Skip to main content
Log in

The Role of Functionality in the Latent Structure of Posttraumatic Growth among Survivors of a Flash Flood Disaster

  • Research in Progress
  • Published:
Psychological Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Several studies have examined what model of posttraumatic growth (PTG) best represents its latent structure among Asian population but yielded inconsistent results. Furthermore, there is limited literature assessing the factor structure of PTG in the aftermath of a disaster, and so far, none have looked into the moderating effect of functionality. The present study examined the role of functionality in various areas (work/occupation, domestic chores, relationship with friends, leisure activities, and relationship with family) in the latent structure of PTG among survivors of flash flood disaster (N = 912). Findings revealed the 3-factor model as the best-fitting and can be generalized between functional and dysfunctional groups in the areas of work/occupation, domestic chores, and leisure activities, but not with relationships with family and friends. The findings that relationships with family and friends moderate the latent structure of PTG can be vital in integrating interventions that would address the relational issues among survivors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bentler, P. M. (2004). EQS 6 Structural Equation Program manual. CA: Multivariate Software.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blix, I., Hansen, M. B., Birkeland, M. S., Nissen, A., & Heir, T. (2013). Posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress and psychological adjustment in the aftermath of the 2011 Oslo bombing attack. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 11(1), 160. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-11-160.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brunet, J., McDonough, M. H., Hadd, V., Crocker, P. R. E., & Sabiston, C. M. (2010). The posttraumatic growth inventory: an examination of the factor structure and invariance among breast cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 19, 830–838. doi:10.1002/pon.1640.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, R. A. (2011). Acute stress disorder as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 72, 233–239. doi:10.4088/JCP.09r05072blu.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, R. A., Brooks, R., Silove, D., Creamer, M., O’Donnell, M., & McFarlane, A. C. (2011). Peritraumatic dissociation mediates the relationship between acute panic and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49, 346–351. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2011.03.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M. (2006). Structural equation modeling with EQS: Basic concepts, applications and programming (2nd ed.). Mahwah: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demir, T., Demir, D., Alkas, L., Copur, M., Dogangun, B., & Kayaalp, L. (2010). Some clinical characteristics of children who survived the Marmara earthquakes. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 19, 125–133. doi:10.1007/s00787-009-0048-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Filipp, S. H. (1999). A three-stage model of coping with loss and trauma. In A. Maercker, M. Schützwohl, & Z. Solomon (Eds.), Posttraumatic stress disorder: A lifespan developmental perspective (pp. 43–78). Seattle: Hogrefe and Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helgeson, V. S., Reynolds, K. A., & Tomich, P. L. (2006). A meta-analytic review of benefit-finding and growth. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 797–816. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.74.5.797.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ho, S. M., Chan, C. L., & Ho, R. T. (2004). Posttraumatic growth in Chinese cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 13(6), 377–389. doi:10.1002/pon.758.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jin, Y., Xu, J., Liu, H., & Liu, D. (2014). Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among adult survivors of Wenchuan earthquake after 1 year: prevalence and correlates. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 28(1), 67–73. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2013.10.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, S., Linley, P.A., & Harris, G. J. (2004). Understanding positive change following trauma and adversity: Structural clarification. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 10(1), 83-96. doi:10.1080/15325020490890741

  • Lamela, D., Figueiredo, B., Bastos, A., & Martins, H. (2014). Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Posttraumatic growth inventory short form among divorced adults. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 30(1), 3–14. doi:10.1027/1015-5759/a000161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. A., Luxton, D. D., Reger, G. M., & Gahm, G. A. (2010). Confirmatory factor analysis of the posttraumatic growth inventory with a sample of soldiers previously deployed in support of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66(7), 813–819. doi:10.1002/jclp.20692.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linley, P. A., Andrews, L., & Joseph, S. (2007). Confirmatory factor analysis of the posttraumatic growth inventory. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12(4), 321–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, S. R., Manove, E. E., & Rhodes, J. E. (2013). Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among low-income mothers who survived Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(5), 877–889. doi:10.1037/a0033252.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maercker, A., & Zoellner, T. (2004). The Janus face of self-perceived growth: Toward a two-component model of posttraumatic growth. Psychological Inquiry, 41–48.

  • Meredith, W. (1993). Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance. Psychometrika, 58, 525–543. doi:10.1007/BF02294825.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224–253. doi:10.1037//0033-295X.98.2.224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osei-Bonsu, P. E., Weaver, T. L., Eisen, S. V., & Vander Wal, J. S. (2012). Posttraumatic growth inventory: factor structure in the context of DSM-IV traumatic events. International Scholarly Research Network Psychiatry, 2012, 1–9. doi:10.5402/2012/937582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, S., Rosner, R., Butollo, W., Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2003). Posttraumatic growth after war: a study with former refugees and displaced people in Sarajevo. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59, 71–83. doi:10.1002/jclp.10117.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raftery, A. E. (1995). Bayesian model selection in social research. Sociological Methodology, 25, 111–163. doi:10.2307/271063.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satorra, A., & Bentler, P. M. (2001). Ensuring positiveness of the scaled difference chi-square test statistic. Psychometrika, 75, 243–248. doi:10.1007/s11336-009-9135-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumacher, R. E., & Lomax, R. G. (1996). A Beginner’s guide to structural equation modeling. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shigemoto, Y., & Poyrazli, S. (2013). Factors related to posttraumatic growth in U.S. and Japanese college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(2), 128–134. doi:10.1037/a0026647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, Z., & Dekel, R. (2007). Posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth among Israeli ex-POWs. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20, 303–312. doi:10.1002/jts.20216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taku, K., Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2008). The factor structure of the posttraumatic growth inventory: a comparison of five models using confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(2), 158–164. doi:10.1002/jts.20305.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E., Kemeny, M. E., Reed, G. M., Bower, J. E., & Gruenewald, T. L. (2000). Psychological resources, positive illusions, and health. American Psychologist, 55, 99–109. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1995). Trauma and transformation. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The posttraumatic growth inventory: measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 455–471. doi:10.1007/BF02103658.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). A clinical approach to posttraumatic growth. In P. A. Linley & S. Joseph (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice (pp. 405–419). Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teixeira, R. J., & Pereira, M. G. (2013). Growth and cancer caregiving experience: psychometric properties of the Portuguese posttraumatic growth inventory. Families, Systems, & Health, 31(4), 382–395. doi:10.1037/a0032004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C., McCusker, C., & Hui, C. H. (1990). Multimethod probes of individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(5), 1006–1020. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.59.5.1006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triplett, K. N., Tedeschi, R. G., Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Reeve, C. L. (2012). Posttraumatic growth, meaning in life, and life satisfaction in response to trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 400–410. doi:10.1037/a0024204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tompar-Tiu, A., & Sustento-Seneriches, J. (1995). Depression and other mental health issues: The Filipino American experience. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, T., & Berger, R. (2006). Reliability and validity of a Spanish version of the posttraumatic growth inventory. Research on Social Work Practice, 16, 191–199. doi:10.1177/1049731505281374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoellner, T., & Maercker, A. (2006). Posttraumatic growth in clinical psychology – a critical review and introduction of a two component model. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(5), 626–653. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2006.01.008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ma. Jenina N. Nalipay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mordeno, I.G., Nalipay, M.J.N. & Cue, M.P. The Role of Functionality in the Latent Structure of Posttraumatic Growth among Survivors of a Flash Flood Disaster. Psychol Stud 60, 138–145 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-015-0303-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-015-0303-0

Keywords

Navigation