Post-traumatic growth as outcome of a cognitive-behavioural therapy trial for motor vehicle accident survivors with PTSD.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment effects on post-traumatic growth (PTG) and its subdomains were investigated together with predictors of the Janus-face model of PTG.


METHODS
Effects were investigated within a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


METHODS
Forty motor vehicle accident survivors were randomly assigned to a treatment or waiting condition. PTG was measured by the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory and complemented by its possible predictors (optimism, openness).


RESULTS
The CBT treatment proved to be highly effective in terms of PTSD symptom reduction. In contrast to previous findings, however, there was no treatment effect on PTG in general. The CBT group showed, however, increases in PTG subdomains 'new possibilities' and 'personal strength'.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study caution researchers to naively expect PTG as a uniformly positive outcome to evaluate treatment effectiveness.
Center for Psychosomatic Medicine, Roseneck Hospital, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany.
Tanja
T
Zoellner
Sirko
S
Rabe
Anke
A
Karl
Andreas
A
Maercker
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D057832:Watchful Waiting