Growth Following Trauma: Overview and Current Status

Growth is commonly reported following all variety of stressful encounters. This phenomenon is receiving proliferating research attention, and much has been learned. In this article, we provide an overview of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge regarding growth. Most of this research concerns self-reported growth, but a small amount of research reviewed here concerns actual growth. In particular, we review theoretical models and empirical evidence of growth and relationships between growth and adjustment. We then address several methodological, cultural, and other important issues in this research area and conclude with directions for future research.