Patterns of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth in an Epidemiological Sample of Chinese Earthquake Survivors: A Latent Profile Analysis

Constellations of posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth among Israeli female combat veterans: A latent profile analysis approach

OBJECTIVES

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) are possible reactions to exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) during military service. However, knowledge about patterns of both PTSS and PTG among female combat veterans is sparse. This study examines constellations of PTSS and PTG among Israeli female combat veterans, as well as military-related exposure and positive psychological correlates of these constellations.

METHODS

A volunteer sample of Israeli women combat veterans (n = 885) responded to self-report questionnaires in a cross-sectional design study.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify four profiles characterized by unique constellations of PTSS and PTG: moderate PTSS and high PTG (33%), moderate PTSS and moderate PTG (30%), low PTSS and high PTG (30%), and low PTSS and PTG (5.5%). Higher levels of combat experiences were associated with higher odds of inclusion in the moderate PTSS and high PTG and moderate PTSS and moderate PTG profiles. Moreover, compared to the other classes, both low PTSS and high PTG and moderate PTSS and high PTG classes were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life and happiness psychological outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The study's findings offer an overview of the complex pattern of associations between PTSS, PTG, and associated predictors and outcomes. Clinicians treating female veterans should be aware of the varying reactions to military service challenges, including the presence of moderate to high levels of PTG reactions in addition to PTSS.

Patterns and predictors of symptom burden and posttraumatic growth among patients with cancer: a latent profile analysis

PURPOSE

The study identified different patterns of symptom burden and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among patients with cancer and to explored the effects of sociodemographic, disease-related, and family resilience factors, which could provide reference for the development of personalized nursing measures.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 329 patients with cancer who were undergoing treatment. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to explore the patterns of symptom burden and PTG among patients with cancer, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of different patterns.

RESULTS

Based on the fit indicators of LPA, a three-class pattern model of posttraumatic responses was shown to be optimal, including resisting, struggling, and growth groups. In the resisting group (34.34%), patients reported low symptom burden and low PTG; in the struggling group (19.15%), patients showed a high symptom burden and moderate PTG; in the growth group (46.51%), patients showed low symptom burden and high PTG. Moreover, patients with cancer with high levels of family resilience were more likely to fall into the struggling and growth groups. Specifically, those with lower scores in the optimistic attitude and higher scores in the family and social support dimension of family resilience were more likely to fall into the struggling group, whereas those with lower scores in the transcendence and spiritual belief dimensions of family resilience were more likely to fall into the resisting group. Additionally, patients with at least three children were more likely to fall into the struggling group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed heterogeneity in symptom burden and PTG patterns among patients with cancer. Patients' growth must include both psychological growth and the mitigated symptom burden. Family factors may be intervention targets to improve the growth patterns.

Posttraumatic growth of medical staff during COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented stress and challenges upon medical staff, potentially resulting in posttraumatic growth (PTG). This scoping review aims to synthesize the existing knowledge on PTG among medical staff during the pandemic by identifying its current status and potential influencing factors. The findings may provide a foundation for future research and interventions to enhance the medical staff's psychological resilience and well-being.

METHODS

Literature was systematically searched on PTG among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic from 01 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), and Wanfang Data. Eligibility criteria included: (1) medical staff as research subjects; (2) a focus on "posttraumatic growth" or "alternative posttraumatic growth" related to the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic; (3) discussion of the situation and influencing factors of PTG; and (4) study types, such as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Two researchers independently selected and extracted study characteristics (study design, study population, region, measurement instruments, and primary outcomes) from the included literature. The data were synthesized qualitatively and descriptively.

RESULTS

Thirty-six papers from 12 countries met the inclusion criteria. Moderate PTG levels were observed among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with emphasis on "interpersonal relationships," "changes in life philosophy," and "growth in personal competence." Influencing factors included trauma exposure, sociodemographics, psychological characteristics (resilience and positive qualities), coping, and social support.

CONCLUSIONS

This review discovered moderate PTG levels among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, with critical areas in interpersonal relationships, life philosophy, and personal competence. The identified influencing factors can inform future research and interventions to enhance healthcare workers' psychological resilience and well-being.

Parenthood during the COVID-19 pandemic: Post-traumatic growth amongst university students

This study sought to investigate a positive dimension of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, that of post-traumatic growth (PTG). This study investigated coping difficulties and PTG amongst parent and nonparent students in Israeli Universities. A total of 4022 parents (3648 Jews and 374 Palestinian-Arab Citizens [PACs]) and 14,651 nonparents (12,010 Jews and 2641 PACs) completed measures of coping, social support and PTG. Parents demonstrated significantly higher levels of coping and PTG. Amongst parents, fathers coped slightly better than mothers; however, while Jewish mothers demonstrated greater PTG than Jewish fathers, PAC fathers had significantly greater PTG than both PAC mothers and Jewish parents. These findings, while specific to COVID-19, indicate that PTG should be studied in greater depth in different ethnic and minority groups in order to develop enhanced understanding and facilitate promotion of post-traumatic growth, in addition to the prevention of COVID-19-related distress.

Empirically Derived Patterns of Posttraumatic Stress and Growth: A Systematic Review

The relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) has been extensively studied; however, the nature of the relationship remains unclear. Inconsistencies in the literature could be, in part, due to the use of variable level approaches. Person centered methods may further our understanding of this relationship, as they enable the identification of clinically meaningful subgroups based on PTS/PTG scores. This review aimed to identify commonly found subgroups of PTS and PTG, clinically relevant factors that distinguish the subgroups and to critically appraise the utility of categorizing individuals into subgroups based on PTS/PTG scores. Five databases (Embase, Medline, Web of Science, PILOTS, and PsycINFO) were searched. Seven studies (with a total of eight study samples; n = 6,776) met the eligibility criteria. A narrative synthesis of the findings revealed that the majority of the analyses (n = 6) found three patterns of PTS/PTG. These were categorized as: (1) low PTS/PTG (representing 26.89% of the entire sample), (2) high PTS/PTG (weighted mean percentage = 20.05%), and (3) low PTS/high PTG (weighted mean percentage = 43.1%). The role of social support was examined in five studies and higher social support was consistently found to predict membership in the low PTS/high PTG class. All five studies that examined the role of trauma characteristics found that it was a significant predictor of class membership. These findings could inform the developments of tailored interventions. The utility of person-centered approaches was discussed and recommendations to improve the application and reporting of such methods were made.

The impact of family function on post-traumatic reactions of Chinese adolescents infected with COVID-19: a latent profile study

Background

Since the end of 2019, Corona Virus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, has broken out in various countries. However, the change of China's COVID-19 prevention and control policy and the sharp increase in the number of infected people are making the teenagers have post-traumatic reactions. Negative post-traumatic reactions include: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety. Positive post-traumatic reaction mainly refers to post-traumatic growth (PTG). The purpose of this study is to explore the post-traumatic reaction, which refers to PTSD, depression, anxiety and the co-occurrence pattern of growth after trauma and to further explore the influence of family function on different categories of Post-traumatic Reactions.

Methods

Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to explore the co-occurrence of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and PTG. Multiple logistics regression was used to analyze the influence of family function on different categories of post-traumatic response.

Results

There were three categories of post-traumatic reactions in adolescents infected with COVID-19 adolescents infected with COVID-19, namely: growth class, struggling class, and pain class. Multivariate Logistic regression showed that the growth class and struggling class were affected by problem solving and behavior control in family function, while the growth class and pain class were affected by problem solving, roles, behavior control, and general functioning. Multiple logistic regression showed that the growth class and struggling class were affected by problem solving and roles.

Conclusions

The findings of this study provide evidence for the identification of high-risk individuals and the provision of effective interventions in clinical practice, as well as the influence of family functioning on the different categories of PTSD among adolescents infected with COVID-19.

How Maternal Trauma Exposure Contributed to Children's Depressive Symptoms following the Wenchuan Earthquake: A Multiple Mediation Model Study

Although well-established literature has indicated the burden of mental health among victims after the Wenchuan earthquake, no research has focused on the mental health of mothers and their children who experienced the earthquake and were pregnant during or shortly after it. This study investigates the relationship between maternal trauma exposure (TE) and children's depressive symptoms after the Wenchuan earthquake and explores the risk and protective factors underlying this relationship. A sample of 547 mother-child dyads, in which the mother experienced the Wenchuan earthquake, was used to assess maternal depressive symptoms, maternal TE, children's depressive symptoms, children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal posttraumatic growth (PTG). The results showed that maternal TE had two significant one-step indirect associations with children's depressive symptoms (through children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal PTG) and one two-step indirect association with children's depressive symptoms (through maternal depressive symptoms via children's perceived impact of the earthquake). The results indicated that maternal depressive symptoms, children's perceived impact of the earthquake and maternal PTG mediated the association between maternal TE and children's depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of mothers in supporting the mental health of these children. Maternal depressive symptoms and PTG, two posttraumatic outcomes, played positive and negative roles in the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Thus, post-disaster interventions should reduce the maternal transmission of trauma-related information and improve maternal PTG to support children's mental health.

Changes in posttraumatic growth, core belief disruption, and social support over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that may occur after a highly stressful situation that shakes a person's core beliefs about the world. During 2020, the United States experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and a highly contentious political election, both of which have the potential to disrupt core beliefs and evoke perceptions of PTG. Post-traumatic growth, core belief disruption, perceived social support from humans and pets, coping strategies, and stressful events were assessed in 201 participants from the United States (Mage: 35.39, SD: 14.60) at four time points from April 2020 (T1) until April 2021 (T4). While total PTG did not significantly change from Time 1 to Time 4, perceptions of personal strength and new possibilities increased, as did core belief disruption, and the use of coping strategies decreased. Higher PTG was reported by those who owned pets, those who knew someone who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, and those who knew someone who had died of COVID-19. While rating COVID-19 or politics as the most stressful event at Time 4 did not correspond to differences in PTG, those who perceived the event to be resolved had higher PTG than those who perceived the event to be ongoing. Having COVID-19 personally and vaccination status was not associated with differences in Post-traumatic Growth. PTG at Time 4 was predicted by core belief disruption and social support in the full sample and in the pet owners only sample, and by support from video conferencing for the full sample only. Time 4 PTG was also predicted by core belief disruption, problem-focused coping, and avoidance coping. Results are discussed in terms of the PTG theoretical model. Additionally, implications for interventions aimed at fostering psychological growth, including through non-traditional forms of social support (i.e., remote communication and perceived support from pets) are addressed.

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, posttraumatic growth, and rumination in adolescents after earthquake: A systematic review

PURPOSE

This systematic review aims to examine, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and rumination in adolescents after an earthquake. The aim of the review is to provide high-quality, evidence-based recommendations that contribute to the roles of psychiatric nurses and the development of psychosocial support systems.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study has been conducted in line with the Centres for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) guideline which guides preparation for transparent reporting of meta-analysis and systematic reviews.

FINDINGS

Despite the limited evidence, it was concluded that it is important to identify the psychological processes that lead to PTG and reduce the incidence of PTSD in earthquake-affected adolescents.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This evidence shows how important it is to raise the awareness of healthcare providers in different disciplines, including psychiatric nurses, around the need for psychosocial support interventions following a natural disaster.

Latent Patterns of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Depression, and Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Researchhas shown that posttraumatic reactions can co-occur in trauma-exposed individuals. Many studies have assessed the co-occurring patterns of two types of reactions, but few have assessed the patterns of multiple reactions. To build on existing knowledge, the present study examined co-occurring patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 683) were adolescents selected from an area in China severely affected by COVID-19 who completed the PTSD Checklist, a measure of depression, a PTG inventory, and a cognitive emotional regulation questionnaire. Latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used for the data analyses. The results showed three heterogeneous patterns characterized by growth (n = 248, 36.3%), distress (n = 101, 14.8%), and struggle (n = 334, 48.9%). Positive refocusing and reappraisal were associated with membership in the growth group compared with distress group, OR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.75, 0.93] and OR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.68, 0.90], whereas rumination, catastrophizing, and "putting into perspective" were associated with membership in the distress group compared with growth group, ORs = 1.15-1.44. These findings suggest that posttraumatic reactions show heterogeneous characteristics: struggle, rather than growth or distress, is common among adolescents during COVID-19; and distinct cognitive emotional regulation strategies have distinguishing roles in the three patterns of posttraumatic reactions.

Longitudinal transitions in patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and psychological distress among South Korean adults with traumatic experiences

This study aimed to investigate transitions in patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological distress among South Koreans with traumatic experiences. This study consists of two parts: In Part 1 the time since trauma ranged between 0 and 41 years, while in Part 2 participants experienced at least one traumatic event within the previous three years. We identified subgroups and transitions between classes over a one-year period using latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis. First, in Part 1, four classes were identified at T1 and T2. Second, we explored whether age, sex, time since trauma, and time perspective (TP) predicted class membership at T1. Age, past-negative (PN), present-fatalistic, and future TPs were significant predictors of class membership at T1. Finally, sex, PN, and future TPs were identified as significant predictors of class transition over time. The same analysis was conducted in Part 2 with individuals chosen from the Part 1 participants. Differential effects of TP on class membership and transitions in PTSD symptoms and psychological distress indicated the need for intervention programs that consider the TP profiles of individuals with traumatic experiences.

Posttraumatic growth after earthquake: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) represents a positive personal change after adverse events, such as natural disasters, including earthquake. However, the association between exposure to earthquake and level of PTG is still unknown. Thus, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analyses (MA) is to assess the level of PTG in people exposed to earthquake.

METHODS

Studies were identified via Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, ProQuest, Cochran Library, Ovid, Google Scholar, OpenGrey, congress, and conferences research papers. The level of PTG was presented as mean and standard deviation. Subgroup analyses were conducted to control for the amount of time that had passed since stressor onset and age of the study population. The meta-regression was used to explore the sources of between-study heterogeneity, including sample size and age.

RESULTS

The MA of all 21 studies using no restrictions related to age and time of the PTG measurement since traumatic event showed low level of PTG (41.71; 95%CI = 34.26; 49.16, I²: 62.44%, p: .000). Subgroup analyses controlled for the age demonstrated that level of PTG was higher in adults (49.47; 95% CI = 42.35; 56.58, I²: 0%, p = .466) when compared to children and adolescents (35.38; 95% CI = 23.65; 47.11, I²: 69.09%, p < .00). Moreover, the pooled weight mean of PTG measured 1 year and less than 1 year since the earthquake varied between medium (46.04; 95%CI = 34.45; 57.63, I²:51.2%, p: .037) and high (59.03; 95%CI = 41.46; 76.41, I²: 0%, p: .990) levels, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results of our MA showed low level of PTG in earthquake survivors. However, the mean value of PTG in adults was higher when compared to children and adolescents. In addition, the mean PTG was found to decrease over time since traumatic events.

Patterns of Depression and Resilience in Children and Adolescents Exposed to an Earthquake: A Latent Profile Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Depression and resilience are different psychological outcomes caused by experiencing traumatic events. We aimed to 1) explore heterogeneity patterns of co-occurrence between depression symptoms and resilience among children and adolescents exposed to an earthquake and 2) assess covariates (trauma exposure, sex, age, ethnicity, and sleep quality) in identifying the best fitting solution.

METHODS

Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to examine patterns of self-reported depression and resilience in an epidemiological sample of 2,887 Chinese youth survivors 1 year after the Lushan earthquake.

RESULTS

A suitable 3-class model were identified, which are mild depression/high resilience (65.0%), severe depression/high resilience (22.1%), and severe depression/low resilience (12.9%). Trauma exposure, demographic characteristics and sleep state can be used to identify the different latent classes.

CONCLUSION

Our results contribute to understanding the heterogeneous coexisting patterns of depression and resilience and provide suggestions for identifying high-risk youth survivors and offering effective interventions.

Depression, Anxiety and Post-traumatic Growth Among Bereaved Adults: A Latent Class Analysis

Background

The death of a loved one can trigger a range of responses, including painful thoughts and emotions, as well as positive changes, such as post-traumatic growth (PTG). To understand more about the relationship between these outcomes this study explored the co-occurrence of depression, anxiety and PTG among a group of bereaved Chinese adults.

Methods

Data were collected from 194 participants, who had lost a first-degree relative. Latent class analysis was used to analyze the data to identify subgroups of participants with shared symptom profiles.

Results

Three classes were identified: a Growth class, a Depression/Anxiety/Growth class and a Depression/Anxiety class. Marital status, social support, close relationship with the deceased and witnessing the suffering of the deceased were identified as differential predictors of class membership.

Conclusion

The findings contribute to our understanding of the potentially wide ranging impacts of bereavement and highlight the important role of stressor characteristics and support and in influencing impairment and positive outcomes.

Patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among women after an earthquake: A latent profile analysis

It is well known that women are more vulnerable than men to mental health problems following disasters. However, the patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among women are unclear. This study was conducted to investigate the profiles of PTSD and PTG among women after an earthquake and determine the predictors of profile membership. A total of 1487 women (M_age = 40.66 years, SD = 10.39) completed questionnaires assessing PTSD, PTG, trauma exposure during an earthquake, trauma history, and demographic information. A three-step latent profile analysis was used. Five profiles were identified: mild PTSD/mild PTG (12.4% of the sample), moderate PTSD/moderate PTG (39.4%), high PTSD/moderate PTG (9.6%), mild PTSD/high PTG (17.5%) and high PTSD/high PTG (21.1%). Women who were older, had been injured, or felt horrible and those whose houses were severely damaged in the earthquake were more likely to be in profiles characterized by higher levels of PTSD and PTG, whereas women with lower education levels were more likely to be in profiles characterized by higher levels of PTSD but lower levels of PTG. The results of this study provide a foundation for providing psychological assistance for particular groups of women.

Posttraumatic Stress and Depression in the Aftermath of Environmental Disasters: A Review of Quantitative Studies Published in 2018

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As interest in the mental health consequences of environmental disasters increases, this review aimed to summarize peer-reviewed studies published in 2018 on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms after such events.

RECENT FINDINGS

Notable trends in the past year of research included studies focusing on vulnerable populations (e.g., persons with preexisting physical health conditions), assessing the cumulative impact of exposure to multiple disasters, exploring pathway leading to PTSD and depression symptoms, and evaluating the effectiveness of post-disaster interventions. Over 100 articles were identified, focused on 40 disasters that occurred between 1982 and 2017. Prevalence estimates ranged from 0 to 70.51% for PTSD and 1.9 to 59.5% for depression. Consistent predictors of adverse outcomes included female gender, socioeconomic disadvantage, high disaster exposure, and low psychosocial resources. Further research that expands upon recent advances in the literature is critical given the large proportion of the world's population exposed to disasters and the increasing incidence of such events.

Patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among breast cancer patients in China: A latent profile analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify the patterns of posttraumatic responses among breast cancer (BC) patients, to explore the variables associated with these patterns, and to compare anxiety and depression on various posttraumatic response patterns.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample of 612 BC patients who were currently undergoing treatment. The questionnaire package included Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Network of Relationships Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Modeling was performed using a latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore patterns of posttraumatic responses among BC patients.

RESULTS

Based on the fitting indicators of LPA, three-class patterns model of posttraumatic responses was optimal. Resisting group (34.6%): patients reported mild posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and mild posttraumatic growth (PTG). Growth group (47.4%): patients showed mild PTSS and high PTG. Struggling group (18.0%): patients showed high PTSS and high PTG. BC patients with lower income were more likely to belong to Resisting group and Struggling group. BC patients with high levels of social support were more likely to belong to Growth group. Patients in Struggling group had the highest levels of anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that there was heterogeneity in posttraumatic response patterns of BC patients. The results provided theoretical base guiding the development of health care schemes and psychological interventions for patients, suggesting the necessity of differentiated health care for BC patients with different posttraumatic response patterns.

Coexistence of Post-traumatic Growth and Post-traumatic Depreciation in the Aftermath of Trauma: Qualitative and Quantitative Narrative Analysis

Objectives: Post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic depreciation (PTD) can be defined, respectively, as positive and negative changes in the aftermath of trauma. These changes can be assigned to the following domains: personal strength, relating to others, new possibilities, appreciation of life, spiritual and existential change. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility that positive and negative effects of trauma can coexist and explore the categories of effect. Methods: 72 participants were asked to recount their experience of trauma and answer questions about how it had affected their thinking about themselves and the world. Participants' narratives were analyzed by competent judges and using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Results: The domains in which positive changes were most frequently observed were Personal Strength (26.09%), Relating to Others (24.22%), and Appreciation of Life (21.12%). Negative changes mainly affected Relating to Others (33.33%) and Personal Strength (23.33%). The results were confirmed by quantitative analysis of narratives: participants' narratives of trauma and its consequences contained more words which expressing positive emotions (1.67%) than negative emotions (0.90%), paired-sample t(60) = 9.70, p < 0.001. There were correlations between the frequency of words referring to positive emotions and PTG, r(62) = 0.39, p < 0.01, and between the frequency of words referring to negative emotions and PTG, r(62) = 0.23, p < 0.05. Conclusion: PTG and PTD can coexist and they can be regarded as outcomes of two separate processes. The study results also suggest that although PTG and PTD can coexist, they may be considered different domains of psychological functioning.

Social support moderates association between posttraumatic growth and trauma-related psychopathologies among victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster

Disasters have numerous harmful effects on the mental health status of trauma-exposed people. We investigated the differences in the association between trauma-related psychopathologies and posttraumatic growth according to the perceived social support level among victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, in South Korea. Data from 241 bereaved family members, survivors, and family members of survivors were used. The Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, PTSD Checklist-5, Posttraumatic Embitterment Disorder Self-Rating Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 were used to evaluate perceived social support, posttraumatic growth, and trauma-related psychopathologies. We found that the severity of depression and anxiety showed inverse correlations with posttraumatic growth only in the low-social support group, while they did not demonstrate significant correlations in the high-social support group. The social support level had correlations with posttraumatic growth and the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic embitterment disorder only in female respondents. Furthermore, there was a mediation pathway from social support level to posttraumatic growth through depressive symptoms. This study explored the complex relationship between social support, posttraumatic growth, trauma-related psychopathologies, and gender among trauma-exposed individuals in the aftermath of the Sewol Ferry disaster.