Meaning in Life and Posttraumatic Growth

Meaning and Posttraumatic Growth Among Survivors of the September 2013 Colorado Floods

In the wake of significant adversity, a range of recovery outcomes are possible, from prolonged distress to minimal effects on functioning and even psychological growth. Finding meaning in one's life is thought to facilitate optimal recovery from such adversity. Research on psychological growth and recovery often focuses on the daily hassles or significant traumas of convenience samples or on people's psychological recovery from medical illness. A small body of research is developing to test theories of growth among survivors of natural disasters. The present study of 57 survivors of the 2013 Colorado floods tested the incremental relations between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and dimensions of meaning in life, vitality, and perceived social support. The most consistent relations observed were among the one dimension of meaning-search for meaning-perceived social support, and PTG. Despite the limitations of this study, we conclude that search for meaning in life may be an important part of recovery from natural disasters, floods being one example.

Super Champions, Champions, and Almosts: Important Differences and Commonalities on the Rocky Road

The real-world experiences of young athletes follow a non-linear and dynamic trajectory and there is growing recognition that facing and overcoming a degree of challenge is desirable for aspiring elites and as such, should be recognized and employed. However, there are some misunderstandings of this "talent needs trauma" perspective with some research focusing excessively or incorrectly on the incidence of life and sport challenge as a feature of effective talent development. The objective of the study was to examine what factors associated with such "trauma" experiences may or may not discriminate between high, medium, and low achievers in sport, classified as super-champions, champions or almosts. A series of retrospective interviews were used with matched triads (i.e., super-champions, champions, or almosts) of performers (N = 54) from different sports. Data collection was organized in three phases. In the first phase, a graphic time line of each performer's career was developed. The second phase explored the specific issues highlighted by each participant in a chronological sequence. The third phase was a retrospective reflection on "traumatic" motivators, coach/significant other inputs and psychological challenges experienced and skills employed. Data suggested qualitative differences between categories of performers, relating to several perceptual and experiential features of their development. No evidence was found for the necessity of major trauma as a feature of development. There was a lack of discrimination across categories of performers associated with the incidence of trauma and, more particularly, life or non-sport trauma. These findings suggest that differences between levels of adult achievement relate more to what performers bring to the challenges than what they experience. A periodized and progressive set of challenge, preceded and associated with specific skill development, would seem to offer the best pathway to success for the majority.

The relations between violence exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms, secondary traumatization, vicarious post traumatic growth and illness attribution among psychiatric nurses

This study examined posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD), secondary traumatization (ST) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VG) among Israeli psychiatric nurses (PN) who were compared to community nurses (CN). Furthermore, we examined the contribution of PN perceptions of the etiology of their patients' mental illness to their PTSD, ST and VG. Results show that PN reported higher levels of both PTSD and ST symptoms, but lower levels of VG, as compare to CN. While ST symptoms were positively related to VG among CN, PTSD and ST symptoms were negatively associated among PN. Finally, exposure to patients' violence, PTSD or ST symptoms, and illness attribution dimensions of 'powerful others', predicted nurses' VG. PN are an at-risk population for work-related stress residues.

Posttraumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors: Constructive and Illusory Aspects

This study investigated the impact of a building-resilience intervention on coping and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a convenience sample of 94 breast cancer survivors. PTG was divided into constructive and illusory components, based on the two-sided Janus face model (Maercker & Zoellner, 2004). We operationalized constructive PTG as an improvement in both PTG and coping, and illusory PTG as an improvement in PTG only. An 8-session group intervention was delivered to 49 women (mean age = 51.5 years, SD = 10.7) who completed self-report questionnaires at baseline and at 6 months follow-up; a control group of 45 women only completed questionnaires. More than half the participants (n = 53; 56.38%) reported increased PTG at 6 months (mean change = 0.56, SD = 0.48, η(2) = .58). The increase in both PTG and positive coping was significantly greater in the intervention group than the control group (B = 0.23 for PTG, and B = 0.35 for positive coping). Further, a higher proportion of constructive PTG (vs. illusory PTG) was reported by the participants in the intervention group (89.3%), as compared to the control group (56.3%; z = 2.57). The distinction between constructive and illusory PTG has clinical implications for interventions promoting coping and growth among cancer survivors.

Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form

The purpose of this article is to adapt and validate the short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF) in Spanish. The scale consists of 10 items distributed in 5 posttraumatic growth dimensions measured in the original instrument. The psychometric properties and dimensionality of the scale are examined in a sample of college students (N = 681). Results lend support to the validity and reliability (α = .83) of the PTGI-SF. The dimensions of PTGI-SF show correlations ranging between .29 and .52. In addition, the inventory correlates significantly with deliberate rumination (r = .39) and the search for meaning in life (r = .32). The factor loadings of the items in the confirmatory factor analysis varied between .52 and .87, showing good fit indexes (comparative fit index = .97, Tucker-Lewis index = .93, relative fit index = .90, incremental fit index = .97, normed fit index = .96, and root mean square error of approximation = .05). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis supported invariance of the PTGI-SF across the 2 groups. Finally, significantly higher PTGI-SF scores were observed in subjects who were actively looking for meaning in life, or had found it after a seeking process, than in subjects who had not looked for meaning in life or had given up because they had not been successful.

Seeking and experiencing meaning: Exploring the role of meaning in promoting mental adjustment and eudaimonic well-being in cancer patients

Objective:

The present study is the result of theory-driven research investigating the role of the search for and presence of meaning in enhancing both mental adjustment and eudaimonic well-being in cancer patients.

Method:

A cross-sectional study involved 266 cancer patients currently in the treatment and management phase of their illness. Data were collected by a written questionnaire. The search for meaning was assessed with the Seeking of Noetic Goals Test, and the presence of meaning was assessed using the Purpose in Life Test. Mental adjustment to a cancer diagnosis was assessed by two subscales of the Italian version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, and eudaimonic well-being was assessed with the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Correlation and mediation analyses based on five thousand bootstrapping samples were performed.

Results:

The mediation analyses showed that the presence of meaning totally or partially mediated the effect of the search for meaning on both mental adjustment and eudaimonic well-being. Further correlation analyses showed a high negative correlation between eudaimonic well-being and hopelessness.

Significance of results:

Our results appear relevant from both the theoretical and clinical points of view. They support a deeper understanding of the combined contribution of the search for and presence of meaning in promoting well-being in cancer patients. Simultaneously, they are consistent with suggestions from recent studies on the clinical psychology of posttraumatic growth and emphasize the relevance of eudaimonic well-being as a protective factor for hopelessness.

Losing a child: finding meaning in bereavement

BACKGROUND

Confronting the loss of a loved one leads us to the core questions of human existence. Bereaved parents have to deal with the rupture of a widely shared concept of what is perceived to be the natural course of life and are forced into meaning reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to expand upon existing work concerning specific themes of meaning reconstruction in a sample of bereaved parents. More specifically, the relationship between meaning reconstruction, complicated grief, and posttraumatic growth was analyzed, with special attention focused on traumatic and unexpected losses.

METHOD

In a mixed methods approach, themes of meaning reconstruction (sense-making and benefit-finding) were assessed in in-depth interviews with a total of 30 bereaved parents. Posttraumatic growth and complicated grief were assessed using standardized questionnaires, and qualitative and quantitative results were then merged using data transformation methods.

RESULTS

In total 42 themes of meaning reconstruction were abstracted from oral material. It was shown that sense-making themes ranged from causal explanations to complex philosophical beliefs about life and death. Benefit-finding themes contained thoughts about personal improvement as well as descriptions about social actions. Significant correlations were found between the extent of sense-making and posttraumatic growth scores (r s=0.54, r s=0.49; p<0.01), especially when the death was traumatic or unexpected (r s=0.67, r s=0.63; p<0.01). However, analysis revealed no significant correlation with complicated grief. Overall results corroborate meaning reconstruction themes and the importance of meaning reconstruction for posttraumatic growth.

Support mechanisms and vulnerabilities in relation to PTSD in veterans of the Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan deployments: a systematic review

Pretrauma factors of psychiatric history and neuroticism have been important in highlighting vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whereas posttrauma support mechanisms have been associated with positive health and well-being outcomes, particularly in veterans. The relationship between these factors and PTSD has not been the subject of a systematic review in veterans. An online search was conducted, supplemented by reference list and author searches. Two investigators systematically and independently examined eligible studies. From an initial search result of 2,864, 17 met inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of unit cohesion involving 6 studies found that low unit cohesion was associated with PTSD, standardised mean difference of -1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-2.80, -0.45]. A meta-analysis of social support involving 7 studies found that low social support was associated with PTSD, standardised mean difference of - 12.40, 95% CI [-3.42, -1.38]. Three of 5 studies found a significant relationship between low-family support and PTSD; insufficient data precluded a meta-analysis. Regarding pretrauma vulnerability, 2 studies on psychiatric history and 1 on neuroticism found positive relationships with PTSD. Posttrauma factors of low support were associated with higher reporting of PTSD. Cross-sectional methodology may be inadequate to capture complex relationships between support and PTSD; more longitudinal research is required.

A Model of Meaning-Making Coping and Growth in Combat Veterans

More than 1.6 million military men and women have deployed to fight the global war on terror. Although studies have suggested that approximately one third of these service men and women return with a mental health condition or a brain injury, a gap remains in our understanding about how these individuals cope with and grow from their experiences. In this article, we review the existing body of research related to growth and recovery from trauma and then propose an empirically informed and contextually sensitive model to guide future research with combat veterans. We draw from research focused on resilience, posttraumatic growth, and decline (negative or pathological) change trajectories, and we propose that meaning-making coping is a core mechanism of the posttraumatic growth process for combat veterans. Implications for practitioners and the next steps for future research are presented.