Posttraumatic Growth Following the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001: Cognitive, Coping, and Trauma Symptom Predictors in an Internet Convenience Sample.

Abstract

Cognitive, coping, and trauma symptom predictors of posttraumatic growth (PTG; measured with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory) were examined in a large convenience sample (n =1505) participating in a longitudinal Internet-based study following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. Results indicate that initial PTG levels (mean 9 weeks post-attacks) were generally associated with higher trauma symptoms (measured with the PTSD Checklist - Specific), positive changes in worldview (measured with the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire), more denial, and less behavioral disengagement (measured with the Brief COPE). Additionally, PTG had a curvilinear association with level of trauma symptoms, such that those reporting symptoms at intermediate levels reported the highest levels of growth. Levels of PTG declined somewhat over time with the exception of Spiritual Change. As expected, PTG levels at follow-up (mean 6.5 months post-attacks) were primarily predicted by initial PTG levels; however, decreases from baseline in trauma symptoms and increases from baseline in positive worldview, acceptance, and positive reframing were also associated with higher reported posttraumatic growth at follow-up. These findings suggest that there may be a range of traumatic experience most conducive to growth and they also highlight the important contributions of cognitive and coping variables to psychological thriving in short- and longer-term periods following traumatic experience.

Predicting Posttraumatic Growth Based on Coping Strategies in Women and Men Involving with Advanced Cancer

“…Also among the employed predictors in this study it was indicated that cognitive assessment -as previous studies mentioned (30,31) -played the greatest role in predicting growth, in other words, being problem-oriented and re-evaluating the recurred cancer, in line with PTG's outcomes, help the patients to be more compatible with negative consequences of cancer (32), feeling more competency (12) and having better psychological performances (33) as well.…”

“…The results of this study, about no significant correlation between emotion-focused coping and PTG, suggested more important role of problem-oriented coping compared with positive consequences. More than that, for explaning this finding about emotion-focused copings, we can consider hypothesis of Tedeschi and Calhoun (29) that in a period of time, the person involving with trauma will probably be more eager to emotionoriented strategies -such as denial and avoidance-to dealing with the situation and preventing being overwhelmed with intensive negative emotions brought about by the event in order to encounter to it later; however, over time, he/she attempts to find more cognitive analysis and benefits re-conceptualize the event (24,30). Our correlation result about emotion-oriented coping is not positive, although it will be helpful to consider the above mentioned hypothesis.…”

Posttraumatic growth after childbirth: A prospective study

“…One explanation which might account for this discrepancy is the possibility of a curvilinear relationship between distress and growth. Recent studies have explored a curvilinear relationship between growth and PTSD symptoms and found the highest levels of growth were reported by those who endorsed moderate levels of PTSD symptoms (Butler et al, 2005;. It is thought that low levels of distress may not be sufficient to induce growth whereas overwhelming levels of distress may inhibit growth (McCaslin et al, 2009).…”

Risk perception and emergency experience: comparing a representative German sample with German emergency survivors

“…Other studies suggest a curvilinear relationship, i.e. an intermediate level of post-event distress being associated with the greatest level of growth (Butler et al, 2005;McCaslin et al, 2009). …”