Does posttraumatic growth predict psychological wellbeing over time? A longitudinal study

The perception of positive personal transformation following psychological trauma is hypothesized to represent successful psychological adjustment post-trauma. This hypothesis has not consistently been demonstrated in the literature, however. The current study aimed to address limitations within existing research by employing a longitudinal design and by including hardiness, a personality variable, as a potential moderator. Ninety-three trauma survivors were compared to 99 control participants across three time points using Growth Curve Modeling to determine whether perceived growth predicts overall post-trauma adjustment. Perceived growth was associated with greater symptoms of PTSD and general distress for both groups, though this relationship was moderated by hardiness. The rate of change both PTSD and general distress varied as a function of the interaction between perceived growth and hardiness, but only among trauma survivors. For survivors high in hardiness, quality of life increased as perceived growth increased. Implications of study findings and future directions are discussed.