No abstract

In the aftermath of a severely stressful event, in addition to reporting negative changes, people also report personal growth. The degree to which reports of posttraumatic growth by 41 women who survived breast cancer could be corroborated by their husbands was examined. Because the breast cancer experience is an equally stressful event for husbands and may present an opportunity for growth, the degree to which the husbands' reports of posttraumatic growth could be corroborated by their wives also was examined. Moderate positive correlations (r = .51, p < .01 for wives and r = .49, p < .01 for husbands) provided intersubjective validation of individuals' perceptions of posttraumatic growth.In a society that tends to deny that pain and suffering are an inevitable part of the human condition and urges victims of trauma to "get over it quickly and Dr. Weiss is an Adjunct Professor,

Following breast cancer, many survivors and spouses report posttraumatic growth (PTG)-positive life changes. This correlational study identified social context and event-related correlates of PTG among husbands of breast cancer survivors (N=72). Bivariate analyses indicated that husbands' PTG was positively associated with general social support, greater marital support and depth of commitment, greater PTG in wife, shorter time since diagnosis and breast cancer meeting DSM-IV criteria for traumatic stressor. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the significant predictors of husbands' PTG were depth of marital commitment, wife's PTG, and breast cancer meeting DSM-IV traumatic stressor criteria. Psychosocial research and interventions need to acknowledge that couples face the cancer together and share not only the pain but also the potential for gain from the trauma.

Objectives. This study was designed to adapt and validate a Spanish translation of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) for the assessment of positive life changes following the stressful experiences of immigration. Method. A cross-cultural equivalence model was used to pursue semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence. Translation teams and back translations were employed for semantic and content equivalence. Conceptual and technical equivalence were assessed through field-testing the reliability and factor structure of the translated PTGI in a sample of 100 Latina immigrants. Results. The translated version was highly reliable. Factor analysis failed to replicate the original five factors but the three factors identified were consistent with the conceptual underpinnings of the PTGI and another translated version. Conclusions. Semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence of the Spanish version of the PTGI were supported and thus its valid use for research and practice with the study population.

This article focuses on expanding Calhoun and Tedeschi's model of posttraumatic growth (PTG) to the family system level. PTG has been conceptualized as an outcome on multiple levels, including individuals, families, and communities. However, in the original model the family is mostly viewed as the context for individual growth, whereas in this article the family is the unit that grows. The proposed conceptualization is consistent with the paradigmatic shift from a deficit-based perspective to a strength-based perspective of family functioning in general and in the aftermath of trauma in particular. The first part of the article briefly introduces the PTG model. The second part identifies and illustrates the family system parallels of the six components of the model: pretrauma characteristics, a traumatic/ highly stressful event, challenges, rumination, social context, and posttraumatic growth. The third part addresses future directions.