Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic growth in a college student sample in Lebanon -

Abstract

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to perceived positive change in perception of self, interpersonal relationships and-or philosophy of life (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 1996). These changes occur following a very stressful or traumatic experience resulting in emotional distress (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 1996). This traumatic or stressful experience sets in motion multiple psychological factors that are directed towards resolving the emotional distress (Tedeschi and Calhoun, 1996), resulting for some in posttraumatic growth. The aims of the study were to test the posttraumatic growth model and the various predictors related to the model such as the characteristics of the event (impact of trauma; event centrality), post-trauma challenges (disruption of core beliefs; deliberate and intrusive rumination; self-disclosure) and sociocultural factors (social support and spiritual support) (Berger and Weiss, 2009). Results of the regression model indicated that disruption of core beliefs and social support were significant positive direct predictors of PTG. Despite the cross-sectional nature of the study and lack of generalizability of the findings, this study offers possible future directions, such as investigating the mediating effect of various factors on the relation between disruption of core beliefs and PTG.