title: The assessment and validity of stress-related growth in a community-based sample.
abstract: In an investigation of the assessment and construct validity of stress-related growth, community-dwelling women (N = 163) wrote essays about the impact of a stressful life event that had occurred in the previous few years and completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Independent ratings of growth in the essays were positively correlated with PTGI scores, suggesting that endorsement of growth on questionnaires can be substantiated by personal accounts. There was no relation between reports of growth on the PTGI and socially desirable responding or negative mood. Higher PTGI scores were associated with greater positive mood and greater depth of processing in the essays. These findings support the validity of stress-related growth as a construct and its assessment via questionnaire.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, US.
authors.forename: Aliza Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Weinrib
authors.forename: Nan E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Rothrock
authors.forename: Erica L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lutgendorf
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires