Navigating Distress and Growth: How Social Acknowledgment Shapes Psychological Adjustment Among Mass Shooting Survivors

Survivors of mass public shootings remain understudied, particularly regarding factors associated with long-term psychological adjustment. Using survey data from 167 survivors across 48 US communities, this study examines posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth as distinct but potentially co-occurring outcomes, with particular attention to social acknowledgment, event centrality, and post-incident resources and supports. Greater social acknowledgment was associated with greater posttraumatic growth and fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms. Examination of its individual dimensions further revealed that recognition was associated with greater growth, whereas greater perceived general disapproval was associated with greater distress. Physical injury also was associated with greater posttraumatic stress symptoms, while financial assistance during the first year following the shooting was associated with greater posttraumatic growth. Event centrality was associated with greater distress in one of two model specifications. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of considering survivors’ social environments alongside their experiences of the shooting when examining long-term psychological adjustment following mass public shootings.