A Comparison of Posttraumatic Growth After Acquired Brain Injury or Myocardial Infarction

ABSTRACT

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is known to occur following acquired brain injury (ABI). It is not yet known to what extent PTG experiences following ABI are unique to the neurological nature of the injury. We investigated PTG in survivors of ABI or myocardial infarction (MI); MI is comparable to ABI but does not have a primary neurological element. Thirty-three ABI survivors (age M = 51.6, SD = 12.4; 52% male; years since injury M = 5.5, SD = 5.3) and 47 MI survivors (age M = 66.4, SD = 9.9; 79% male, years since injury M = 9.9, SD = 8.6) completed a survey including the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Unadjusted analyses showed no significant group differences on PTGI total score (ABI M = 54.0, SD = 19.6; MI M = 54.6, SD = 23.6; d = .03, p = .902) or on any of the five subscales, but analyses adjusted for covariates showed that scores on “Relating to others” were higher in participants with ABI (unstandardized coefficient = 5.43; 95% CI .27, 10.60; p = .039). Open-ended comments revealed aspects of growth in both samples that were not directly captured by the five PTGI factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Acquired brain injury
• myocardial infarction
• physical illness
• posttraumatic growth

Notes on contributors

Olga Karagiorgou received her Master of Science degree from the School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. This manuscript is based on her dissertation. She is now at Mental Health and Wellbeing, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

Breda Cullen is in Mental Health and Wellbeing at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.