The Reciprocal Relationship Between Social Support in Bereavement and Posttraumatic Growth-A Random Intercept...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Bereavement Studies
• Trauma Research

Background:

• Social support is known to promote posttraumatic growth (PTG) in general trauma populations.
• The reciprocal relationship between social support and PTG, especially among the bereaved, remains under-investigated.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing interventions for grief and loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reciprocal predictive relationship between social support and PTG in adults bereaved of first-degree relatives.
• To examine the influence of different domains of social support (living, economic, grief processing, emotion restoration) on PTG.
• To explore how PTG influences the receipt of social support over time.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study surveying 181 adults who lost first-degree relatives within one year.
• Data collected at three intervals, 6 months apart, using The Scale of Social Support in Bereavement (SSB) and The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI).
• Analyses employed random intercepts cross-lagged panel models to assess within-person relationships.

Main Results:

• Social support and PTG were positively correlated at the within-person level across all time points.
• Total social support and restoration-oriented support at Time 2 positively predicted PTG at Time 3.
• PTG at Time 1 positively predicted emotion restoration support at Time 2, but grief processing support did not predict PTG.

Conclusions:

• Social support and PTG exhibit a reciprocal, mutually influential relationship among the bereaved.
• Restoration-oriented social support is particularly important for facilitating PTG in this population.
• Findings highlight the need to focus on support promoting adaptation and positive change during bereavement.