Perspectives on posttraumatic growth

Abstract

Traumatic events are often reported to have negative effects on adjustment and performance on various life tasks. However, in some cases the experience of trauma is followed by growth-oriented positive changes in the person. This phenomenon has been termed as post traumatic growth (PTG). This chapter critically examines the notion of PTG in the light of other related constructs and empirical investigations of people who have undergone diverse traumatic conditions such as bereavement, war, cancer, sex abuse, disaster, refugee status, etc. in different parts of the world. Evidence suggests that some people display distress while others do evince positive change following traumatic experiences. Significant beneficial changes in the cognitive and emotional lives of the survivors and victims of traumatic events are found to have behavioural implications. The studies indicate that the conversion of growth cognition into growth action is mediated by several factors including optimism, social support, spirituality, religion, philosophy of life and the type of coping method used. Future work in this area needs to focus on temporality of the change that takes place in the people undergoing trauma.