Adapting Positively to Trauma: Associations of Posttraumatic Growth, Wisdom, and Virtues in Survivors of Civil War

ABSTRACT

A growing body of research is emerging on the role of adaptive resources and processes that support positive transformation in the aftermath of adversity. However, few studies in this strand have focused on people who have had prolonged exposure to a complex climate of trauma through long-term civil war. This study examined wisdom as a process by which posttraumatic growth is associated with trait forgivingness and trait hope in a cross-sectional sample of N = 531 Colombian civil war survivors (68.7% female; M_age = 42.35, SD = 13.56). Self-report measures included the 21-item Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale, Trait Forgivingness Scale, and Herth Hope Index. Using structural equation modeling, we found that posttraumatic growth and the virtues of trait forgivingness and trait hope were associated both directly and indirectly via wisdom. The findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that wisdom might partially mediate the association between posttraumatic growth and virtues, which sets the stage for prospective longitudinal research to establish causal relations illustrating that posttraumatic growth produces virtues in survivors of civil conflict to the extent that it stimulates wisdom.

KEYWORDS:

• Wisdom
• character strengths
• positive adjustment
• trauma
• posttraumatic growth
• forgivingness
• hope

Acknowledgments

The research was possible thanks to the support of Universidad del Sinú and Instituto de Ciencias de la Felicidad Florecer. The data collection was possible thanks to the logistical assistance by the firm Aliadas por el Progreso who provided trained psychologists and social workers on the ground, helped granting access to sites, provided groceries for the raffles and let us use their power plant. Our thanks go to Gloria Orduz, head of the Psychology Department and Jonathan Pérez Soto, Andres Benavides and Diana Zurita of the Welfare Department, both at Universidad del Sinú, Montería; to the heads of the community action boards of the different neighborhoods of Mocoa, to the Secretary of Health of Mocoa, and to the entities in charge of the shelters (National Police, National Army, National Risk Management Unit and Red Cross).

Declaration statement

The authors declare no financial conflict