Research Aims: Even today, the impact of potentially traumatic experiences (PTE) is still a very topical issue. Many researchers find a connection between PTE and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the nature of this connection is still relevant today (Palmer et al., 2017; Pietrzak et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2019). The impact of one syndrome on the other has also been the subject of debate for a long time. However, recent studies show the ambiguity of the results (Hijazi et al., 2015; Tsai et al., 2015). There is a possibility that an additional variable has emerged which has influenced the outcome of the interviews and the analysis of the material collected. Schubert et al. (2016) suggest that the issue is relevant and needs to be addressed in order to establish further steps in analyzing the impact of post-traumatic growth (PTG) on the development of mental disorders in veterans, not only the armed forces but in combatants themselves, that is, those who also have PTSD as a result of military operations.
This paper will refer to newer sources of information, such as the DSM-V, which was published in 2013 and which has more up-to-date data. Although there was an assumption in the previous study that veterans with PTSD are more likely to experience PTG, this issue is still not fully investigated (Armour et al., 2015). The reason is that newer sources allow reference to more recent data in the field and up-to-date information, which helps the problem to be considered more thoroughly.
In addition, the fact that the impact of PTG is influenced by demographics and ethnicity is indicative of the relevance of the issue. This issue needs to be further discussed, as the link between these factors is not fully proven, and there is an opinion that members of ethnic minorities are more affected by this problem. This fact still needs to be investigated, and hard evidence needs to be provided to substantiate this claim. It is vital to mention the fact of existence of such a hypothesis that the degree of trauma affects how a patient may be prone to PTG (Greenberg et al., 2021). There is insufficient research to say how true this is and whether the degree of trauma significantly affects a person’s mental and physical health. A number of studies also suggest that the more the veterans took care of their health, the more the syndrome spread. This issue needs to be studied in more detail to establish a correlation and have a scientific basis.
Research Purpose Statement: The central claim of this problem is that PTG is widespread in general and amongst people who are undergoing post-war stress disorder. An additional claim is that there is a connection between PTG and PTSD, even though the concepts are quite different and should not be associated with each other. As previously mentioned, the syndrome and its development are influenced by demographic and ethnological factors. There is no denying the fact that PTG and PTSD function better together than they do separately. Despite the significant differences between these syndromes, their combination can be expected to improve people’s abilities.
Research Question/ Hypothesis: RQ1: How and at what rate does PTG spread? RQ2: Which ethnic groups and countries are most affected by PTG? RQ3: What is the link between PTG and PTSD? Is the combination of these syndromes effective, or does it have a worsening effect? RQ4: How does the severity of trauma affect a person’s mental and physical health? Is there a relationship between severity and the consequences of the syndrome? RQ5: Can increased attention to one’s health affect the development of PTG among veterans?
References
Armour, C., Tsai, J., Durham, T. A., Charak, R., Biehn, T. L., Elhai, J. D., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2015). Dimensional structure of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress symptoms: Support for a hybrid Anhedonia and Externalizing Behaviors model. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 61, 106–113.
Greenberg, J., Tsai, J., Southwick, S. M., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2021). Can military trauma promote psychological growth in combat veterans? Results from the national health and resilience in veterans study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 282, 732–739.
Palmer, E., Murphy, D., & Spencer-Harper, L. (2017). Experience of post-traumatic growth in U.K. veterans with PTSD: A qualitative study. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 163(3), 171–176.
Pietrzak, R. H., Tsai, J., & Southwick, S. M. (2021). Association of Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Posttraumatic Psychological Growth Among U.S. Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 4(4).
Wu, X., Kaminga, A. C., Dai, W., Deng, J., Wang, Z., Pan, X., & Liu, A. (2019). The prevalence of moderate-to-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 243, 408–415.