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Journal of Beijing Normal University(Social Sciences) ›› 2018, Vol. 0 ›› Issue (2): 51-63.

• Psychology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Dialectical Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Growth: A Perspective of Integration and Comparison

WU Xin-chun1, ZHOU Xiao2, WANG Wen-chao1, TIAN Yu-xin1   

  1. 1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, BNU, Beijing, 100875;
    2. Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028,China
  • Online:2018-04-20 Published:2019-06-20

Abstract: Following traumatic events, traumatized individuals not only reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also perceived positive psychological changes such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). As contrast valance psychological reactions, PTSD and PTG may co-exist in traumatized individuals. Based on the perspective of integration and comparison, this study discussed the relation between PTSD and PTG, the predictors as well as their underlying mechanism. This research demonstrated that shortly after the trauma, PTG, as a strategy, might relieve the severity of PTSD, but PTG, as a long-term consequence, might exist after the trauma, which was precipitated by PTSD. Trauma exposure, core belief challenge, and fear were common factors leading to PTSD and PTG, intrusive rumination and deliberated rumination not only results in PTSD, but also lead to PTG, and social support could be a two-side sword to PTSD and PTG. In addition, PTSD and PTG had unique underlying cognitive mechanism but common emotive mechanism, and social support could relieve PTSD and lead to PTG by the indirect effect of cognitive activities. However, social support can only relieve PTSD but cannot improve PTG by suppressing emotion.

Key words: PTSD, PTG, relation, predictors, mechanism

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