The purpose of this study was to explore causal relation of cognitive factors, social support, and resilience on youth's posttraumatic growth. This study also aimed to investigate general trends of youth's traumatic experience.
For these purposes, 1,0...
The purpose of this study was to explore causal relation of cognitive factors, social support, and resilience on youth's posttraumatic growth. This study also aimed to investigate general trends of youth's traumatic experience.
For these purposes, 1,097 college students were recruited from 14 regions in South Korea. The participants were asked to complete the survey including Disruption of Core belief Scale, Intentional Rumination Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Resilience Scale, and Pottraumatic Growth Inventory. As well as frequency, correlation, and factor analysis, multiple response crosstabs and structural equation modeling were conducted, using SPSS 14.0 program and AMOS 7.0.
The results of this study were as follow:
First, many of the youth went though traumatic experiences. Although the degree of suffering at the time of the traumatic experience was higher than the average, that of current suffering caused by the experience was lower than the average. Depending on the types of traumatic experience, however, the degree of suffering both at the time of the traumatic experience and at present were higher than the average. Second, deliberate rumination, social support and resilience except the disruption of core beliefs directly affected posttraumatic growth. In addition, the disruption of core beliefs and social support indirectly influenced posttraumatic growth through deliberate rumination. The disruption of core beliefs and deliberate rumination as cognitive factors and social support environmental protective factor indirectly affected posttraumatic growth through resilience.
The findings from this study provide important support for posttraumatic growth theories proposed to explain the impact of traumatic experiences and the process that facilitates posttraumatic growth. Also, the findings from this study indicate the relationship between resilience and posttraumatic growth according to how resilience works in the process of posttraumatic growth. Moreover, this study presents that cognitive process in the aftermath of experiencing trauma plays an important role. In conclusion, this study provides the implication to develop therapeutic interventions for youths suffering from trauma and to prevent negative consequences of traumatic experiences.