University of Twente Student Theses
Flourishing after Trauma : The Role of Meaning in Life for Posttraumatic Growth
Stefer, Lisa (2022) Flourishing after Trauma : The Role of Meaning in Life for Posttraumatic Growth.
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| Abstract: | Many people experience a traumatic event at least once during life. Apart from negative mental health consequences, trauma research also detected positive changes and aspects of wellbeing in individuals after facing adversity. Despite of suffering and struggles in the aftermath of trauma, some people show significant progress in psychological functioning that expresses itself inter alia in an increased sense of connectedness to others. There is consensus on the existence of this phenomenon called posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, information is lacking about what factors contribute to this favourable process. Research suggests meaning in life (MIL) to be of relevance for successful coping and flourishing after trauma. The present literature review is the first one to summarize quantitative evidence on the relationship between MIL and PTG. An overview of 14 cross-sectional studies found small to moderate associations between both concepts independent of the type of trauma, across different self-report instruments and beyond sociodemographic and other control variables. Global meaning and presence of meaning show consistent positive associations, while contradictory findings appear regarding the search for meaning. While the results call for further research on causal effects, the main findings support the idea of implementing MIL and PTG in clinical practice. More specifically, psychological emergency and health care professionals should be educated on the importance of these concepts to prevent negative mental health outcomes and enhance well-being after traumatic exposure. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/89580 |
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