title: Posttraumatic stress and growth in student service members and veterans: The role of personal growth initiative.
abstract: This study explored the extent to which personal growth initiative (PGI) may predict posttraumatic stress and growth in student service members/veterans (SSM/V).
  
  
  
  Participants were 136 SSM/V (79% men) representing multiple branches of the armed forces. Forty-four percent of participants reported having combat experience.
  
  
  
  Data collection occurred from October 2013 to February 2014. Data were collected via a Web-based survey that included demographics and measures of personal growth initiative, posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and perceived social support.
  
  
  
  Results indicated that PGI is not a unique predictor of posttraumatic stress but is a unique predictor of higher levels of posttraumatic growth. PGI appears to be at least as important as perceived social support in facilitating growth in SSM/V.
  
  
  
  This study provides further evidence for PGI's potential to facilitate growth after a traumatic event.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Sciences , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Dominika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borowa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Sciences , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robitschek
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Sciences , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Kevin Andrew
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Sciences , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigemoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Personal growth initiative; posttraumatic growth; posttraumatic stress; student service members/veterans