Presenter(s)

Cady Ujvari

Comments

Presentation: 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

Download

Download Project (6.6 MB)

Description

A number of negative outcomes may result from exposure to traumatic events, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, educational and occupational difficulties, and impaired social relationships (DiMauro & Renshaw, 2021; Fischer et al., 2022; Hatch et al., 2018; Keenan et al., 2018; Knipscheer et al., 2020). However, research has demonstrated that most people exposed to adversity or trauma are resilient, meaning that they do not struggle with these negative posttraumatic outcomes. In fact, some individuals will report a higher level of functioning after exposure to a traumatic event as compared to their baseline functioning prior to the event. This is referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). PTG often emerges as the result of a cognitive struggle following a traumatic life event that impacts one’s assumptive world or core beliefs about themselves and others (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). PTG is strongly associated with higher satisfaction in life, better physical health, and less anxiety and distress (Boals et. al, 2010). While some research has examined the effect of age on reported growth, it has done so solely in a population of childhood cancer survivors. Additionally, many studies have documented growth among trauma survivors with a range of traumatic experiences, but less research has focused on whether the type of trauma experienced may influence one’s capacity for experiencing growth. Finally, no known research has examined the interaction between age at the time of traumatic exposure and type of trauma in facilitation of PTG. The current study attempts to contribute to the knowledge of peritraumatic factors that influence the likelihood of experiencing growth. Having this knowledge will add significantly to the understanding of PTG as a construct, which is as of yet minimally understood. A sample comprised of undergraduate students and community members will be recruited to assess these research aims. Measures to be used in the present study represent a subset of a larger battery of measures.

Publication Date

4-19-2023

Project Designation

Graduate Research

Primary Advisor

Lucy Allbaugh

Primary Advisor's Department

Psychology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Peritraumatic Factors and the Capacity for Posttraumatic Growth

Share

COinS