More than a decade of research has indicated that individuals who have experienced traumatic events may report positive psychological changes as a result of their struggle to cope with the impact of the event. This cluster of changes has been labelled posttraumatic growth (PTG). Several measurement instruments have been developed to quantify such growth, one of the most widely used being the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) developed by Tedeschi and Calhoun (1996). The objective of the present study was to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the PTGI on data yielded by a South African sample, to determine if the hypothesised factor structure showed appropriate fit in this context. Analyses were performed with three hypothesised models: the five factor model, the three factor model and the model of posttraumatic growth as a unitary factor. Whilst the results of the CFA did not provide overt support for the adequate fit of the models tested, it did yield a profile of PTG in the South African sample that is similar to that of samples from other countries of origin. The findings implied that the factorial validity of the PTGI is unclear and the inventory may require modification for use in the South African context. This highlighted the need for further investigation in order to provide a comprehensive exploration of the PTGI and its applicability in this context. This is in line with the current focus on the socio-cultural and contextual elements that may influence the perception of PTG.

While the validity of posttraumatic growth has been repeatedly questioned, the prevalence of growth after exposure to trauma is widely established. Perceptions of posttraumatic growth were examined in a sample of South African adults (N = 135). Participants completed a selfadministered battery of questionnaires via an online trauma survey or in paper format. Data specific to the nature of the traumatic event, particularly the type of trauma, time since the traumatic event, the impact of the event and perceived threat of the event, were collected along with posttraumatic growth (PTG) scores. Age, gender and perceived social support were also assessed as variables. Results of the multivariate analyses indicated that PTG differed significantly as a function of the type of traumatic event. PTG also differed according to the time since the traumatic event, although the relationship was complex and subject to the additional moderating factors of depression, anxiety and stress. Examination of the growth factors further revealed a differential pattern of PTG according to event type, and a variable pattern of relationship to social support, perceived threat and impact of the trauma. The findings supported the view of PTG as a complex, highly subjective perception of growth that may involve many levels and aspects of change. The nature of PTG is important in the context of South Africa, for the individuals, and their families, who have been exposed to high levels of crime, violence, chronic illness and road accidents, and for a nation in the process of rebuilding itself.

Crescimento pós-traumático (CPT) refere-se à mudança positiva em algum aspecto da experiência humana como resultado do enfrentamento de situações adversas (traumáticas ou crises de vida em geral). O objetivo geral do presente trabalho foi investigar em uma amostra brasileira as propriedades psicométricas da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – PTGI-B), instrumento que se propõe a mensurar CPT. Para isso, dois estudos distintos foram realizados. O Estudo I buscou investigar a estrutural fatorial do PTGI-B. Participaram dele 321 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. A estrutura fatorial do PTGI-B foi investigada através do método de análise fatorial confirmatória. Testou-se cinco diferentes modelos de estrutura fatorial. A estrutura convencional de cinco fatores apresentou melhores índices de ajuste quando comparada às demais. Além disso, o modelo de cinco fatores de primeira ordem organizados em torno de um fator geral de segunda ordem também mostrou índices de ajuste adequados. O Estudo II buscou avaliar se as evidências de validade externa da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (PTGI-B) são mais consistentes quando se compara os resultados de um subgrupo pontuou alto na Escala de Centralidade de Eventos (ECE) versus os resultados do subgrupo que pontuou baixo na ECE - que avalia em que medida o evento de referência contribuiu na formação da identidade dos indivíduos. Participaram do estudo 317 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. Investigou-se a relação entre crescimento pós-traumático, suporte social, sentido de vida, satisfação com a vida, religiosidade e desajuste psicológico. As correlações entre CPT e as demais variáveis de interesse mostraram-se maiores e mais coerentes no subgrupo que pontuou alto na ECE do que no subgrupo que pontuou baixo. Os resultados obtidos fortalecem a concepção de que apenas eventos que levam a uma reavaliação das crenças centrais dos indivíduos devem ser incluídos nos estudos de CPT. / Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive change in some aspect of the human experience as a result of facing adverse situations (traumatic or general life crisis). The main goal of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B). To address this purpose, two distinct studies were performed. Study I was aimed to investigate the factor structure of the PTGI-B. It involved 321 people who had been through a wide range of adverse situations. The factorial structure of the PTGI was investigated using the method of confirmatory factorial analysis. Five different models of factorial structure were tested. The conventional five factor structure presented better adjustment indices when compared to the others. However, the factorial structure of five first order factors organized around a second order global PTG factor was also adequate. Study II intended to assess whether evidence of the external validity of the Brazilian Version of the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B) is more consistent when considering the events in which individuals scored high versus individuals who scored low on the Centrality of Events Scale (ECE). The ECE assesses to what extent the reference event contributed to the formation of individuals' identity. A total of 317 people who had been through a variety of adverse events participated in the study. It was investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth, social support, meaning in life, life satisfaction, religiosity and psychological distress. The correlations between PTGI-B scores and the other variables of interest became larger and more theoretically coherent in the subgroup that scored high in ECE than in the subgroup that scored low. The results obtained strengthen the conception that only events that lead to a reassessment of individuals’ central beliefs should be included in the PTG studies.

Crescimento pós-traumático (CPT) refere-se à mudança positiva em algum aspecto da experiência humana como resultado do enfrentamento de situações adversas (traumáticas ou crises de vida em geral). O objetivo geral do presente trabalho foi investigar em uma amostra brasileira as propriedades psicométricas da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – PTGI-B), instrumento que se propõe a mensurar CPT. Para isso, dois estudos distintos foram realizados. O Estudo I buscou investigar a estrutural fatorial do PTGI-B. Participaram dele 321 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. A estrutura fatorial do PTGI-B foi investigada através do método de análise fatorial confirmatória. Testou-se cinco diferentes modelos de estrutura fatorial. A estrutura convencional de cinco fatores apresentou melhores índices de ajuste quando comparada às demais. Além disso, o modelo de cinco fatores de primeira ordem organizados em torno de um fator geral de segunda ordem também mostrou índices de ajuste adequados. O Estudo II buscou avaliar se as evidências de validade externa da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (PTGI-B) são mais consistentes quando se compara os resultados de um subgrupo pontuou alto na Escala de Centralidade de Eventos (ECE) versus os resultados do subgrupo que pontuou baixo na ECE - que avalia em que medida o evento de referência contribuiu na formação da identidade dos indivíduos. Participaram do estudo 317 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. Investigou-se a relação entre crescimento pós-traumático, suporte social, sentido de vida, satisfação com a vida, religiosidade e desajuste psicológico. As correlações entre CPT e as demais variáveis de interesse mostraram-se maiores e mais coerentes no subgrupo que pontuou alto na ECE do que no subgrupo que pontuou baixo. Os resultados obtidos fortalecem a concepção de que apenas eventos que levam a uma reavaliação das crenças centrais dos indivíduos devem ser incluídos nos estudos de CPT. / Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive change in some aspect of the human experience as a result of facing adverse situations (traumatic or general life crisis). The main goal of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B). To address this purpose, two distinct studies were performed. Study I was aimed to investigate the factor structure of the PTGI-B. It involved 321 people who had been through a wide range of adverse situations. The factorial structure of the PTGI was investigated using the method of confirmatory factorial analysis. Five different models of factorial structure were tested. The conventional five factor structure presented better adjustment indices when compared to the others. However, the factorial structure of five first order factors organized around a second order global PTG factor was also adequate. Study II intended to assess whether evidence of the external validity of the Brazilian Version of the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B) is more consistent when considering the events in which individuals scored high versus individuals who scored low on the Centrality of Events Scale (ECE). The ECE assesses to what extent the reference event contributed to the formation of individuals' identity. A total of 317 people who had been through a variety of adverse events participated in the study. It was investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth, social support, meaning in life, life satisfaction, religiosity and psychological distress. The correlations between PTGI-B scores and the other variables of interest became larger and more theoretically coherent in the subgroup that scored high in ECE than in the subgroup that scored low. The results obtained strengthen the conception that only events that lead to a reassessment of individuals’ central beliefs should be included in the PTG studies.

Crescimento pós-traumático (CPT) refere-se à mudança positiva em algum aspecto da experiência humana como resultado do enfrentamento de situações adversas (traumáticas ou crises de vida em geral). O objetivo geral do presente trabalho foi investigar em uma amostra brasileira as propriedades psicométricas da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory – PTGI-B), instrumento que se propõe a mensurar CPT. Para isso, dois estudos distintos foram realizados. O Estudo I buscou investigar a estrutural fatorial do PTGI-B. Participaram dele 321 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. A estrutura fatorial do PTGI-B foi investigada através do método de análise fatorial confirmatória. Testou-se cinco diferentes modelos de estrutura fatorial. A estrutura convencional de cinco fatores apresentou melhores índices de ajuste quando comparada às demais. Além disso, o modelo de cinco fatores de primeira ordem organizados em torno de um fator geral de segunda ordem também mostrou índices de ajuste adequados. O Estudo II buscou avaliar se as evidências de validade externa da Versão Brasileira do Inventário de Crescimento Pós-Traumático (PTGI-B) são mais consistentes quando se compara os resultados de um subgrupo pontuou alto na Escala de Centralidade de Eventos (ECE) versus os resultados do subgrupo que pontuou baixo na ECE - que avalia em que medida o evento de referência contribuiu na formação da identidade dos indivíduos. Participaram do estudo 317 pessoas que passaram por situações adversas variadas. Investigou-se a relação entre crescimento pós-traumático, suporte social, sentido de vida, satisfação com a vida, religiosidade e desajuste psicológico. As correlações entre CPT e as demais variáveis de interesse mostraram-se maiores e mais coerentes no subgrupo que pontuou alto na ECE do que no subgrupo que pontuou baixo. Os resultados obtidos fortalecem a concepção de que apenas eventos que levam a uma reavaliação das crenças centrais dos indivíduos devem ser incluídos nos estudos de CPT. / Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to the positive change in some aspect of the human experience as a result of facing adverse situations (traumatic or general life crisis). The main goal of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B). To address this purpose, two distinct studies were performed. Study I was aimed to investigate the factor structure of the PTGI-B. It involved 321 people who had been through a wide range of adverse situations. The factorial structure of the PTGI was investigated using the method of confirmatory factorial analysis. Five different models of factorial structure were tested. The conventional five factor structure presented better adjustment indices when compared to the others. However, the factorial structure of five first order factors organized around a second order global PTG factor was also adequate. Study II intended to assess whether evidence of the external validity of the Brazilian Version of the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-B) is more consistent when considering the events in which individuals scored high versus individuals who scored low on the Centrality of Events Scale (ECE). The ECE assesses to what extent the reference event contributed to the formation of individuals' identity. A total of 317 people who had been through a variety of adverse events participated in the study. It was investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth, social support, meaning in life, life satisfaction, religiosity and psychological distress. The correlations between PTGI-B scores and the other variables of interest became larger and more theoretically coherent in the subgroup that scored high in ECE than in the subgroup that scored low. The results obtained strengthen the conception that only events that lead to a reassessment of individuals’ central beliefs should be included in the PTG studies.

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