Validity of the Turkish version of the Short Form Expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Its relationships with...

Measuring posttraumatic growth in a culturally sensitive manner is essential for identifying and accurately assessing the positive changes experienced after trauma. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Short Form of the Expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Turkish version. It also aimed to examine the mediating roles of sense of coherence and meaning-based coping in the relationship between psychological flexibility and posttraumatic growth.

Study I examined factor structure and item properties using exploratory factor analysis and item response theory. Study II tested the structure and criterion validity via confirmatory factor and correlation analyses. Study III used PROCESS macro to examine serial mediation by sense of coherence and meaning-based coping.

Exploratory factor analysis supported a 10-item, one-factor structure, and item response theory analyses indicated moderate to high item discrimination with appropriate difficulty levels. The Short Form of the Expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Turkish version demonstrated high internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one-factor structure with good model fit, and correlation analyses supported criterion validity. Mediation analysis revealed that sense of coherence and meaning-based coping served as serial mediators in the relationship between psychological flexibility and posttraumatic growth.

These findings provide initial evidence for the validity of the Short Form of the Expanded Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Turkish version. Furthermore, this study suggests that psychological flexibility may promote posttraumatic growth by enhancing a sense of coherence and meaning-based coping. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).