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Optimism, Social Support, and Coping Strategies As Factors Contributing to Posttraumatic Growth: A Meta-Analysis
Open accessAbstract
This meta-analytic review examines the role of optimism, social support, and coping strategies in contributing to posttraumatic growth. Results from 103 studies showed that all three systems of variables yielded significant effect sizes. Religious coping and positive reappraisal coping produced the largest effect sizes. Social support, seeking social support coping, spirituality, and optimism were moderately related to posttraumatic growth. Acceptance coping yielded the smallest effect sizes. Moderator analyses showed that effect sizes did not differ according to time elapsed since trauma, gender, and type of posttraumatic growth measure (posttraumatic growth vs. benefit finding). Age and gender were significant moderators of religious coping, whereas study design (longitudinal vs. cross-sectional) significantly moderated the effect of positive reappraisal coping. Implications for research and interventions on posttraumatic growth are also discussed.
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“The last, resilience and rumination were not the only two effect factors of traumatic outcomes, and other factors, such as social support may also affect the development of PTG and PTSD (Dirik and Karanci, 2008; Prati and Pietrantoni, 2009).”
From Coexistence and different determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among Chinese survivors after earthquake: role of resilience and rumination (2015) · cites this paper as Prati and Pietrantoni, 2009
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“The effectiveness of positive reappraisal likely depends on contextual opportunities and resources: survivors who received adequate social support and had sufficient time for reflection may have been better positioned to construct positive meaning, whereas those still facing acute stressors or lacking psychosocial resources may have struggled to reframe their experiences (63).”
From Coping strategies and psychological outcomes following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: a systematic review with meta-analytic synthesis (2026) · cites this paper as [63]
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“A meta-analysis study also showed a moderate correlation between social support and PTG with a mean effect size of r = 0.26 (Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009).”
From Post-Traumatic Growth in University Students After Earthquakes: The Effect of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resilience (2025) · cites this paper as Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009
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“Again, the experience of posttraumatic growth may be linked to individual coping strategies for stress (Peters et al., 2021), including religious or spiritual coping and positive reframing (Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009; Schroevers & Teo, 2008).”
From Traumatic Events, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Growth among University Students in Kabul City (2025) · cites this paper as Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
A new look at social support: A theoretical perspective on thriving through relationships
Feeney, B. C., & Collins, N. L. (2015) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868314544222 · Cited by 1,521
“…& Chambers, 2011; Lelorain, Tessier, Florin, & Bonnaud-Antignac, 2012; Lepore & Kernan, 2009; Leung et al., 2010; Luszczynska, Mohamed, & Schwarzer, 2005; Morris, Campbell, Dwyer, Dunn, & Chambers, 2011; Powell, Gilson, & Collin, 2012; Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009; Scrignaro, Barni, & Magrin, 2011).”
Food cue reactivity and craving predict eating and weight gain: A meta-analytic review
Boswell, R. G., & Kober, H. (2016) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.12354 · Cited by 703
Post–traumatic growth as positive personality change: Evidence, controversies and future directions
Jayawickreme, E., & Blackie, L. E. R. (2014) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.1963 · Cited by 555
“28: 312–331 (2014) DOI: 10.1002/per exception of optimism, these conclusions are based on only a few cross-sectional select studies that relied solely on retrospective measurement of post-traumatic growth (Bostock, Sheikh, & Barton, 2009; Linley & Joseph, 2004; Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialYe, Z., Yang, X., Zeng, C., Wang, Y., Shen, Z., Li, X., & Lin, D. (2020) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12211 · Cited by 478
“…side) may help individuals to rebuild the meaning of life and integrate the stressful experience with existing cognitive schemas about the self and the world, which were linked with better psychological adjustment (Luszczynska et al., 2005; Prati & Pietrantoni, 2009; Strasshofer et al., 2018).”
BackgroundResilience: A Meta‐Analytic Approach
Lee, M., Nam, S. K., Kim, A., Kim, B., Lee, M. Y., & Lee, S. M. (2013) · Journal of Counseling & Development · doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00095.x · Cited by 479
Metadata
- Authors
- Prati, G., & Pietrantoni, L.
- Affiliations
- University of Bologna (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Prati, Gabriele
- Venue
- Journal of Loss and Trauma
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-08-26
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 364-388
- ISSN
- 1532-5024 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-5032
- OpenAlex
- W1965613249
- Cited by
- 978
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 68 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 69 · 2022: 107 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 69 · 2017: 63 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 56 · 2013: 44 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 2.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Loss and Trauma (publishedVersion)
- Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
- INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Keywords
- posttraumatic growth, optimism, social support, coping strategies, religious coping, positive reappraisal, spirituality, social support seeking, acceptance coping, benefit finding, gender differences, age differences, time since trauma
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