic stress
disorder in which individuals find no benefit from their trauma only pain and anxiety (Hadit, 2006).
CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMA
Trauma seems to have two distinct opinions concerning its consequences. First, trauma’s negative effects
disturb the psychological and physical equilibrium and this leads to an increases the various physical and mental
health problems. Traumatic incidents are specific, often unexpected and could sometimes pose a threat to life.
Individuals face loss or threats to personal goals and wellbeing. Examples could be divorce, financial crisis or
serious illness. Individuals differ in how they react to the trauma. Some face minimal disruptions in their daily
life while many commonly experience anxiety, depression and somatic illnesses or pain (Flannery, Jr., 1999).
Exposure to trauma is an overwhelming experience for those who witnessed or affected by trauma and can have
severe and chronic psychological consequences. Trauma is a psychologically distressing event outside the range
of usual human experience, often involves a sense of fear, terror, and helplessness.
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International Journal of Advance and Innovative Research
ISSN 2394 - 7780
Volume 6, Issue 4 (II): October - December, 2019

Second, trauma has its positive side, i.e. the constructive effects where individuals gain an optimistic outlook in
their traumatic life events subsequently resulting in experiencing positive psychological changes known as
posttraumatic growth. In Post traumatic growth, people set their new priorities; meet the challenges, make new
friends. How serious the symptoms and problems depend on many things including a person’s life experiences
before the trauma, natural ability to cope with stress, how serious the trauma was, and what kind of help and
support a person gets from family, friends, and professionals after the trauma.
POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH
Post-Traumatic Growth, also known as stress-related growth, positive growth, growing up in adversity,
perceived benefit, stress-related growth, positive psychological change and discovery benefits, was introduced
by Tedeschi and Calhoun in 1995. It indicates a positive psychological change an individual experiences after a
traumatic event. Positive changes, such as improved self-awareness, better relationships and the development of
new goals and priorities and a better spiritual life are some of the factors indicated by Post-Traumatic Growth
(Wan Shen-min and Lu Hong-zhou, 2019). Post-traumatic Growth, as a concept, is now widely studied and
related to ‘event trauma’ and the associated mental health outcomes (Slade, et al, 2019).
Post Traumatic Growth might impact positively among individuals. Bandura, (1997) reasoned that those with
high self-efficacy might use Post-Traumatic Growth well (i.e. to affect positive changes in their level of
psychopathology), whereas those with low self-efficacy might use Post-Traumatic Growth in more self-
defeating ways. Researchers believe that there are people who witnessed trauma, which is quite alarming. There
are many positive psychology outcomes that will bring back the individuals to lead the post traumatic growth.
Social Support, Hope, Resilience are the main factors of post traumatic growth among individuals.
Wan Shen-min and Lu Hong-zhou (2019) state that Post-Traumatic Growth is prevalent in HIV-positive people
and this promotes mental health, improves treatment adherence and enhances the immune system and help in
reducing risk behaviors such as unhealthy sexual behavior and substance abuse. Among cancer patients, Post-
Traumatic Growth and perceived social support help promote coping responses. For long term cancer survivors,
Post-Traumatic Growth can help in bringing in new perspectives and develop social networks that can help
them as coping mechanisms (Cormio, Muzzatti, Romito, Mattioli & Annunziata, 2017). Parikh, De Ieso ,
Garvey, Thachil , Ramamoorthi, Penniment & Jayaraj (2014), in a study Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and
Post-Traumatic Growth in breast cancer patients have stated that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is diagnosed
during the initial stage if diagnosis of breast cancer whereas Post-Traumatic Growth is experienced after
diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Post-Traumatic Growth is associated with better life style, happiness
and psychosocial wellbeing.
Taku and Britton (2018), in a study on self-esteem and Post-Traumatic Growth among adolescents state that
self-esteem and Post-Traumatic Growth have a cyclical relationship. A person with a high self-esteem is likely
to experience Post-Traumatic Growth, which in turn leads to an increase in self-esteem, which may serve as a
protective factor in stressful situations. They also bring into focus the relationship between the previous
knowledge of Post-Traumatic Growth and self-esteem and state that adolescents who have previous knowledge
of Post-Traumatic Growth have a high self-esteem. They also indicate the need to look at socio-cultural factors
of adolescents because these factors could play a role in the understanding of the benefits out of adversity.
Religiosity is also an effective factor in developing Post-Traumatic Growth. Being religious can develop
positive beliefs among the trauma victims to bounce back from the adversities. Optimism, or in other words,
focusing on the positive aspects of the situation to minimize the negative aspects of the crisis, may enable the
person to emphasize the benefits of the crisis (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000). Subandi, Achmad, Kurniati &
Febri, 2014, in a study on Post-Traumatic Growth among the survivors of the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi in
Java, Indonesia, have identified spirituality as a predictor of Post-Traumatic Growth as it helped them
understand the situation with regards to the adversity and their lives better. In a similar vein, Pooley et al.
(2013) explained posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth with their relationship to coping and self –
efficacy in the NW Australian Cyclone communities. Results suggest that higher levels of PTS direct the way
for more growth to occur.
Murad and Abdel (2017) studied the relationship between traumatic experience, posttraumatic stress disorder,
resilience, and posttraumatic growth among adolescents in Gaza Strip. The findings highlighted that
adolescent’s witnessed a variety of traumatic events, and have moderate to severe PTSD symptoms. Further, the
results revealed that the level of resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth was above moderate. The findings
concluded that people who experienced traumatic events often have symptoms and problems afterward.

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International Journal of Advance and Innovative Research
ISSN 2394 - 7780
Volume 6, Issue 4 (II): October - December, 2019

CONCLUSION
Research within Posttraumatic Growth has highlighted the possibility which helps to over from different
traumatic situations. PTG is considered as an important parameter especially within the field of psychotherapy.
The capability to develop growth in those people who have witnessed trauma. Thus, PTG can be solely
described as a psychologically positive change trauma afterward.
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ISSN 2394 - 7780
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