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Post-Traumatic Growth Following Politically Motivated Acts of Violence: 10 Years Post Injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2017

Carolyn E. Hawley ,
Amy J. Armstrong ,
Shimon Shiri ,
Jenna Czarnota ,
Sara Blumenfeld ,
Isabella Schwartz  and
Zeev Meiner
Carolyn E. Hawley*
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, School of Allied Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA
Amy J. Armstrong
Affiliation:
Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, School of Allied Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA
Shimon Shiri
Affiliation:
Department of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
Jenna Czarnota
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA
Sara Blumenfeld
Affiliation:
Department of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
Isabella Schwartz
Affiliation:
Department of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
Zeev Meiner
Affiliation:
Department of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus Campus, Jerusalem, Israel
*
Address for correspondence: Carolyn E. Hawley Ph.D., CRC; Associate Professor Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, School of Allied Health Professionals Virginia Commonwealth University P.O. Box 980330; Richmond, VA 23298, USA. E-mail: cehawley@vcu.edu
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Abstract

The study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its relationship with the quality of life (QOL), posttraumatic stress, and resilience among survivors of terror attacks over 10 years post-injury. Participants were patients of Hadassah Medical Center, Israel, who were injured in terror attacks between 2000 and 2004 during the second Intifada. Variables of interest were obtained from a survey and patients' medical files. In total, 42 patients participated, 66% were men, and the average age was 41.4 years. Multivariate analysis was utilized to predict PTG from a variety of demographic variables including gender, ethnicity, relationship status, age, education, income, religiosity, and injury/disability type. Additional primary variables of study included current levels of QOL, posttraumatic stress, and resilience. Results revealed that married/partnered individuals had higher levels of PTG than divorced or single individuals. Findings suggest that social support following trauma is important for PTG and should be prioritized in recovery interventions with trauma survivors.

Keywords

posttraumatic growthquality of lifepolitically motivated acts of violenceresiliencetrauma
Type
Articles
Information
The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , July 2017 , pp. 1 - 18
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

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