Abstract
Informed by current trauma literature, this study explored the relationships between posttraumatic growth (PTG), posttraumatic depreciation (PTD), and other posttrauma outcomes including well-being, psychological flourishing, and psychological distress. The predictive utility of PTG and PTD was also examined. The sample comprised 104 trauma survivors (28 community members and 76 university students) who completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory–42 and several outcome measures. As expected, PTD showed strong linear correlations with well-being, flourishing and distress, and emerged as a significant predictor of scores on such measures. However, PTG showed negligible correlations with well-being, flourishing, and distress. This reaffirms that PTG and PTD measure conceptually distinct and independent dimensions of experience, which has implications for therapeutic practice.
Notes
Note. PTG = posttraumatic growth; PTD = posttraumatic depreciation; MVA = motor vehicle accident; MCA = motorcycle accident.
Note. PTG F1 = relating to others; PTG F2 = new possibilities; PTG F3 = personal strength; PTG F4 = spiritual change; PTG F5 = appreciation of life; PTG total = posttraumatic growth total score; PTD F1 = relating to others; PTD F2 = new possibilities; PTD F3 = personal strength; PTD F4 = spiritual change; PTD F5 = appreciation of life; PTD total = posttraumatic depreciation total score; DASS-D = DASS depression; DASS-A = DASS anxiety; DASS-S = DASS stress; SWLS = Satisfaction with Life Scale; PFS = Psychological Flourishing Scale; SPANE-P = Scale of Positive and Negative Experience positive subscale; SPANE-N = Scale of Positive and Negative Experience negative subscale. Listwise N = 104.
##*p < .001.
Note. DASS-21 = Depression Anxiety Stress Scales; SWLS = Satisfaction with Life Scale; PFS = Psychological Flourishing Scale; SPANE = Scale of Positive and Negative Experience.
Note. PTD = posttraumatic depreciation; SWLS = Satisfaction with Life Scale; PFS = Psychological Flourishing Scale; SPANE Negative = Scale of Positive and Negative Experience negative subscale.
*p < .001.