Article Version of Record

Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Ramos, Catarina
Leal, Isabel

Abstract / Description

Aim: In the face of one traumatic event, individuals may perceive, along with the inherent negative responses, a number of positive changes, which reveal posttraumatic growth. This concept has increased its expression in literature over the years, and it has been recognized that people exposed to highly traumatic events, such as bereavement, war combat, disasters, disease or other stressful or life-threatening events, may perceive positive changes from the struggling with those events. Thus, this literature review aims at exploring the definition of posttraumatic growth, associated factors and application contexts. Method and Results: Electronic databases were used to search the relevant literature. Based on the analysis of empirical data, were found several studies that demonstrated a range of factors, such as distress, personality characteristics, self-disclosure, coping, social support, environmental characteristics, assumptive world, rumination, spirituality and optimism, that have contributed to the development of posttraumatic growth; however, some relationships remain inconclusive. Conclusion: Further research is required, to clarify the genesis and the development of posttraumatic growth, also, to extend the posttraumatic growth studies in health context, encompassing the patient as well as family and social network.

Keyword(s)

posttraumatic growth benefit finding psychological trauma literature review

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-03-28

Journal title

Psychology, Community & Health

Volume

2

Issue

1

Page numbers

43–54

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Ramos, C., & Leal, I. (2013). Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts. Psychology, Community & Health, 2(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v2i1.39
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Ramos, Catarina
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Leal, Isabel
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-12-06T06:48:59Z
  • Made available on
    2018-12-06T06:48:59Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-03-28
  • Abstract / Description
    Aim: In the face of one traumatic event, individuals may perceive, along with the inherent negative responses, a number of positive changes, which reveal posttraumatic growth. This concept has increased its expression in literature over the years, and it has been recognized that people exposed to highly traumatic events, such as bereavement, war combat, disasters, disease or other stressful or life-threatening events, may perceive positive changes from the struggling with those events. Thus, this literature review aims at exploring the definition of posttraumatic growth, associated factors and application contexts. Method and Results: Electronic databases were used to search the relevant literature. Based on the analysis of empirical data, were found several studies that demonstrated a range of factors, such as distress, personality characteristics, self-disclosure, coping, social support, environmental characteristics, assumptive world, rumination, spirituality and optimism, that have contributed to the development of posttraumatic growth; however, some relationships remain inconclusive. Conclusion: Further research is required, to clarify the genesis and the development of posttraumatic growth, also, to extend the posttraumatic growth studies in health context, encompassing the patient as well as family and social network.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Ramos, C., & Leal, I. (2013). Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts. Psychology, Community & Health, 2(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v2i1.39
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2182-438X
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1877
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2243
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v2i1.39
  • Keyword(s)
    posttraumatic growth
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    benefit finding
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    psychological trauma
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    literature review
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Posttraumatic Growth in the Aftermath of Trauma: A Literature Review About Related Factors and Application Contexts
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Psychology, Community & Health
  • Page numbers
    43–54
  • Volume
    2
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record