Abstract: Research within trauma literature discussing the consequences following a traumatic experience has indicated that there is the capacity for both positive and negative consequences. Though there is more literature on the negative effects, there is growing interest in the positive results from trauma is posttraumatic growth (PTG), which can be described as the victim's ability to thrive and increase life resources (emotional, cognitive, psychological). Research in this area has been inconsistent and some results were unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the associations among posttraumatic growth, depression, social support, coping, and gender. This study also examines the effect trauma intensity has on the relationship between PTG and those variables. Correlations were completed for PTG with depression, coping, social support, and gender, with trauma severity used as a moderator. A median split was completed for PCL scores (trauma severity) and comprised two separate trauma groups (low/high). Correlations were completed between PTG and the outcome variables for each trauma group. For the median split, the statistically significant relationships in the high trauma group were stronger than those with the low trauma group, with increased negative correlations with depression (r = -.16), and increased positive relationships with emotion-focused coping (r = .27), problem-focusing coping (r = .38), and social support (r = .22). A second split of PCL scores (trauma severity) was completed for a clinical level of PTSD symptoms (score of 44). Results showed that for the high trauma clinical group, the strength of the statistically significant correlations were further increased for depression (r = -.32), emotion-focused coping (r = .39), problem-focused coping (r = .62), and social support (r = .46). These results support this study's hypothesis that trauma severity is important in analyzing how PTG relationships work.
Sixth Annual University Scholars Day, 2009, Denton, Texas, United States.