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Research shows that some adolescents experience positive psychological changes resulting from highly stressful life events. Because “positive change” is a value-laden concept, there may be cross-cultural differences in this conception of growth. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively assess different perceptions of personal growth across cultures. Adolescents from Japan ( n = 288, Mage = 16.16) and the United States ( n = 155, Mage = 16.21) completed demographic information and wrote three words describing their perception of personal growth. Results showed 443 different words generated, which were condensed into 12 categories. The types of words generated differed between nationalities, with Japanese adolescents generating more words related to social connection, and adolescents in the United States generating words related to change. Gender differences were found in physical change and age differences in the knowledge categories. Results demonstrate cross-cultural differences as well as similarities in the conceptualization of personal growth. Future research may examine how adolescents change the meaning of personal growth after experiencing personal growth resulting from a stressful life event.

Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that may occur after a highly stressful situation that shakes a person's core beliefs about the world. During 2020, the United States experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and a highly contentious political election, both of which have the potential to disrupt core beliefs and evoke perceptions of PTG. Post-traumatic growth, core belief disruption, perceived social support from humans and pets, coping strategies, and stressful events were assessed in 201 participants from the United States (Mage: 35.39, SD: 14.60) at four time points from April 2020 (T1) until April 2021 (T4). While total PTG did not significantly change from Time 1 to Time 4, perceptions of personal strength and new possibilities increased, as did core belief disruption, and the use of coping strategies decreased. Higher PTG was reported by those who owned pets, those who knew someone who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, and those who knew someone who had died of COVID-19. While rating COVID-19 or politics as the most stressful event at Time 4 did not correspond to differences in PTG, those who perceived the event to be resolved had higher PTG than those who perceived the event to be ongoing. Having COVID-19 personally and vaccination status was not associated with differences in Post-traumatic Growth. PTG at Time 4 was predicted by core belief disruption and social support in the full sample and in the pet owners only sample, and by support from video conferencing for the full sample only. Time 4 PTG was also predicted by core belief disruption, problem-focused coping, and avoidance coping. Results are discussed in terms of the PTG theoretical model. Additionally, implications for interventions aimed at fostering psychological growth, including through non-traditional forms of social support (i.e., remote communication and perceived support from pets) are addressed.

Objective: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) has been primarily recognized as a result of experiencing a single life crisis. The current study investigated how PTG may be attributed to experiences of a multitude of highly stressful life events, and how PTG is correlated with PTSD symptoms, the severity of the event, and the total number of childhood traumas experienced. Method: Adolescents (N = 139) participated in a survey that assessed six major life events of childhood trauma and rated the severity of each event, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and PTG. Results: The majority of adolescents attributed their PTG experiences to one event, despite experiencing multiple traumas. However, experiencing more events was associated with greater PTSS and some forms of PTG such as changed priorities, increased self-reliance, and establishing a new path in life. Results from regression analyses also showed that trauma severity and PTSS were linearly correlated with PTG, and thus, a curvilinear relationship was not identified. Conclusions: Cumulative traumatic events may lead to increases in a sense of personal growth, while also increasing distress, in nonclinical adolescents. Clinical Impact StatementAdolescents have been shown to experience posttraumatic growth (PTG). It was found that even adolescents who experience multiple traumatic life events often focus on one salient event when recognizing PTG. However, those who report PTG as a result of multiple traumatic events note increases in self-reliance, changed priorities, and identifying new life paths, while also increased distress. These results inform researchers and clinicians that when assessing PTG in adolescents, the focus should not be limited toward the raw number of traumatic events experienced, but rather subjective perceptions of severity, meanings of each event, and core beliefs disruption from each event.