Posttraumatic growth in aging individuals who have lost their only child in China

ABSTRACT

This article examined the extent of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and factors related to PTG in aging individuals who have lost their only child in China. The sample included 201 bereaved parents from different families residing in Chongqing, China. They were between 49–80 years old (M = 61) and had lost their only child. Personal interviews were conducted in their homes. PTG was assessed with a revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI–R). Descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Overall, the sample showed a positive tendency toward PTG. The older the child was at death, the less PTG the parent experienced. Time since the child’s death was negatively correlated with PTG, and parents whose children died by accident/suicide had lower PTG than those whose children died of illness. Lower education and poor parental health were significantly associated with lower levels of PTG. Community support was significantly and positively associated with PTG. A majority of aging parents who have lost their only child in China experience PTG. Characteristics related to the loss (child’s age at death, time since the death, and cause of death), personal resources (parent’s education and health), and community support are associated with the degree of growth.