Factors Contributing to Posttraumatic Growth Following Bereavement

Multiple factors have been studied to determine their relationship to posttraumatic growth, with findings suggesting the importance of resiliency (Bensimon, 2012), social support (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004), event centrality (Taku et al., 2014), religious coping (Pargament et al., 2006), relationship to the deceased (Oginska–Bulik, 2015), and the circumstance of passing (Feigelman et al., 2009). This study investigated the relationship of these identified factors with posttraumatic growth in a sample of 165 bereaved individuals. Regression results indicated that the overall model predicted scores on posttraumatic growth ( R 2 = .473, R 2 adj = .456, F (5, 159) = 28.51, p < .001), with most robust effects found in social support ( β = .281), religious commitment ( β = .289), and event centrality ( β = .410). This indicates bereavement experiences can result in significant growth in individuals, particularly those who seek social support, identify the event as an essential part of their experience, and identify religion as an important aspect of their routine.