Positive psychological changes experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances.
Deeper Dive
While acute and prolonged traumatic experiences can bring on post-traumatic stress disorder, post-traumatic growth describes recovery in the aftermath of traumatic events or highly stressful experiences.
Post-traumatic growth involves changes across five main domains:
- Improved relationships with others
- Identification of new possibilities for one’s life
- Increased perception of personal strengths
- Spiritual growth
- Enhanced appreciation of life
This concept was introduced in 1999 and has since become well-established in research on trauma and adversity. While initially studied in relation to a single traumatic event, post-traumatic growth has also been observed in people who routinely experience adversity, including those with severe mental health problems.
It’s important to note that post-traumatic growth is not simply a return to baseline functioning, but rather a qualitative change that goes beyond pre-trauma levels. People experiencing post-traumatic growth often report feeling that they have changed in fundamental and positive ways as a result of their struggles.
The process of post-traumatic growth can involve learning about oneself (self-discovery), developing a new sense of identity (sense of self), gaining a fresh perspective on life, improving self-management and well-being, strengthening relationships, and deepening spiritual or religious engagement.
While post-traumatic growth is associated with positive changes, it’s worth noting that it can coexist with distress. Unlike resilience, which is characterized by protection from trauma-induced harms, post-traumatic growth measures the extent someone has achieved growth after enduring trauma. Studies to date have not been able to define what type of person may be more likely to experience post-traumatic growth after trauma exposure.