The prevalence of moderate-to-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“Alongside the experiences of post-traumatic stress, studies have found that approximately half of survivors of different types of traumas report post-traumatic growth [32].”

“…disaster who experience PTG become more positive about life and stay healthy—including maintaining both their physical health and their wellbeing (e.g., satisfaction with life) (Lelorain et al. 2010; McDonough et al. 2014)—in the event of a subsequent crisis (Wu et al. 2019; Kawashima et al. 2023).”

“Future interventions should prioritise enhancing social connection and self-efficacy in stress coping through tailored physical activity programmes, thereby maximising the emotional health benefits of physical activity.”

“Finally, there is a growing recognition of the potential for benefit finding and posttraumatic growth after a traumatic experience 44 including cancer diagnosis.”

“36 A recent longitudinal study by Wu and colleagues found greater levels of pre-pandemic “hardiness,” a possible personality trait that may facilitate PTG, were associated with lower levels of loneliness and more rapid recovery from trauma stress symptoms (e.g., avoidance, hypervigilance) over the…”

“In a review conducted by Wu et al. (2019), younger age was more likely to be associated with moderate-to-high PTG than older age.”

“However, a large heterogeneity is reported in research on the prevalence, underlying factors, and determinants of posttraumatic growth (Fleeson, 2014; Vloet et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2019).”

“PTGchallengesthetraditionalviewthattraumaticexperiences necessarilyresultinnegativeoutcomesandhighlightsthepotential forgrowthandtransformation(Wuetal.2019).”

“A systematic review and meta-analysis found pooled moderate-to-high PTG with a 52.58% prevalence rate (range 10–77%; Wu et al., 2019).”

“After the death of a loved one or a near-death experience, posttraumatic growth in a deeper appreciation for life, personal strength, community, or spirituality is highly prevalent (Büchi et al., 2007; Groth-Marnat & Summers, 1998; Wu et al., 2019).”

“A meta-analysis of 26 studies showed that 10.0 -77.3% of individuals who suffered trauma reported PTG (Wu et al., 2019).”

“In a meta-analysis study conducted by Wu et al. (2019), 26 studies with a total of 10,181 participants were examined.”

“Following previous studies, participants with a mean item score of ≥ 3 in at least one PTGI domain were classified as having moderate-to-high positive psychological change (11, 49), indicating that they reported at least a moderate degree of perceived positive change in one or more PTGI domains.”

“Further, our hypothesis that greater pandemic-related anxiety will be correlated with greater development relates to the idea that experiencing stress and the reflective processing of these stressful experiences may be a necessary precursor of post-traumatic growth [33,34].”

“8-10 Critically, these seemingly contrasting responses may coexist within individuals, creating heterogeneous psychological adaptation patterns that challenge traditional binary conceptualizations of traumatic outcomes.”

“Recent research continues to support the association between adversity, meaning-making, and personal growth across diverse populations and life challenges (Tedeschi et al., 2018; Wu et al., 2019).”

“This finding is consistent with recent meta-analytic research [92], which similarly reported that the strength of the association between coping strategies and BF remains relatively consistent across study designs.”

“In accordance with previous studies, a cutoff score of 63 and higher was used to represent moderate/high levels of growth, while scores lower than 63 represent low levels of growth (Wu et al., 2019).”

“Given the number of univariate analyses and with aim to reduce multivariable model complexity and the risk of overfitting 4,54,55 , we selected variables showing a tendency of association at the univariate level (Pr > 0.90) or identified as influencing PTG in the literature (gender, age).”

“Research by Wu et al. (2019) explains that trauma survivors need to discover their life purpose because this helps them achieve posttraumatic growth, which fulfills their self-actualization requirements.”

“One plausible explanation is that PTG often manifests months or years after trauma [52], notably, 59.9% of the participants in this study had been diagnosed within the past six months.”

“Meta-analyses indicate moderate-to-high PTG in approximately 53% of cases across varied trauma types, though debates persist regarding actual vs. perceived change and contextual moderators (Wu et al., 2019 ).”

“Two metanalyses highlighted that women are more likely to experience higher PTG than their male counterparts (Henson et al. 2020; Wu et al. 2019).”

“” 21,22 Thus, examining how the degree of PTG varies by the type of depressive symptoms and exploring the methods of recovery according to the identified types of depression would be imperative for experiencing positivity during COVID-19 and overcoming difficulties arising from the pandemic.”

“Recent systematic reviews show that approximately 52.58% of individuals experiencing traumatic events report moderate to high levels of traumatic growth (Wu et al. 2019).”

“For example, a recent meta-analysis estimated that 52.58% of people who experienced suffering traumatic events reported moderate-to-high PTG as measured by the PTGI (Wu et al., 2019).”

“Дослідженнями встановлено, що в середньому поширеність помірного або високого рівня посттравматичного зростання (ПТЗ) серед людей, які пережили травматичні події, становить орієнтовно 52,58% (Wu et. al., 2019) - як без додаткових втручань, так і з ними.”

“…to the point where trauma alone is no longer necessarily considered to be solely negative but as having the potential to offer empowering experiences whereby the individual is able to heal, grow, develop, and build resilience (Joseph & Linley, 2006; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004; Wu et al., 2019).”

“It has been reported that more than 50% of individuals who experience traumatic events later benefit from the experi - ence, including changes in self-perception, strengthened relationships with family and friends, and shifts in life philosophy and priorities (Wu et al., 2019).”

“Age, for example, has been linked to PTG levels, with a meta-analysis by Wu et al. (2019) showing that individuals over 60 are signi fi cantly less likely to report moderate to high PTG. Racial and ethnic identity also appears in fl uential; several studies report that non-White survivors are more…”

“…positive associations between PTG and the experience of COVID-19 [21], particularly among discharged COVID-19 female patients (e.g., [22]), suggesting that these patients can process and elaborate the pandemic experience positively, contributing to greater satisfaction with life and QoL [23,24].”

“Extensive literature has demonstrated that, while most individuals who have experienced trauma report PTG (Wu et al., 2019), it is important to recognize that PTG is influenced by contextual factors.”

“The higher the score, the higher the individual’s level of PTG. Based on a meta-analysis on PTG, we define scores greater than or equal to 60% of the total score as moderate-to-high levels of PTG. 33”

“However, not all trauma survivors experience PTG. Studies reveal significant variation in its prevalence, with systematic reviews suggesting that only about 52.58% of survivors report moderate-to-high levels of growth (Wu et al ., 2019).”

“The development of PTG is influenced by several intrinsic factors, such as age (Boyle et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2019), gender (Nakayama et al., 2017), and race (Henson et al., 2021), as well as extrinsic factors like family functioning (Svetina & Nastran, 2012) and trauma characteristics (e.g.…”

“…its interaction with the nature of traumatic events and the time since these occurrences, is a significant predictor of trauma responses and posttraumatic growth (Campodonico et al., 2021; Jin et al., 2014; Wu et al., 2019), highlighting the role of age in trauma responses and posttraumatic growth.”

“…ordinary, chronic, and blamed on others (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1995, p. 19)—is that such events consistently lead to psychological growth (Arpawong et al., 2016; Chen et al., 2021; Dickinson, 2021, Wayment et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2019; Zavala & Waters, 2021; see Tedeschi et al., 2018 for a review).”

“3457009 events and adversity, which are specifically reflected in the positive changes in their understanding of themselves, relationships with others, and outlook on life philosophy after experiencing traumatic events [5-8].”