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Examining the relationship between resilience and posttraumatic growth
Stephen Z Levine1, Avital Laufer, Einat Stein
1Renata Adler Research Center for Child Welfare and Protection, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. levins@biu.ac.il
Journal of Traumatic Stress
|July 14, 2009
Summary
This study found that resilience, defined as no posttraumatic stress disorder after trauma, was inversely related to posttraumatic growth in Israeli adolescents and adults. Higher resilience correlated with lower growth scores.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Resilience Research
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common outcome following trauma.
- Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a positive psychological change experienced after trauma.
- The relationship between resilience and PTG requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the interrelationships between resilience and posttraumatic growth.
- To investigate these relationships in populations exposed to significant trauma.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: 2908 Israeli adolescents exposed to terror.
- Study 2: 588 Israeli citizens and army personnel post-Second Lebanon War.
- Analysis focused on the correlation between resilience (absence of PTSD) and PTG.
Main Results:
- High levels of resilience were associated with the lowest posttraumatic growth scores.
- An inverse relationship was observed between resilience and posttraumatic growth across both studies.
- These findings challenge the assumption of a direct positive association.
Conclusions:
- Resilience and posttraumatic growth, while both salutogenic, appear to be inversely related.
- Theoretical models of trauma recovery may need to account for this inverse relationship.
- Clinical implications suggest distinct pathways for fostering resilience versus growth post-trauma.
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