Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Female Sexual Assault Survivors

Abstract

This study examined longitudinal trajectories of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among 228 adult female sexual assault survivors using growth mixture modeling. Three distinct PTG trajectories were identified across four time points over 9 months: High-Stable (35%), Moderate-Stable (41%), and Low-Stable (24%). None of the trajectories showed significant growth or decline over time. These findings suggest that PTG may plateau following sexual assault. To foster meaningful psychological recovery, postassault services should incorporate interventions that actively promote PTG. Further research is needed to identify individual and contextual factors that facilitate growth in this population.

Keywords

posttraumatic growth (PTG)sexual assault survivors trauma recovery resilience

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