title: Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Growth: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study following an Earthquake Disaster.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current longitudinal study aims to examine the bidirectional relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty-two adults in the most severely affected area were investigated by self-report questionnaires at 12 months and 18 months after the Wenchuan Earthquake occurred in China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The autoregressive cross-lagged structure equation analysis revealed that PTG at 12 months post-earthquake could negatively predict PTSS at 18 months post-earthquake above and beyond PTSS stability, whereas PTSS at 12 months post-earthquake could not significantly predict subsequent PTG. Moreover, PTG at 12 months post-earthquake could predict fewer subsequent intrusions, numbing and hyper-arousal symptoms but not avoidance symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growth can play a role in reducing long-term post-traumatic stress symptoms, and the implication of a positive perspective in post-trauma circumstance is discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jieling
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000473:pathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology