Virtuousness and Posttraumatic Growth after Traumatic Loss: Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

Virtue is a significant but underexplored factor in comprehending posttraumatic growth and psychosocial adaptation in the aftermath of traumatic loss. While empirical evidence suggests that the dominant virtues and their combinations can vary among individuals, the specific variances and their unique impacts remain uncertain. This research investigated the virtue profiles, based on five virtue subfactors of the Virtue-based Psychosocial Adaptation Model, in association with posttraumatic growth and demographics among 257 South Koreans who experienced either direct or vicarious traumatic loss. Using latent profile analysis, three virtue profiles were discerned: high, mid, and low-virtue groups. Of the participants, 33.9% were categorized into the high-virtue group, displaying pronounced levels across all five virtue sub-factors. The mid-virtue group, comprising 59.9% of participants, exhibited moderate levels for these virtues. The low-virtue group, which encompassed 6.2%, showed the lowest levels across the virtue factors. The high-virtue group demonstrated the most pronounced posttraumatic growth, followed by mid and low-virtue groups. Age, socio-economic status (SES), and chronic illness or disability (CID) were demographic determinants significantly associated with profile memberships. Older age and higher SES were associated with the high-virtue group compared to the mid-group. CID status was a predictor of the mid-virtue group, compared to high-group. The findings suggest the necessity of tailored approaches, which acknowledge the interdependence of virtues and consider the diverse backgrounds and environments of individuals for more nuanced and effective support.

Keywords:

• Traumatic loss
• virtue
• V-PAM
• posttraumatic growth
• latent profile analysis

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2021S1A3A2A02089682).

Notes on contributors

Jaeyoung Kim

Jaeyoung Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at Michigan State University. His scholarly pursuits are principally focused on elucidating the complex associations between individuals’ traumatic experiences and the multifaceted psychosocial outcomes observed in persons with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on employment-related factors.

Jeong Han Kim

Jeong Han Kim is an assistant professor in the Division of Special Education and Counseling at California State University-Los Angeles. He is a founder of Virtue-Based Psychosocial Adaptation Model (V-PAM) and his research focuses on the application of V-PAM to the understanding of one’s adaptation to disability and traumatic experience.

Jeongwoon Jeong

Jeongwoon Jeong is an assistant professor in the Department of Individual, Family, and Community Education at the University of New Mexico. His research focuses on: diverse mental health and addiction issues among underserved populations; multicultural counselor education; and counseling self-efficacy of counselors and counselors-in-training.

Jina Chun

Jina Chun is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education. Her research focuses on: psychoeducation programs for caregivers/families of transition-age youth and young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities; career decisionmaking and its impact on quality of life of transition youth and young adults with disabilities; the interplay of vocational and psychological well-being and career success; multicultural education and training; and evidence-based practice in counseling education.

Hyun-Ju Ju

Hyun-Ju Ju is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on stigma, service needs of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and people with physical disabilities.

Byung Jin Kim

Byung Jin Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation at California State University-Fresno. His research focuses: game, internet, gambling addiction and substance abuse; recovery from addiction; and application of virtue in the context of addiction counseling.

Dong Hun Lee

Dong Hun Lee is a professor in the Department of Education and director of Traumatic Stress Center at Sungkyunkwan University-South Korea. His research focuses on: psychological support/counseling for suicide, self-harm, trauma, and disaster; family support and restoration of ex-offender family; development and educational support for children of single-parent families; and counseling for children with ADHD.