Posttraumatic Growth in Adolescents Exposed to Trauma: The Predictive Role of Resilience and Social Support

Magdalena Kobylarczyk-Kaczmarek; Janina Ogińska-Bulik

doi:10.18290/rpsych2024.0018

Published : 2025-05-13

Vol. 27 No. 4 (2024)

Posttraumatic Growth in Adolescents Exposed to Trauma: The Predictive Role of Resilience and Social Support

Magdalena Kobylarczyk-Kaczmarek

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7069-316X

Nina Ogińska-Bulik

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8868-407X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rpsych2024.0018

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the links between resilience, social support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a group of teenagers aged 12–17 years (M = 14.65, SD = 1.28) who have experienced 4 types of traumatic events. The analyses were carried out, using the results obtained from 242 teenagers (1st measurement) and then the results of 175 respondents (2nd measurement). The analyses also included sociodemographic (age, gender) and situational variables (type of event and time since its occurrence). The study used the Personal Growth Questionnaire, the Resilience Measurement Scale, and the Social Support Scale. The results of the study indicated strong links between resilience and PTG, but only in the first measurement. Resilience also played the role of the main predictor of PTG. All analyzed types of support were positively associated with PTG (from 1st measurement) but turned out to weakly predict positive posttraumatic changes in the second one. In the occurrence of posttraumatic growth resilience plays a more important role than received social support.

Keywords:

posttraumatic growth, resilience, social support, trauma, adolescents

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