‘As Long as You Breathe, Help If You Can’: Meaning in Life, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Posttraumatic Growth Among Volunteer First Responders

This study examined posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Israeli volunteer first responders from ZAKA, an emergency response and disaster victim identification organization, following the October 7, 2023 attacks. Using a convergent mixed methods design, 123 responders completed measures of PTG, posttraumatic stress symptoms, meaning in life and related psychosocial variables, together with open-ended questions. PTG was positively associated with meaning dimensions, spiritual well-being, optimism, gratitude and meaning detecting, and negatively associated with posttraumatic stress symptom severity. Across three parallel mediation models, optimism and spiritual well-being consistently carried significant indirect associations linking comprehension, purpose and mattering with PTG, whereas meaning detecting and death avoidance did not show reliable specific indirect associations. Qualitative findings indicated both continuity and change, with stable core orientations coexisting with gratitude, meaning and psychological strain. The findings support a culturally grounded understanding of posttraumatic adaptation in which perceived growth and ongoing distress may coexist.