Posttraumatic Growth and Posttraumatic Depreciation: Associations with Core Beliefs and Rumination

Abstract

Background: The positive transformation (i.e., posttraumatic growth, PTG) that can emerge after the struggles associated with a stressful life event has been widely investigated. However, less attention has been paid to the negative posttraumatic changes (i.e., posttraumatic depreciation, PTD) that might occur after a traumatic experience. This study aimed to investigate the role of a series of psychological factors (e.g., disruption of core beliefs, rumination, and depressive symptoms) in predicting PTG and PTD, separately considered. Methods: To reach this goal, 601 participants who experienced different types of traumatic events were recruited. They were asked to indicate sociodemographic and trauma-related information and to complete self-report measures assessing PTG/PTD, core beliefs, rumination, and depressive symptoms. Results: The results of regression analyses showed that gender, age, time since the trauma, core beliefs, deliberate/intrusive rumination, and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of PTG. Conversely, core beliefs, intrusive rumination, and depressive symptoms were found to be positively related to PTD. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings highlight the role that different psychological factors may play in the manifestation of the PTG and/or PTD dimensions. From a clinical perspective, professionals should pay attention to these factors when a person struggles in coping with a highly stressful experience.