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Posttraumatic Growth in Treatment-seeking Female Assault Victims

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Abstract

The importance of measuring growth outcomes following a traumatic event has been highlighted in recent literature (e.g., Linley, Joseph: Journal of Traumatic Stress 17:11–21, 2004). Although reports of growth are abundant, the relationship between growth outcomes and post-trauma distress remains unclear, with studies yielding conflicting results regarding this relationship. The purpose of the present study was to explore the interrelationships among growth outcomes and measures of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 100 female treatment-seeking physical and sexual assault victims. Although the majority of women reported some degree of growth in this study, and growth scores were comparable to those from other samples, measures of depression and PTSD were not significantly related to growth scores. The implication of these findings and future direction for research are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by grant R01-MH51509 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to Dr. Patricia Resick.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Trauma Recovery, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, USA

    Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D. & Patricia A. Resick Ph.D.

  2. Division of Public Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, P.O. Box 250861, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D.

  3. Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, Boston, MA, USA

    Patricia A. Resick Ph.D.

  4. Boston University, Boston, USA

    Patricia A. Resick Ph.D.

  5. Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA

    Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D.
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  2. Patricia A. Resick Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Anouk L. Grubaugh Ph.D..

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Grubaugh, A.L., Resick, P.A. Posttraumatic Growth in Treatment-seeking Female Assault Victims. Psychiatr Q 78, 145–155 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-006-9034-7

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