Arnie Cann

A Correlational Test of the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Growth, Religion, and Cognitive Processing

The present study examined the degree to which event related rumination, a quest orientation to religion, and religious involvement is related to posttraumatic growth. Fifty-four young adults, selected based on prescreening for experience of a traumatic event, completed a measure of event related ruminations, the Quest Scale, an index of religious participation, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. The three subscales of the Quest Scale, the two groups of rumination items (soon after event/within past two weeks), and the index of religious participation were entered in a standard multiple regression with the total score of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory as the dependent variable. The degree of rumination soon after the event and the degree of openness to religious change were significantly related to Posttraumatic Growth. Congruent with theoretical predictions, more rumination soon after the event, and greater openness to religious change were related to more posttraumatic growth. Present findings offer some confirmation of theoretical predictions, and also offer clear direction for further research on the relationships of religion, rumination, and posttraumatic growth.

The factor structure of the posttraumatic growth inventory: A comparison of five models using confirmatory factor analysis

There are different views about the dimensions of the positive changes resulting from the struggle with traumatic events. Using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) data reported by participants (N = 926) experiencing a variety of traumatic events, five models of the underlying structure of the PTGI were tested via confirmatory factor analyses to examine whether the PTGI comprises three domains (Changed Perception of Self, Changed Interpersonal Relationships, and Changed Philosophy of Life), five factors (Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, Spiritual Change, and Appreciation of Life), or a unitary dimension. Results indicated an oblique 5-factor model best fit the data, thus revealing the PTGI was multidimensional. Present findings offer implications for understanding the nature of posttraumatic growth.

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth in Psychotherapy

Previous investigations of the impact of trauma-related psychotherapy on clinicians have emphasized the hazardous nature of such work. The present study is the first exploration of clinicians’ perceptions of trauma work to investigate in depth the positive consequences of working with trauma survivors. A sample of 21 psychotherapists participated in a naturalistic interview exploring the impact of trauma work with a particular focus on (a) changes in memory systems and schemas about self and the world (the hallmarks of vicarious traumatization) and (b) perceived psychological growth. In addition to reporting several negative consequences, all of the clinicians in this sample described positive outcomes. These descriptions of positive sequelae are strikingly similar to reports of growth following directly experienced trauma and suggest that the potential benefits of working with trauma survivors may be significantly more powerful and far-reaching than the existing literature’s scant focus on positive sequelae would indicate.

A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory

Abstract A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF) is described. A sample of 1351 adults who had completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in previous studies provided the basis for item selection. The resulting 10-item form includes two items from each of the five subscales of the original PTGI, selected on the basis of loadings on the original factors and breadth of item content. A separate sample of 186 completed the short form of the scale (PTGI-SF). Confirmatory factor analyses on both data sets demonstrated a five-factor structure for the PTGI-short form (PTGI-SF) equivalent to that of the PTGI. Three studies of homogenous clinical samples (bereaved parents, intimate partner violence victims, and acute leukemia patients) demonstrated that the PTGI-SF yields relationships with other variables of interest that are equivalent to those found using the original form of the PTGI. A final study demonstrated that administering the 10 short-form items in a random order, rather than in the fixed context of the original scale, did not impact the performance of the PTGI-SF. Overall, these results indicate that the PTGI-SF could be substituted for the PTGI with little loss of information.

Examining posttraumatic growth among Japanese university students

Abstract To determine the underlying factor structure of the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-J), a principal components analysis was performed on data from 312 Japanese undergraduate students who reported growth due to their most traumatic event within the last 5 years. Results showed the PTGI-J has high internal consistency and, of the original five factors reported by Tedeschi and Calhoun (1996), three were replicated: Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and a fourth factor integrating Spiritual Change and Appreciation of Life emerged. There were neither gender differences nor relationships with time since trauma. PTGI-J scores were positively associated with posttraumatic symptoms and correlated with type of traumatic event experienced. These results and future directions are discussed from a cross-cultural viewpoint.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SELF-REPORTED POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH: A META-ANALYSIS

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the direction and magnitude of gender differences in self-reported post-traumatic growth. Results from 70 studies (N = 16,076) revealed a small to moderate gender difference (g = .27, 95% CI = .21 -.32), with women reporting more posttraumatic growth than men. Moderator analyses were then conducted to identify possible sources of these differences. The following moderators were examined: mean age of sample, measure used, nature of the stressful event, language of the measure, and type of sample (i.e., community samples, college students, or mixed). The only significant moderator was age, with women reporting incrementally more posttraumatic growth as the mean age of the sample increased (B = .004, p < .01, SE = .001, Q = 9.13). To check for publication bias, effect sizes were compared across published and unpublished research. The size of the gender difference was not significantly different between published (g = .30, 95% CI = .23 -.38) and unpublished (g = .22, 95% CI = .12 -.31) studies. The present findings indicate that modest, but reliable gender differences exist in posttraumatic growth even when unpublished data are included in the analyses. Possible explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Assessing posttraumatic cognitive processes: the Event Related Rumination Inventory

Abstract Cognitive processes in the aftermath of experiencing a major life stressor play an important role in the impact of the event on the person. Intrusive thoughts about the event are likely to be associated with continued distress, while deliberate rumination, aimed at understanding and problem-solving, should be predictive of posttraumatic growth (PTG). The Event Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI), designed to measure these two styles of rumination, is described and validation information is provided. Using a college student sample screened for having experienced highly stressful life events, data were obtained (N=323) to conduct an exploratory factor analysis that supported the two factors of the ERRI. Separate confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) on two additional samples (Ns=186 and 400) supported a two-factor model. The two ERRI factors were validated by comparison with related variables and by assessing their contributions to predicting distress and PTG in two samples (Ns=198 and 202) that had been combined to conduct the second CFA. Data indicate the ERRI has solid psychometric properties, captures variance not measured by stable differences in cognitive styles, and the separate factors are related to posttraumatic distress and growth as predicted by existing models of PTG.

The Core Beliefs Inventory: a brief measure of disruption in the assumptive world

Abstract Stressful events that disrupt the assumptive world can force people to make cognitive changes to accommodate these highly stressful experiences. As fundamental assumptions are reestablished, many people report changes and experiences that reflect posttraumatic growth (PTG). The present research describes the development of the Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI), a brief measure of disruption of the assumptive world developed for use in applied research and clinical settings. Three studies, two using college samples (Study 1, n=181 and Study 2, n=297 time 1; 85 time 2) and the third using leukemia patients (Study 3, n=70 time 1; 43 time 2), assessed the utility of the CBI to predict PTG in both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Relationships between the CBI and measures of self-reported PTG and well-being indicate that the CBI has construct validity, acceptable test-retest reliability, and very good internal consistency. The CBI may be a useful tool in investigating predictions about the effects of stressful experiences on an individuals assumptive world, PTG, and successful adaptation.

The Role of Rumination in the Coexistence of Distress and Posttraumatic Growth Among Bereaved Japanese University Students

This study examined the relationships between rumination, distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Seventy-one bereaved Japanese university students completed the PTG Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and a rumination scale. Three models, with variables including intrusive rumination, deliberate rumination, distress, and PTG, were tested using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that 1 model, which depicted recent intrusive rumination leading to distress and deliberate rumination soon after the event leading to PTG, with distress and PTG coexisting, was shown to best fit the data. Present findings offer implications for future research on PTG.

Intrusive versus deliberate rumination in posttraumatic growth across US and Japanese samples

Abstract To examine the role of rumination in the aftermath of traumatic/stressful events, posttraumatic growth (PTG) and the four types of rumination (i.e., intrusive rumination soon after the event, intrusive rumination recently, deliberate rumination soon after the event, and deliberate rumination recently) were assessed retrospectively for participants from the USA (N=224) and Japan (N=431). The results from a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the hypothesized relationships among the four types of rumination and PTG were largely supported. Intrusive rumination soon after the event was positively related to PTG but recent deliberate rumination most strongly predicted the current levels of PTG for both samples. Some evidence for cultural differences in the role of rumination in PTG was also observed. In the US sample, deliberate rumination recently was more important than the deliberate rumination in the immediate aftermath of the traumatic/stressful event, whereas in the Japanese sample, deliberate rumination both soon after and recently were positively related to PTG. The results illustrate the importance of considering rumination as multidimensional and as varying across time in its impact on PTG. Future directions and clinical implications were discussed.